Class Action Defense Litigation Involving Songwriter Disputes

Pullman & Comley’s experience in class action cases is deep and broad, covering product liability, RICO, ERISA, antitrust, consumer protection, insurance and securities. We recently and successfully defended our clients in several class action matters.

• We represented a national insurance company in two ERISA actions. In the first, we assisted in securing a dismissal for the client in a putative class action case that alleged the insurer engaged in prohibited transactions and breached its fiduciary duties by receiving revenue-sharing payments from certain investment options. In the second, we were able to secure a game-changing victory when the court denied class certification on behalf of a putative class of pension plans claiming a breach of fiduciary duty in conjunction with certain of the insurer’s stable value retirement products.
• Along with our Law Firm Alliance partner, Donahue Fitzgerald LLP, we represented more than 500 songwriters and copyright owners who objected to a proposed $43 million settlement of hundreds of thousands of infringement claims between a putative class of copyright owners and a large music streaming company.
• Pullman represented a multi-state, licensed retail energy supplier in a class action suit in which it was accused of overcharging its customers on energy prices. After two years of litigation, and in the face of a challenge to class action standing, as well as a demonstration by the client that the plaintiff’s claims were substantially inflated, the parties resolved the matter for approximately 3 percent of the plaintiff’s claims.