So this is it. Two home games left for the Portland Timbers’ inaugural Major League Soccer season, and we want to use the opportunity to thank readers of our blog and Facebook and Twitter friends by doing a totally random drawing. We’re giving away two tickets to the Timbers match… Continue Reading →
For those tracking this case, two updates worth noting. 1. As noted recently, Western Culinary/LCB Portland and Career Education Corp filed a motion to compel arbitration and to dismiss this case. More info on that motion here. The hearing date on the motion has been changed to October 7,… Continue Reading →
This is an update on our culinary school consumer fraud class action against Western Culinary Institute, now known as Le Cordon Bleu Portland, and its parent corporation, Career Education Corporation. A few weeks ago, defendants filed a motion to compel arbitration of Nathan Surrett and Jennifer Adams’ claims and to… Continue Reading →
Ten years after the 9/11 tragedy, I am thinking today of the first responders and veterans who volunteered for service. They did so understanding the dangers and the risks, and they did so as a matter of duty and conscience. In answering the call, they put themselves in harm’s way. Continue Reading →
Late yesterday, Career Education Corp and Western Culinary Institute/Le Cordon Bleu Portland filed a motion to compel arbitration in our consumer fraud class action. More on the case here. Short version is that three years after we filed the case, after the trial court certified a class action, after… Continue Reading →
This seven year old consumer class action case is coming into its final stages. The time to file claims ended. Next Monday, July 11, the money for fees and charitable contributions gets paid. A month later, August 11, 2011, consumers who made claims should begin to see credits on their… Continue Reading →
Last night’s HBO premier of Hot Coffee, The Movie provided a great summary of all the ways in which the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, large foreign corporations, and political operatives have banded together to end the right to trial by jury. Filmmaker Susan Saladoff did a masterful job of… Continue Reading →
HBO premiers Hot Coffee, The Movie tonight. The documentary is Oregon attorney Susan Saladoff’s labor of love. Susan put aside her law practice to will this film into being. She is a force of nature. Susan makes no bones about her point of view. Like me, she is… Continue Reading →
I was not surprised by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, No. 10-277 (June 20, 2011). Even so, how the Court got there reveals more agendas. It also bodes poorly for consumers. About class actions: While class actions are often criticized, the reality is… Continue Reading →
In their recent decision in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, the U.S. Supreme Court gave a hearty five thumbs up to anything-goes arbitration clauses. The Court’s opinion means that consumers will trade their 7th Amendment rights to trial by jury for expensive, secret, pro-big business private arbitration. At least… Continue Reading →