In Re: Kentucky Grilled Chicken Coupon Marketing & Sales Practices Litigation

Filing 108

MOTION by In Re In Re: Kentucky Grilled Chicken Coupon Marketing & Sales Practices Litigation for judgment Final Approval of Class Action Settlement and Approval of Attorney Fees, Expenses and Incentive Award (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A - Se ttlement Agreement, # 2 Declaration, # 3 Exhibit 1 to McMorrow Declaration, # 4 Exhibit 2 (Group) to McMorrow Declaration, # 5 Exhibit 3 (Group) to McMorrow Declaration, # 6 Exhibit 4 (Group) to McMorrow Declaration, # 7 Exhibit 5 to McMo rrow Declaration, # 8 Exhibit 6 to McMorrow Declaration, # 9 Exhibit 7 to McMorrow Declaration, # 10 Exhibit 8 to McMorrow Declaration, # 11 Exhibit 9 to McMorrow Declaration, # 12 Exhibit 10 to McMorrow Declaration, # 13 Declaration Of Jay Edelson)(McMorrow, Michael)

EXHIBIT 1
EDELSON MCGUIRE, LLC FIRM RESUME
EDELSON MCGUIRE, LLC is a commercial litigation and legal consulting firm with
attorneys in Illinois, Florida, New York, Colorado and California. The firm has several primary
practice groups: plaintiffs’ class action litigation (with a particular emphasis on technology
cases), e-discovery and information technology, general commercial litigation and legal and
political consulting.
Our attorneys have been recognized as leaders in these fields by state and federal
legislatures, national and international media groups, the courts, and our peers. Our reputation
for leadership in class action litigation has led state and federal courts to appoint us lead counsel
in many high-profile class action suits, including the recent Thomas the Tank Engine lead paint
class actions, the AT&T mobile content class actions, the home equity credit reduction cases,
and privacy class actions involving T-Mobile, Facebook, and Netflix. We have testified before
the United States Senate on class action issues and have repeatedly been asked to work on
federal and state legislation involving cellular telephony, privacy and other issues. Our attorneys
have appeared on dozens of national and international television and radio programs to discuss
our cases and class action and consumer protection issues more generally. Our attorneys speak
regularly at seminars on consumer protection and class action issues, lecture on class actions at
law schools and are asked to serve as testifying experts in cases involving class action and
consumer issues.

PLAINTIFFS’ CLASS AND MASS ACTION PRACTICE GROUP
EDELSON MCGUIRE is a leader in plaintiffs’ class and mass action litigation, with a
particular emphasis on technology class actions, and has been called a “class action ‘super firm’”
by a national organization. (Decalogue Society of Lawyers, Spring 2010.) As has been
recognized by federal courts, our firm has an “extensive histor[y] of experience in complex class
action litigation, and [is a] well-respected law firm[] in the plaintiffs’ class action bar.” In re Pet
Food Prod. Liab. Litig., MDL Dkt. No. 1850, No. 07-2867 (NLH) (D.N.J. Nov. 18, 2008). A
leading arbitrator concurred: “The proof of [the firm’s] experience, reputation, and abilities is
extraordinary. . . . Each [of their cases] elaborates on the experience and unique success [they]
have had in achieving leading roles in the area of 'technology consumer protection class
actions.'” (Arbitration award in mobile content class action settlement, August 6, 2009) In
appointing Edelson McGuire interim co-lead in one of the most high profile cases in the country,
a federal court pointed to our ability to be “vigorous advocates, constructive problem-solvers,
and civil with their adversaries." -In Re JPMorgan Chase Home Equity Line of Credit Litig.,
No. 10 C 3647 (N.D.Ill, July 16, 2010).
We have been specifically recognized as "pioneers in the electronic privacy class action
field, having litigated some of the largest consumer class actions in the country on this issue." In
re Facebook Privacy Litig., No. C 10-02389 (N.D.Cal) (order appointing Edelson McGuire
interim co-lead of privacy class action); see also In re Netflix Privacy Litigation, 5:11-cv-00379
(N.D.Cal. Aug. 12, 2011) (appointing Edelson McGuire sole lead counsel due, in part, to its

EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

“significant and particularly specialized expertise in electronic privacy litigation and class
actions[.]”)
We have several sub-specialties within our plaintiffs’ class and mass action practice
group:
Consumer Technology Class Actions: We have established the key precedent under the
Telephone Consumer Protection Act concerning text message spa, resulting in a
$16,000,000 with 20th Century Fox, a $10,000,000 settlement with Simon &
Schuster and a $7,000,000 settlement with Timberland Co. We have prosecuted
over 100 cases involving mobile content, settling numerous nationwide class
actions, including against industry leader AT&T Mobility, collectively worth over
a hundred million dollars.
Representative Settlements:
•

McFerren v. AT&T Mobility, LLC, No. 08-CV-151322 (Fulton County
Sup. Ct., GA): Lead counsel class action settlement involving 16 related
cases against largest wireless service provider in the nation. “No cap”
settlement provided virtually full refunds to a nationwide class of
consumers who alleged that unauthorized charges for mobile content were
placed on their cell phone bills.

•

Paluzzi v. Cellco Partnership, No. 07 CH 37213 (Cook County, Illinois):
Lead counsel in class action settlement involving 27 related cases alleging
unauthorized mobile content charges. Case settled for $36 million.

•

Lozano v. 20th Century Fox, No. 09-cv-05344 (N.D.Ill): Lead counsel in
class action alleging that defendants violated federal law by sending
unsolicited text messages to cellular telephones of consumers. Case
settled for $16,000,000.

•

Gray v. Mobile Messenger Americas, Inc., No. 08-CV-61089 (S.D. Fla.):
Lead counsel in case alleging unauthorized charges were placed on cell
phone bills. Case settled for $12,000,000.

•

Parone v. m-Qube, Inc. No. 08 CH 15834 (Cook County, Illinois): Lead
counsel in class action settlement involving over 2 dozen cases alleging
the imposition of unauthorized mobile content charges. Case settled for
$12,254,000.

•

Satterfield v. Simon & Schuster, No. C 06 2893 CW (N.D. Cal.). Co-lead
counsel in class action alleging that defendants violated federal law by
sending unsolicited text messages to cellular telephones of consumers.
Case settled for $10,000,000.

•

Williams, et al. v. Motricity, Inc. et al., Case No. 09 CH 19089 (Cook
County, Illinois): Lead counsel in class action settlement involving 24
cases alleging the imposition of unauthorized mobile content charges.
Case settled for $9,000,000.

EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

•

VanDyke v. Media Breakaway, LLC, No. 08 CV 22131 (S.D. Fla.): Lead
counsel in class action settlement alleging unauthorized mobile content
charges. Case settled for $7,600,000.

•

Weinstein, et al. v. Airit2me, Inc., Case No. 06 C 0484 (N.D. Ill): Co-lead
counsel in class action alleging that defendants violated federal law by
sending unsolicited text messages to cellular telephones of consumers.
Case settled for $7,000,000.

•

Gresham v. Cellco Partnership, No. BC 387729 (Los Angeles Sup. Ct.):
Lead counsel in case alleging unauthorized charges were placed on cell
phone bills. Settlement provided class members with full refunds.

•

Duffy v. Nevis Mobile, LLC, No. 08 CH 21376 (Cir. Ct. Cook County, IL):
Class counsel in certified class action against mobile content provider for
unauthorized mobile content charges resulting in default judgment over
$10,000,000.

•

Zurakov v. Register.com, No. 01-600703 (New York County, NY): Colead counsel in a class action brought on behalf of an international class of
over one million members against Register.com for its deceptive practices
in registering Internet domain names. Settlement required Register.com to
fully disclose its practices and provided the class with relief valued in
excess of $17,000,000.

Privacy/Data Loss Class Actions: We have litigated numerous class actions involving
issues of first impression against Facebook, Apple, Netflix, Sony, Red Box,
Pandora, Sears, Storm 8, Google, T-Mobile, Microsoft and others involving the
failure to protect customers’ private information, some resulting from security
breaches.
Representative Cases:
•

In re Facebook Privacy Litigation, 10-cv-02389 (N.D. Cal.): Co-lead
counsel in suit alleging that Facebook unlawfully shared its users'
sensitive personally identifiable information with Facebook's advertising
partners.

•

In re Netflix Privacy Litigation, 5:11-cv-00379 (N.D.Cal.): Sole lead
counsel in suit alleging that defendant violated the Video Privacy
Protection Act by illegally retaining customer viewing information.

•

In re Zynga Privacy Litigation, 10-cv-04680 (N.D. Cal.): Co-lead counsel
in suit against gaming application designer for the alleged unlawful
disclosure of its users' personally identifiable information to advertisers
and other third parties.

•

Gaos v. Google, 10-cv-04809 (N.D. Cal.): Part of a team of attorneys in
suit alleging that Google unlawfully disclosed its users' search queries to

EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

website owners and other third parties.
•

In re Sidekick Litig. , No. C 09-04854-JW (N.D. Cal.): Co-lead counsel in
cloud computing data loss case against T-Mobile and Microsoft.
Settlement provided the class with potential settlement benefits valued at
over $12 million.

•

Abrams v. Facebook, Inc., No. 07-05378 (N.D. Cal.): Lead counsel in
injunctive settlement concerning the transmission of allegedly
unauthorized mobile content.

•

Desantis v. Sears, 08 CH 00448 (Cook Cty): Lead counsel in injunctive
settlement alleging national retailer allowed purchase information to be
publicly available through the internet.

Products Liability Class Actions: We have been appointed lead counsel in state and
federal products liability class settlements, including a $30,000,000 settlement
resolving the “Thomas the Tank Engine” lead paint recall cases and a
$32,000,000 settlement involving the largest pet food recall in the history of the
United States and Canada.
Representative Settlements:
•

Barrett v. RC2 Corp., No. 07 CH 20924 (Cir. Ct. Cook County, IL): Colead counsel in lead paint recall case involving Thomas the Tank toy
trains. Settlement is valued at over $30,000,000 and provides class with
full cash refunds and reimbursement of certain costs related to blood
testing.

•

In re Pet Food Products Liability Litig., No. 07-2867 (D. N.J.): Part of
mediation team in class action involving largest pet food recall in United
States history. Settlement provided $24,000,000 common fund and
$8,000,000 in charge backs.

Banking Class Actions: Edelson McGuire has been at the forefront of class action
litigation arising in the aftermath of the federal bailouts of the banks. Its suits include
claims that the certain banks unlawfully suspended home credit lines based on pre-textual
reasons, and that certain banks have failed to honor loan modification programs.
Representative Cases:
•

In re JP Morgan Chase Bank Home Equity Line of Credit Litig., 10-cv3647 (N.D. Ill.): Court appointed interim co-lead counsel in nationwide
putative class action alleging illegal suspensions of home credit lines.

•

Levin v. Citibank, N.A., C-09-0350 MMC (N.D. Cal.): Court appointed
interim co-lead counsel in nationwide putative class action alleging illegal
suspensions of home credit lines.
EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

•

Testified or slated to testify at town halls and/or state hearings in Florida
and California on banks’ suspensions of home credit lines.

•

Settled numerous consumer class actions alleging fraud or other
unconscionable behavior by banks and other lenders.

General Consumer Protection Class Actions: We have successfully prosecuted
countless class action suits against health clubs, dating agencies, phone
companies, debt collectors, and other businesses on behalf of consumers.
Representative Settlements:
•

Pulcini v. Bally Total Fitness Corp., No. 05 CH 10649 (Cir. Ct. Cook
County, IL): Co-lead counsel in four class action lawsuits brought against
two health clubs and three debt collection companies. A global settlement
provided the class with over $40,000,000 in benefits, including cash
payments, debt relief, and free health club services.

•

Kozubik v. Capital Fitness, Inc., 04 CH 627 (Cir. Ct. Cook County, IL):
Co-lead counsel in state-wide suit against a leading health club chain,
which settled in 2004, providing the over 150,000 class members with
between $11,000,000 and $14,000,000 in benefits, consisting of cash
refunds, full debt relief, and months of free health club membership.

•

Kim v. Riscuity, No. 06 C 01585 (N.D. Ill): Co-lead counsel in suit
against a debt collection company accused of attempting to collect on
illegal contracts. The case settled in 2007, providing the class with full
debt relief and return of all money collected.

•

Jones v. TrueLogic Financial Corp., No. 05 C 5937 (N.D. Ill): Co-lead
counsel in suit against two debt collectors accused of attempting to collect
on illegal contracts. The case settled in 2007, providing the class with
approximately $2,000,000 in debt relief.

•

Fertelmeyster v. Match.com, No. 02 CH 11534 (Cir. Ct. Cook County,
IL): Co-lead counsel in a state-wide class action suit brought under
Illinois consumer protection statutes. The settlement provided the class
with a collective award with a face value in excess of $3,000,000.

•

Cioe v. Yahoo!, Inc., No. 02 CH 21458 (Cir. Ct. Cook County, IL): Colead counsel in a state-wide class action suit brought under state consumer
protection statutes. The settlement provided the class with a collective
award with a face value between $1,600,000 and $4,800,000.

Insurance Class Actions: We have prosecuted and settled multi-million dollar suits
against J.C. Penney Life Insurance for allegedly illegally denying life insurance

EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

benefits under an unenforceable policy exclusion and against a Wisconsin
insurance company for terminating the health insurance policies of groups of selfinsureds.
Representative Settlements:
•

Holloway v. J.C. Penney, No. 97 C 4555, (N.D. Ill.): One of the primary
attorneys in a multi-state class action suit alleging that the defendant
illegally denied life insurance benefits to the class. The case settled in or
around December of 2000, resulting in a multi-million dollar cash award
to the class.

•

Ramlow v. Family Health Plan (Wisc. Cir. Ct., WI): Co-lead counsel in a
class action suit challenging defendant's termination of health insurance to
groups of self-insureds. The plaintiff won a temporary injunction, which
was sustained on appeal, prohibiting such termination and eventually
settled the case ensuring that each class member would remain insured.

Mass/Class Tort Cases: Our attorneys were part of a team of lawyers representing a
group of public housing residents in a suit based upon contamination related
injuries, a group of employees exposed to second hand smoke on a riverboat
casino, and a class of individuals suing a hospital and national association of
blood banks for failure to warn of risks related to blood transfusions.
Representative Cases:
•

Aaron v. Chicago Housing Authority, 99 L 11738, (Cir. Ct. Cook County,
IL): Part of team representing a group of public housing residents
bringing suit over contamination-related injuries. Case settled on a mass
basis for over $10,000,000.

•

Januszewski v. Horseshoe Hammond, No. 2:00CV352JM (N.D. Ind.):
Part of team of attorneys in mass suit alleging that defendant riverboat
casino caused injuries to its employees arising from exposure to secondhand smoke.

The firm's cases regularly receive attention from local, national, and international media.
Our cases and attorneys have been reported in the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, the Wall Street
Journal, the New York Times, the LA Times, by the Reuters and UPI news services, and BBC
International. Our attorneys have appeared on numerous national television and radio programs,
including ABC World News, CNN, Fox News, NPR, and CBS Radio, as well as television and
radio programs outside of the United States. We have also been called upon to give
congressional testimony and other assistance in hearings involving our cases.

GENERAL COMMERCIAL LITIGATION

EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

Our attorneys have handled a wide range of general commercial litigation matters, from
partnership and business-to-business disputes, to litigation involving corporate takeovers. We
have handled cases involving tens of thousands of dollars to “bet the company” cases involving
up to hundreds of millions of dollars. Our attorneys have collectively tried hundreds of cases, as
well as scores of arbitrations and mediations. All of our attorneys have regularly practiced in
state and federal trial and appellate courts.
E-DISCOVERY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Led by nationally-recognized eDiscovery expert Steven Teppler, our firm has taken the
lead on eDiscovery issues including data protection, information technology, document
management and retrieval, loss or destruction of information, and authentication and
admissibility issues uniquely inherent to computer generated information. This includes
spoliation allegations arising from acts of unauthorized or illegal data manipulation or alteration.

LEGAL AND POLITICAL CONSULTING
Legal and political consulting is an area of practice that sets EDELSON MCGUIRE apart
from other law firms. The firm advises on governmental and consumer issues and has helped its
clients formulate business and legislative strategies, revise contractual and advertising material,
and implement consumer protection strategies more generally. Our clients range from small
Internet start-ups, to bricks and mortar companies, to one of the most trafficked Internet
marketers, content and commerce firms in the country.

OUR ATTORNEYS
JAY EDELSON is the founder and Managing Partner of Edelson McGuire. He has been
recognized as a leader in class actions, technology law, corporate compliance issues and
consumer advocacy by his peers, the media, state and federal legislators, academia and courts
throughout the country.
Jay has been appointed lead counsel in numerous state, federal, and international class actions,
resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients. He is regularly asked to weigh in on
federal and state legislation involving his cases. He testified to the U.S. Senate about the largest
pet food recall in the country's history and is advising state and federal politicians on consumer
issues relating to the recent federal bailouts, as well as technology issues, such as those involving
mobile marketing. Jay also counsels companies on legal compliance and legislative issues in
addition to handling all types of complex commercial litigation.
Jay has litigated class actions that have established precedent concerning the ownership rights of
domain name registrants, the applicability of consumer protection statutes to Internet businesses,
and the interpretation of numerous other state and federal statutes including the Telephone
Consumer Protection Act and the Video Privacy Protection Act. As lead counsel, he has also
secured settlement in cases of first impression involving Facebook, Microsoft, AT&T and
countless others, collectively worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
In addition to technology based litigation, Jay has been involved in a number of high-profile

EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

"mass tort" class actions and product recall cases, including cases against Menu Foods for selling
contaminated pet food, a $30 million class action settlement involving the Thomas the Tank toy
train recall, and suits involving damages arising from second-hand smoke.
In 2009, Jay was named one of the top 40 Illinois attorneys under 40 by the Chicago Daily Law
Bulletin. In giving Jay that award, he was heralded for his history of bringing and winning
landmark cases and for his “reputation for integrity” in the “rough and tumble class action
arena.” In the same award, he was called “one of the best in the country” when it “comes to legal
strategy and execution.” Also in 2009, Jay was included in the American Bar Association’s “24
hours of Legal Rebels” program, where he was dubbed one of “the most creative minds in the
legal profession” for his views of associate training and firm management. In 2010, he was
presented with the Annual Humanitarian Award in recognition of his “personal integrity,
professional achievements, and charitable contributions” by the Hope Presbyterian Church.
Jay is frequently asked to participate in legal seminars and discussions regarding the cases he is
prosecuting, including serving as panelist on national symposium on tort reform and, separately,
serving as a panelist on litigating high-profile cases. He has also appeared on dozens of
television and radio programs to discuss his cases. He has taught classes on class action law at
Northwestern Law School and The John Marshall Law School, and has co-chaired a 2-day
national symposium on class action issues. He has been an adjunct professor, teaching a seminar
on class action litigation at Chicago-Kent College of Law since 2010.
Jay is a graduate of Brandeis University and the University of Michigan Law School.
MYLES MCGUIRE is a Partner at EDELSON MCGUIRE. His practice concentrates on consumer
protection law, class actions, and legal and political consulting to technology companies. Prior to
entering private practice, Myles spent several years operating an Internet advertising company,
which was later sold, in addition to counseling high-tech companies on legal issues.
Since turning to plaintiffs’ advocacy, Myles has had principle control over many nationwide and
multi-state class actions. Drawing on his technological background, his specific area of
emphasis is on emerging technology class actions, including those involving electronic
commerce, cellular telephony and wireless media, among others. He has served in leadership
positions in groundbreaking settlements involving Facebook, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile.
Due to his diverse legal and business expertise, Myles has been asked by members of Congress
to comment on proposed legislation in the mobile content industry and has worked with state
regulatory bodies in related efforts.
Myles graduated from Marquette University Law School in 2000 and is admitted to practice in
Wisconsin and Illinois. He is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and
the Chicago Bar Association.
RYAN D. ANDREWS is a Partner and Group Chair at EDELSON MCGUIRE. He has been
appointed class counsel in multiple complex high-stakes class actions, and actively involved in
the litigation and settlement of class actions focused on the mobile content industry and Internet
privacy.

EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

Prior to joining the firm, Ryan engaged in all aspects of the prosecution and defense of claims on
behalf of individual and corporate clients, including motion practice, arbitration, mediation, trial
to verdict, and appeals.
Ryan received his J.D. with High Honors from the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2005 and
was named Order of the Coif. While in law school, Ryan was a Notes & Comments Editor for
THE CHICAGO-KENT LAW REVIEW, as well as a teaching assistant for both Property Law and
Legal Writing courses. Ryan externed for the Honorable Joan B. Gottschall in the Northern
District of Illinois, and earned CALI awards for the highest grade in five classes.
Ryan graduated from the University of Michigan in 2002, earning his B.A., with distinction, in
Political Science and Communications.
RAFEY S. BALABANIAN is a Partner and Group Chair at EDELSON MCGUIRE. Rafey focuses
his practice on prosecuting consumer technology class actions, banking class actions, and general
consumer class actions. He is also co-chair of Edelson McGuire’s business litigation group.
On the plaintiff’s side, Rafey has been the court appointed lead counsel in numerous high-stakes
class action litigation and has obtained settlements in excess of $50 million.
On the business litigation side, Rafey has represented individual and corporate clients in a wide
variety of complex cases, including commercial disputes seeking damages of $60 million and
several “bet the company” cases.
Rafey has first-chaired both jury and bench trials, engaged in extensive motion practice, and
acted as lead counsel in several mediations and arbitrations.
Rafey received his J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law in 2005. While in law
school, Rafey received a certificate in international and comparative law and earned the CALI
award for the highest grade in advanced trial advocacy. Rafey received his B.A. in History, with
distinction, from the University of Colorado – Boulder in 2002.
MICHAEL J. MCMORROW is a Partner at EDELSON MCGUIRE. His practice focuses on
commercial litigation and class action law, and his recent experience includes representation of
consumer classes in litigation under the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the
California Unfair Competition Law, several common law claims, and additionally, representation
of corporate clients in the mobile telephone content industry in commercial and trade secret
litigation.
Mike is an experienced trial and appellate commercial litigator who has represented clients in
court and at trial across a full spectrum of issues, including trade secret litigation, commercial
contracts, airplane leasing, airport construction, automotive manufacturing, commercial and
consumer lending, product liability, and has represented clients in heavily-regulated industries
including insurance, defense contracting, health care and energy. Prior to joining the firm, Mike
was Senior Counsel at Foley & Lardner LLP, practicing commercial and energy regulatory
litigation.
Mike graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2000, where

EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

he was Associate Editor of the UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LAW REVIEW, a Harno Scholarship
recipient, and President of the Prisoners’ Rights Research Project. Mike received his B.A. in
Political Science from Yale University in 1994. Mike has been a member of the Trial Bar for the
Northern District of Illinois since 2005 and the Chicago Bar Association Judicial Evaluation
Committee since 2003. His pro bono representations have included asylum applicants and
prisoners’ rights issues.
STEVEN W. TEPPLER is a Partner of EDELSON MCGUIRE. Steven concentrates his practice
on data protection and information technology law, including electronic discovery, loss or
destruction of information, authentication and admissibility issues uniquely inherent to computer
generated information, including spoliation issues arising from unauthorized or illegal data
manipulation or alteration. He is the Co-Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association
Information Security Committee as well as the Florida Bar’s Professional Ethics Committee.
Steven has authored over a dozen articles relating to information technology law and routinely
presents his work at conferences. Steven’s recent publications include: Spoliation in the Digital
Universe, The SciTech Lawyer, Science and Technology Law Section of the American Bar
Association, Fall 2007; Life After Sarbanes-Oxley – The Merger of Information Security and
Accountability (co-author), 45 JURIMETRICS J. 379 (2005); Digital Signatures Are Not Enough
(co-author), Information Systems Security Association, January 2006; State of Connecticut v.
Swinton: A Discussion of the Basics of Digital Evidence Admissibility (co-author), Georgia Bar
Newsletter Technology Law Section, Spring 2005; The Digital Signature Paradox (co-author),
IETF Information Workshop (The West Point Workshop) June 2005; Observations on Electronic
Service of Process in the South Carolina Court System, e-filing Report, June 2005. Steven is
also a contributing author to an American Bar Association book with the working title
“Foundations of Digital Evidence” (publication expected March 2009).
Steven graduated from the Benjamin N. Cordozo School of Law in 1980 after earning his B.A.,
summa cum laude, from the City College of New York in 1977. Steven is admitted to the bars
of New York, the District of Columbia and Florida.
STEVEN LEZELL WOODROW is a Partner and Group Chair at EDELSON MCGUIRE and the
firm’s hiring attorney. Steven has successfully litigated and settled a number of consumer
protection cases through trial, engaged in extensive motion practice, drafted appellate briefs,
prosecuted class actions and participated in multi-session mediations.
Prior to joining the firm, Steven was a litigator at a Chicago boutique focusing on consumer
protection matters, real estate disputes, fraudulent transfers in bankruptcy and the prosecution of
white-knight mortgage fraud cases.
Steven received his J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law with High Honors, Order of Coif,
while earning his certificate in litigation and alternative dispute resolution. During law school, he
served as a Judicial Extern for the Honorable Ann C. Williams on the Seventh Circuit Court of
Appeals and as President of the Student Bar Association. Steven also served as a Notes and
Comments Editor for THE CHICAGO-KENT LAW REVIEW and represented Chicago-Kent at the
National Sports Law Moot Court Competition in New Orleans in 2004. Steven was awarded the
ABA-ALI Scholarship and Leadership Award for best representing the combination of

EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

leadership and scholarship in his graduating class and also received the Lowell H. Jacobson
Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded competitively to a student from one of the law schools
in the Seventh Circuit to recognize personal commitment and achievement.
Steven received his B.A. in Political Science, with Distinction, from the University of
Michigan—Ann Arbor in 2002.
SEAN P. REIS is Of Counsel to EDELSON MCGUIRE . Sean is an experience trial attorney and
business litigator. Sean has experience in a wide-range of litigation matters, including those
involving trade secrets, real estate fraud, employment, and consumer issues. Sean has tried
sixteen cases, including several multi-week jury trials.
Prior to joining Edelson McGuire, Sean was trained at an international law firm and later
founded his own practice. In 1993, Sean graduated from University of California at San Diego
with a degree in quantative economics. Following that Sean graduated from Rutgers University
School of Law, Newark where he was the business editor of the Rutgers Law Review and where
he received the graduation for appellate advocacy.
EVAN M. MEYERS is Senior Counsel at EDELSON MCGUIRE. Evan is an experienced trial and
appellate litigator and has handled a broad range of complex litigation matters, including contract
disputes, securities and consumer fraud, employment discrimination, insurance coverage,
antitrust, shareholder and tax disputes, business torts and other matters. Evan has managed all
aspects of the litigation process, including evaluation and strategic analysis, drafting pleadings in
state and federal trial and appellate courts, taking and defending depositions, arguing motions,
and representing clients in mediations and settlement conferences. He has also successfully tried
cases in state court.
Prior to joining Edelson McGuire, Evan worked at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, where he was
an associate in the firm’s commercial litigation practice group and represented a wide range of
clients in federal and state courts, including manufacturers, insurance and financial services
companies, government agencies, close corporations, hospitals, colleges and universities and notfor-profit entities.
Evan received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2002, where
he was an associate editor of the Elder Law Journal. Additionally, he served as a judicial extern
with the Hon. Wayne R. Andersen of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Evan received his bachelor's degree, with distinction, in political science from the University of
Michigan in 1999.
WILLIAM C. GRAY is a Group Chair at EDELSON MCGUIRE. Bill has handled a broad range of
complex litigation matters including; criminal matters, consumer and international fraud cases,
labor and employment issues, and class actions. He has drafted pleadings and briefs, argued
motions, and represented clients in mediations, arbitrations, state and federal courts, before
human rights agencies, and before state and federal Department of Labor. Additionally, Bill has
significant appellate advocacy experience and has argued in front of the Seventh Circuit Court of
Appeals.

EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

Bill previously worked at Sidley Austin LLP, and represented a wide range of clients, including
Fortune 100 companies, in various forums, including manufacturers, insurance and financial
services companies, government agencies, corporations, universities and not-for-profit entities.
Additionally, he has participated in several high-profile cases resulting in favorable resolutions
for his clients.
Bill received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Black
Letter Law Journal. He also served as a research assistant for Professor Alan Dershowitz. Bill
additionally spent a semester working in Jerusalem for the Simon Wiesenthal Center and was a
member of the Criminal Code Commentary Committee for the country of Kosovo. Bill
graduated from Indiana University with high honors. While at Indiana University, Bill was
elected President of the Student Body for the campus’s 40,000 students and was inducted into
Phi Beta Kappa. He also appeared as an invited guest on MSNBC, The Mitch Albom Show, and
The O’Reilly Factor.
Bill has been an active member of the legal community and has served in many pro bono
matters. He currently serves on the Illinois State Bar Association Standing Committee on the
Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Committee (ARDC), is a Board Member of the
Decalogue Society of Lawyers (co-chair of the Young Lawyer’s Committee), and is actively
involved in the Anti-Defamation League and the American Cancer Society. Additionally, Bill
has collaborated for years with the Northwestern Center on Wrongful Convictions in securing
the release of wrongfully-convicted inmates.
BRAD BAGLIEN is an Associate at EDELSON MCGUIRE. Brad focuses his practice on privacy
and technology class actions.
Brad previously worked for Sidley Austin LLP, where he represented a wide range of clients,
including Fortune 100 companies, small businesses, and individuals. He has handled a variety of
complex commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts, including consumer fraud
actions, contract disputes, internal investigations, insurance class actions, and commercial tax
litigation.
Brad graduated with honors from the University of Chicago Law School, where he participated
in the Hinton Moot Court Competition and was an instructor in the Street Law program at
several local high schools. During law school, Brad served as a judicial extern for the Honorable
Mark Filip in the Northern District of Illinois.
Brad graduated from St. Olaf College with degrees in Economics and Political Science. While at
St. Olaf, he was a captain of the baseball team and a member of the football team.
CHRISTOPHER L. DORE is an Associate at EDELSON MCGUIRE. Chris focuses his practice
on prosecuting consumer technology fraud, text-spam, and credit reduction class actions.
Chris graduated magna cum laude from The John Marshall Law School, where he served as the
Executive Lead Articles for the Law Review, as well as a team member for the D.M. Harish
International Moot Court Competition in Mumbai, India. His article, What to Do With Omar
Khadr? Putting a Child Soldier on Trial: Questions of International Law, Juvenile Justice, and
Moral Culpability appeared in the John Marshall Law Review. Throughout law school, Chris
EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

worked as a Legal Writing TA. He received a CALI Award for obtaining the highest grade in
Voting and Election Law.
Before entering law school, Chris received his Masters degree in Legal Sociology, graduating
magna cum laude from the International Institute for the Sociology of Law, located in Onati,
Spain. Chris received his B.A. in Legal Sociology from the University of California, Santa
Barbara.
KIRT GALLATIN is an Associate at EDELSON MCGUIRE.
Kirt received his Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law. While at
Northwestern, Kirt served as a research assistant for Professor Stephen B. Presser and was an
active member of the Student Funded Public Interest Fellowship and Latin Law Student
Association.
Kirt graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University, magna cum laude, obtaining Bachelor
degrees in both Legal Studies and Criminal Justice. While at FGCU, Kirt was elected Student
Body President and served on the FGCU Board of Trustees and the Florida Student Association
Board of Directors. (Admission pending in November 2011).
CHANDLER GIVENS is an Associate at EDELSON MCGUIRE, where his practice focuses on
technology and privacy class actions. His lawsuits have centered on fraudulent software
development, unlawful tracking of consumers through mobile devices and computers, and illegal
data retention.
Chandler graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. While in law school, he
was a research assistant for Cyberlaw Professor Dr. Kevin Ashley, and a judicial extern for the
Honorable David S. Cercone of the United States District Court for the Western District of
Pennsylvania. Chandler received CALI awards for the highest course grades in Negotiations as
well as Telecommunications Law. He graduated cum laude from Virginia Tech, with a B.S. in
business information technology, with a focus on computer-based decision support
systems. Chandler sits on the ABA committees for Information Security and e-Discovery.
Before joining the legal profession, Chandler worked as a systems analyst. He has given talks on
network security, including, beginning at the age of 14, lecturing to groups comprised of
engineers from organizations such as NASA. Chandler currently leads a team of technology
investigative researchers at the firm.
Prior to starting with the firm, Chandler interned at the Virginia Attorney General’s Office and
the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. (Admission pending in November 2011).
JOHN OCHOA is an associate at EDELSON MCGUIRE. John’s practice focuses on consumer
class action litigation.
John graduated magna cum laude from the John Marshall Law School in May, 2010 and served
as Managing Editor for the John Marshall Law Review. His student Comment, which examines
bicycling and government tort immunity in Illinois, appears in Vol. 43, No. 1 of the JOHN
MARSHALL LAW REVIEW. While in law school, John took advantage of various scholastic

EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

opportunities, serving as a research assistant, externing with Judge Thomas Hoffman at the
Illinois Court of Appeals, and competing in the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition.
John was awarded a Herzog scholarship for his academic performance and earned CALI awards
for the highest grade in Torts, Property, and Administrative Law.
He received his B.A. with Honors in Political Science from the University of Iowa in 2004.
BENJAMIN H. RICHMAN is an Associate at EDELSON MCGUIRE. Ben focuses his practice in
the prosecution of consumer technology and other class actions, as well as general commercial
litigation.
Ben received his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School, earning a Certificate in Trial
Advocacy. During law school Ben served as Executive Student Publications Editor for The John
Marshall Law Review and as a judicial extern for the Honorable John W. Darrah of the United
States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Ben also acted as a teaching assistant in
several torts courses and earned the CALI award for the highest course grade in Contracts II.
Ben has since returned to the classroom as a guest-lecturer on issues related to class actions and
complex litigation.
Ben graduated from Colorado State University, earning his B.S. in Psychology.
ARI J. SCHARG is an associate at Edelson McGuire LLC. He handles all aspects of litigation
from pre-filing investigation through trial. In addition to class action litigation, Ari has
substantial experience litigating commercial, real estate, employment, and constitutional matters.
He also counsels entrepreneurs and works closely with startup companies to manage risk and
raise capital.
Prior to joining the firm, Ari worked as a litigation associate at a large Chicago firm, where he
represented a wide range of clients including Fortune 500 companies and local municipalities.
His work included representing the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in several civil rights cases and
he was part of the litigation team that forced Craigslist to remove its “Adult Services” section
from its website. He also regularly tries his cases before judges and juries, including a trial that
spanned six months.
Ari is very active in community groups and legal industry associations. He is a member of the
Board of Directors of the Chicago Legal Clinic, an organization that provides legal services to
low-income families in the Chicago area. Ari acts as Outreach Chair of the Young Adult
Division of American Committee for the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, and is
actively involved with the Anti-Defamation League. He is also a member of the Standard Club
Associates Committee.
Ari received his B.A. in Sociology from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and graduated
magna cum laude from The John Marshall Law School where he served as a Staff Editor for Law
Review and competed nationally in trial competitions. During law school, he also served as a
judicial extern to The Honorable Judge Bruce W. Black of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the
Northern District of Illinois.
IRINA SLAVINA is an Associate at EDELSON MCGUIRE. As a Russian attorney, Irina obtained
EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011

her LL.M degree in International and Comparative Law, with High Honors, from Chicago-Kent
College of Law in 2003. Since that time Irina has had a unique legal career in the United States
that started in a boutique law office in Chicago and progressed to the legal department of a major
gaming and entertainment company on the east coast.
While working in-house with General Counsel, Irina gained extensive experience in drafting and
negotiating company contracts and addressing the day-to-day legal inquiries of management.
Irina handled patrons’ liability claims, worked with state and local government officials in
obtaining and renewing company licenses, and assisted with all aspects of corporate governance
and compliance.
Irina earned her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law with High Honors, Order of Coif, in
2009. While in law school, Irina represented Chicago-Kent in the McGee National Civil Rights
Moot Court Competition. Irina was also a member of the Chicago-Kent Law Review, and her
student note on the issue of a casino liability to problem gambles was published in the March
2010 issue, 85 Chi.-Kent L. Rev. 369. Irina externed for the Honorable Susan E. Cox in the
Northern District of Illinois, and earned the CALI award for obtaining the highest grade in
Constitutional Law, Evidence, and Legal Writing III courses.
BEN THOMASSEN is an associate at Edelson McGuire, LLC and is a member of the Banking
and Financial Services Practice Group.
Ben received his J.D., magna cum laude, from Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he also
earned his certificate in Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution and was named Order of
the Coif. At Chicago-Kent, Ben was Vice President of the Moot Court Honor Society and
competed in both the ABA National Appellate Advocacy and National Moot Court
Competitions. Among other scholarships and awards, Ben earned seven CALI awards for the
highest grade in Appellate Advocacy, Business Organizations, Conflict of Laws, Family Law,
Personal Income Tax, Property, and Torts.
Before his legal career, Ben worked in and around the Chicago and Washington, D.C. areas,
including freelance and firm-based work as a website designer/developer, and many years
experience as a film projectionist and media technician for commercial theatres, museums, and
educational institutions. Ben received his Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from St. Mary’s
College of Maryland and his Master of Arts from the University of Chicago. (Admission pending
in November 2011).

EDELSON MCGUIRE Firm Resume as of September 2011