Berlanga et al v. Equilon Enterprises LLC et al
Filing
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ORDER GRANTING FINAL APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF ALLOCATION. Signed by Judge Maxine M. Chesney on January 22, 2019. (mmclc1, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 1/22/2019)
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JAY SMITH (CA Bar No. 166105)
(Email: js@gslaw.org)
JOSHUA F. YOUNG (CA Bar No. 232995)
(Email: jyoung@gslaw.org)
GILBERT & SACKMAN
A LAW CORPORATION
3699 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1200
Los Angeles, California 90010
Telephone: (323) 938-3000
Fax: (323) 937-9139
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RANDY RENICK (CA Bar No. 179652)
(Email: rrr@hadsellstormer.com)
CORNELIA DAI (CA Bar No. 207435)
(Email: cdai@hadsellstormer.com)
HADSELL STORMER & RENICK, LLP
128 North Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 204
Pasadena, California 91103-3645
Telephone: (626) 585-9600
Fax: (626) 577-7079
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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DAVID BERLANGA, BRANDON
EHRESMAN, CHARLES GAETH,
MICHAEL GONZALEZ, JOHN
LANGLITZ, and CHRISTOPHER
PALACIO, individually and on behalf of all
similarly situated current and former
employees,
Case No. 17-cv-00282-MMC
CLASS ACTION
ORDER GRANTING FINAL APPROVAL OF
CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT
AND PLAN OF ALLOCATION
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Plaintiffs,
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v.
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EQUILON ENTERPRISES LLC dba
SHELL OIL PRODUCTS US, CRI U.S. LP,
CRI CATALYST COMPANY LP, and
SHELL PIPELINE COMPANY LP, and
DOES 1 through 10, inclusive,
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DATE:
TIME:
PLACE:
January 18, 2019
9:00 a.m.
San Francisco Courthouse,
Courtroom 7, 19th Floor
Honorable Maxine M. Chesney
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[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING FINAL APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF ALLOCATION/Case No. 17-cv-00282-MMC
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ORDER
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Plaintiffs’ Motion for Final Approval of Class Action came on for hearing on January 18, 2019.
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The Court, having considered whether to order final approval of the settlement of the above-captioned
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action pursuant to the Joint Stipulation of Class Action Settlement and Release (“Settlement”), having
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read and considered all of the papers and argument of the parties and their counsel, having granted
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preliminary approval on September 21, 2018, having directed that notice be given to all Class
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Members of preliminary approval of the Settlement and the final approval hearing and the right to be
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excluded from the Settlement, and having received no objections to the terms of the Settlement, and
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good cause appearing,
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IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AS FOLLOWS:
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1.
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All defined terms contained herein shall have the same meaning as set
forth in the Settlement executed by the Parties and filed with this Court.
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2.
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Current and former employees of any Defendant or any affiliate of a Defendant
who worked as Operators at one or more of the following facilities: (a) Shell
Pipeline Company LP’s terminal facility in Carson, California (the “Carson
Terminal facility”); (b) Equilon Enterprises LLC dba Shell Oil Products US’s oil
refinery in Martinez, California (the “Martinez Refinery”); (c) CRI Catalyst
Company LP’s catalyst production facilities in Martinez and Pittsburg, California
(“Criterion Catalyst plants”), during the period beginning January 19, 2013 and
ending September 21, 2018.
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3.
The Court finds that certification of the following Class is appropriate:
The Court hereby finds that the Notice of Settlement, as mailed to all Class Members
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on October 22, 2018, fairly and adequately described the proposed Settlement, the manner in which
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Class Members could object to or participate in the Settlement, and the manner in which Class
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Members could opt out of the Settlement Class; was the best notice practicable under the
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circumstances; was valid, due and sufficient notice to all Class Members; and complied fully with the
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Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, due process, and all other applicable laws.
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4.
The Court further finds that a full and fair opportunity has been afforded to Class
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Members to participate in the proceedings convened to determine whether the proposed Settlement
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should be given final approval. Accordingly, the Court hereby determines that all Class Members who
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[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING FINAL APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF ALLOCATION/Case No. 17-cv-00282-MMC
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did not file a timely and proper request to be excluded from the Settlement are bound by this Order of
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Final Approval and the Judgment.
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5.
The Court hereby finds that the Settlement, including the Settlement Amount, is fair,
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reasonable, and adequate as to the Class, Plaintiffs and Defendants, and is the product of good faith,
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arms-length negotiations between the Parties, and further, that the Settlement is consistent with public
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policy, and fully complies with all applicable provisions of law. The Court makes this finding based
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on a weighing of the strength of Plaintiffs’ claims and Defendants’ defenses with the risk, expense,
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complexity, and duration of further litigation.
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6.
The Court also finds that the Settlement is the result of non-collusive arms-length
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negotiations between experienced counsel representing the interests of the Class and Defendants, after
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thorough factual and legal investigation. In granting final approval of the Settlement, the Court has
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considered the nature of the claims, the amounts paid in settlement, the allocation of settlement
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proceeds among the Class Members, and the fact that the Settlement represents a compromise of the
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Parties’ respective positions rather than the result of a finding of liability after appeal. Additionally,
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the Court finds that the terms of the Settlement have no obvious deficiencies and do not improperly
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grant preferential treatment to any individual Class Member.
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7.
The Court further finds that the response of the Class to the Settlement supports final
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approval of the Settlement. Specifically, one Class Member has objected to the Settlement, and none
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have opted out. Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 23(e), the Court finds that the terms of the Settlement
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are fair, reasonable, and adequate to the Class and to each Class Member. Staton v. Boeing, 327 F.3d
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938, 960 (9th Cir. 2003).
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8.
The Court further finds that the Objection of Kim L. Kevan fails to present any legal or
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factual argument that the Agreement is not fair, reasonable and adequate. Accordingly, the objection
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is overruled.
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9.
The Court also hereby finds that Plaintiffs have satisfied the standards and applicable
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requirements for final approval of this class action settlement under Fed. R. Civ. P. 23, for the reasons
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stated in the Motion for Final Approval.
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[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING FINAL APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF ALLOCATION/Case No. 17-cv-00282-MMC
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10.
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Settlement.
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The Court approves the Plan of Allocation as set forth in the Settlement Agreement.
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The Court approves the settlement of the Released Claims as defined in the Settlement.
The Court orders the Parties to implement, and comply with, the terms of the
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As of the Effective Date of the Settlement, as defined in the Settlement, all of the Released Claims of
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each Class Member who did not timely opt out, as well as the Class Representatives’ Released Claims,
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are and shall be deemed to be conclusively released as against Defendants. Except as to such rights or
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claims that may be created by the Settlement, all Class Members as of the date of the Order of Final
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Approval and Judgment who did not timely opt out are hereby forever barred and enjoined from
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commencing or prosecuting any of the Released Claims, either directly, representatively or in any
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other capacity, against Defendants.
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13.
Class Counsel, Hadsell Stormer & Renick, LLP and Gilbert & Sackman, shall continue
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to serve as Class Counsel and shall oversee and perform the duties necessary to effectuate the
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settlement, including the submission to the Court of the Claims Administrator’s final distribution
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report, as well as all papers necessary to allow this court to evaluate the claims process and order
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distribution of the settlement fund to class members.
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14.
Plaintiffs’ Counsel is awarded attorney’s fees in the amount of $1,937,500. The
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forgoing award is 25% of the settlement fund of $7,750,000. Plaintiff’s Counsel is further awarded
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reimbursement of reasonable costs and expenses necessarily incurred in order to advance the litigation
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for the benefit the class in this matter in the amount of $19,971.25. These awards shall be paid from
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the Settlement Fund.
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15.
In determining an award of attorney’s fees where the class action settlement establishes
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a common fund for the benefit of the class out of which the attorney’s fee is awarded, courts have
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adopted the percentage of fee calculation. Laffitte v. Robert Half Internat., Inc., 1 Cal. 5th 480, 493-
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94 (2016). The Court finds that a fee award at the Ninth Circuit 25% of the fund benchmark is
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reasonable in light of the factors to be considered, including: (1) the results achieved; (2) the risk of
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litigation; (3) the skill required; (4) the quality of work performed; (5) the contingent nature of the fee
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and the financial burden; and (6) the awards made in similar cases. See Barbosa v. Cargill Meat
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[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING FINAL APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF ALLOCATION/Case No. 17-cv-00282-MMC
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Solutions Corp., 297 F.R.D. 431, 449 (E.D. Cal. 2013)(citing Vizcaino v. Microsoft Corp., 290 F.3d
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1043, 1047 (9th Cir. 2002).
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In addition, the Court finds the fee award reasonable under the lodestar cross-check
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method. Laffitte, 1 Cal. 5th at. at 506; Vizcaino, 290 F.3d at 1043. In so finding, the Court has
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considered a variety of factors, including “the quality of the representation, the novelty and complexity
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of the issues, the results obtained, and the contingent risk presented.” Lealao v. Beneficial Cal., Inc.,
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82 Cal. App. 4th 19, 26 (2000); see Hanlon v. Chrysler Corp., 150 F.3d 1011, 1029 (9th Cir. 1998).
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The Class Representatives are each awarded an incentive, as follows: (1) Christopher
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Palacio is awarded $7500; (2) David Berlanga is awarded $6000; and (3) Brandon Ehresman, Charles
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Gaeth, Michael Gonzalez, and John Langlitz are each awarded $5000. These payments shall be made
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from the Settlement Fund and are in addition to the Class Representatives' respective shares as Class
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Members.
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18.
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Plaintiffs shall also set aside $35,587.82 from the Settlement Fund to be paid to the court-
appointed Claims Administrator, CAC Services Group, LLC.
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The Court allocates fifty thousand ($50,000) of the Settlement Fund to penalties under
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the Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”), with seventy-five percent (75%) of the PAGA penalties
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thirty-seven thousand five hundred ($37,500) to be paid to the California Labor and Workforce
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Development Agency (“LWDA”) and twenty-five percent (25%) of the PAGA penalties twelve
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thousand five hundred ($12,500) being paid to Settlement Class Members who do not opt out.
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Defendants shall have no further liability for costs, expenses, interest, attorneys’ fees,
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or for any other charge, expense, or liability, in connection with the above-captioned action except as
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provided in the Settlement.
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[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING FINAL APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF ALLOCATION/Case No. 17-cv-00282-MMC
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Without affecting the finality of the Order of Final Approval or the Judgment, the Court
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retains exclusive and continuing jurisdiction over the Action, Plaintiffs, all Class Members and
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Defendants for purposes of supervising, implementing, interpreting and enforcing the Order of Final
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Approval and Judgment and the Settlement. Nothing in the Order of Final Approval or Judgment
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precludes any action to enforce the Parties’ obligations under the Settlement or under this Order of
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Final Approval.
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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DATED: January 22, 2019
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_________
HONORABLE MAXINE M. CHESNEY
HONOR
NORABLE MAXINE
X
CHESN
HESN
HE
United States District Judge
United
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[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING FINAL APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF ALLOCATION/Case No. 17-cv-00282-MMC
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