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Verdicts & Settlements

Civil Rights

  • Ware v. Brotman Medical Center - $2.5 million jury verdict against hospital for removal of hospital privileges of a Black doctor; settled for $1.75 million.
  • Heidi v. U.S. Customs Service - Injunction against U.S. Customs Service for policies and practices of seizing materials from persons traveling from Nicaragua in violation of the First Amendment in the late 80s.
  • Goldstein v. City of Long Beach - $7.95 million settlement in favor of man who served 24 years in prison after wrongful murder conviction.

Class Actions

  • Bynum v. District of Columbia - $12 Million settlement in certified class action against the District of Columbia for overdetentions and strip searches of persons ordered released from custody.
  • Ofoma v. Biggers - family discrimination class action settled for damages for the individual plaintiffs and the class of residents, a consent decree and an award of attorneys fees (1996).
  • People of the State of California v. Highland Federal Savings and Loan - $3.165 million settlement in class action on behalf of the People of the State of California and a class of tenants residing in slum buildings in Los Angeles for financing practices encouraging and perpetuating slum conditions (1993);
  • Mould v. Investments Concept, Inc. - $850,000 settlement for the class and a comprehensive consent decree regarding the defendants discriminatory policies and practices in a race discrimination class action on behalf of a class of applicants and potential housing applicants (1992).
  • California Federation of Daycare Association v. Mission Insurance Co. - class action on behalf of several thousand family daycare providers whose daycare insurance policies were canceled mid-term or were not renewed by Mission Insurance Company, settled for reinstatement of policies and attorneys fees (1987).

Employment

  • Tipton-Whittingham v. City of Los Angeles - $4.85 Million settlement in sex discrimination and harassment suit against LAPD, also resulting in the Department completely revamping its anti-discrimination policies and procedures; upholding the award of catalyst attorney fees under State law (2004).
  • Tavelman v. City of Huntington Park - $350,000 settlement for campaign of religious harassment against Jewish police officer (1997).
  • Hampton v. NRG - $1,000,000 jury verdict in two-plaintiff racial harassment case, plus award of attorneys fees and costs; settled during appeal.
  • Jones v. State of California -$210,000 settlement in favor of Plaintiff who was sexually harassed by her supervisor while she was a registry nurse assigned to the California Department of Corrections.
  • $2.5 million judgment in retaliation case
  • $1.490 million settlement in racial harassment and retaliation case
  • $950,000 settlement in unpaid overtime, meal and rest break violation class action
  • $250,000 settlement in pregnancy discrimination case

Fair Housing

  • McClure v. City of Long Beach - $22.5 Million jury verdict (exclusive of attorneys fees) in fair housing case against City of Long Beach for preventing six group homes for the handicapped from opening; attorneys fee and post-trial motions pending) (2004).
  • Fair Housing Foundation v. City of Lakewood - obtained 9th Circuit reversal of district court decision dismissing fair housing organization's claim against city of retaliation for supporting tenants suing landlord; case subsequently settled for structural relief, damages and attorney's fees.
  • Hernandez v. Avol - $2.5 Million settlement, plus a separate award of attorneys fees action, on behalf of approximately 350 slum housing residents (1988).
  • Hernandez v. Lee - $1.9 Million settlement in class action on behalf of tenants of numerous buildings for slum conditions (1998).
  • PIN v. HACLA - $1.3 Million settlement plus comprehensive structural action against Housing Authority of Los Angeles for discrimination in failing to provide adequate security for isolated minorities in housing developments (1988).
  • Zuniga v. Los Angeles Housing Authority - $1.4 Million settlement and published appellate decision (41 Cal.App.4th 2) holding Housing Authority responsible for injuries to tenants after notice that tenants were being victimized on the premises and failing to take reasonable measures to prevent injuries (1995).
  • People of the State of California v. Highland Federal Savings and Loan - $3.165 Million settlement in class action on behalf of the People of the State of California and a class of tenants residing in slum buildings in Los Angeles for financing practices encouraging and perpetuating slum conditions (1993).
  • Mould v. Investments Concept, Inc. - $850,000 settlement for the class plus comprehensive consent decree regarding the defendants discriminatory policies and practices in a race discrimination class action on behalf of a class of applicants and potential housing applicants (1992).
  • Rhodes v. Sterling - $575,000 settlement in housing discrimination case.
  • Ramirez v. Estrada - $989,925 verdict in favor of Plaintiff tenant who suffered life threatening injuries due to landlord's negligence.

Police Misconduct

  • MIWON v. City of Los Angeles - $12,800,000 settlement in case against City of Los Ageles and other for use of police force and related conduct at MacArthur Park on May 1, 2007. The settlement is the largest class action protest settlement in the nation.
  • Lawson v. City of Los Angeles - $3.6 Million settlement and comprehensive structural relief for individuals who had been subject to alleged unlawful use of force practices by the Los Angeles Police Departments Canine Unit (1995).
  • Hospital and Service Employees Union, SEIU Local 399, AFL-CIO v. City of Los Angeles - $2.35 Million in 1993 against the LAPD for injuries to 148 demonstrators at Century City organized by the Justice for Janitors campaign of SEIU (1993).
  • Melgar v. Klee - $1.5 million jury verdict against Los Angeles Police Department for police shooting; settled for $1.45 million.
  • Confidential settlement - $1.2 million in favor of Plaintiff who was raped by an on-duty police officer.

Prison Litigation

  • Craft v. County of San Bernardino - $25.5 Million settlement in certified class action against the Sheriff of San Bernardino County for blanket strip searches of detainees, arrestees, and persons ordered released from custory.
  • Williams v. Block - $27 Million settlement against L.A. County (largest settlement in Countys history); including a complete revamp of jail procedures in a series of county jail overdetention and strip search class action cases (2002).
  • Bynum v. District of Columbia - $12 Million settlement in certified class action against the District of Columbia for overdetentions and strip searches of persons ordered released from custody.