Maldonado v. Apple, Inc
- William Orrick
- 3:16-cv-04067
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 8
In Maldonado v. Apple, Inc., Judge Orrick approved the class settlement, allocation plan, fees, costs, and service awards, and ordered dismissal with prejudice.
The certified class consisted of individuals who purchased AppleCare or AppleCare+ on or after July 20, 2012, and received a remanufactured replacement device, subject to the September 30, 2021 cutoff. The 153 people who excluded themselves were not entitled to settlement proceeds. Apple Inc., AppleCare Service Company, Inc., and Apple CSC, Inc. were defendants; class counsel and the two named class representatives received the awards described in the order.
What happened
In Maldonado v. Apple, Inc., the court reviewed a proposed settlement involving people who bought AppleCare or AppleCare+ and received a remanufactured replacement device. The court approved the settlement and the plan for distributing settlement payments.
The court found that notice to the class was adequate, the allocation plan was fair, and no valid objections were filed. It noted that 153 class members excluded themselves and therefore would not receive settlement proceeds. The court also awarded class counsel $1,397,165.53 in costs and $26,876,027.50 in attorney’s fees, plus incentive awards of $15,000 to Vicky Maldonado and $12,500 to Justin Carter.
Judge William H. Orrick entered final approval and ordered final judgment dismissing the case with prejudice as to the defendants. The court retained authority to administer and enforce the settlement and related distribution matters.
The detailed version
- Maldonado v. Apple, Inc · No. 3:16-cv-04067
- William Orrick
- Apr. 29, 2022
Background
The court considered whether to give final approval to a settlement between plaintiffs Vicky Maldonado and Justin Carter and defendants Apple Inc., AppleCare Service Company, Inc., and Apple CSC, Inc. The settlement covered a previously certified class consisting of individuals who purchased AppleCare or AppleCare+, directly or through the iPhone Upgrade Program, on or after July 20, 2012, and received a remanufactured replacement device. The class-period cutoff date was September 30, 2021.
Settlement Approval
After reviewing the settlement agreement, the parties’ filings, and statements made at the fairness hearing, the court found that the settlement was fair, reasonable, and adequate under Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The court also found that the notice provided to class members was the best practicable notice under the circumstances, satisfied due-process requirements, and met Rule 23’s notice requirements.
The court approved the proposed plan of allocation, which provided an equal payment to class members for each remanufactured replacement device they received. The court found that the plan did not unfairly favor one class member or group over another. No valid objections were filed.
Exclusions, Fees, and Awards
The court found that 153 class members timely and validly requested exclusion from the class. Those individuals were not bound by the order as it related to the settlement and were not entitled to settlement proceeds.
The court awarded class counsel $1,397,165.53 in costs and $26,876,027.50 in attorney’s fees. It awarded incentive payments of $15,000 to class representative Vicky Maldonado and $12,500 to class representative Justin Carter.
Disposition
Judge William H. Orrick entered the order granting final approval of the settlement and plan of allocation. The court retained continuing jurisdiction over implementation and distribution of the settlement, the settlement fund, related fee and cost matters, the allocation plan, and enforcement and administration of the settlement agreement. The court also ordered final judgment dismissing the case with prejudice as to the defendants.
Read the full 8-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.