CLASS ACTIONS

Recent CLASS ACTION lawsuits handled by the Marcarian Law Firm include:

A class action on behalf of students of the ART INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA for unlawful, unfair, fraudulent and predatory business practices . . .

On April 11, 2012, The Marcarian Law Firm filed a class action on behalf of students of the eight campuses of the Art Institute of California who each lost approximately $57,500 in federal student loans through the unscrupulous and predatory practices of the Art Institute(s).  The eight campuses include The Art Institute of California – Hollywood, Inc., The Art Institute of California – Sunnyvale, Inc., The Art Institute of California – Sacramento, Inc., The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles, Inc., The Art Institute of California – Inland Empire, Inc., The Art Institute of California – Orange County, Inc., TAIC – San Diego, Inc., and TAIC – San Francisco, Inc. 

The lawsuit alleges that students pursuing an Art Institute bachelor's degree were misled into believing that federal student loans would cover the full cost of tuition and were never informed that federal student loans had an aggregate limit, at which time students were forced to withdraw, without their degree and saddled with federal student loan debt.  You can find a good description of the lawsuit here.

Attorneys of the Marcarian Law Firm would like to speak with any Art Institute student who was forced to withdraw because they had reached their federal student loan limit.  We would also like to speak with any FORMER employees of the Art Institute regarding the Art Institute's practices.  If you, or someone you know, has information regarding the Art Institute, please contact us by telephone at (800) 924-3784 or by EMAIL.

A class action on behalf of 1.6 million California patients for a violation of their medical privacy . . .

In 2011, attorneys of the Marcarian Law Firm were appointed class counsel for the settling class in a class action involving 1.6 million California patients. The lawsuit alleged that the defendants had violated California's Confidentiality of Medical Information Act ("CMIA"). (Cal. Civ. Code § 56 et seq.)  While they expressly disclaimed any liability under the CMIA, the defendants agreed to settle the case for $4 million and undertake certain additional precautionary measures.  After the payment of certain court-approved costs and fees, almost $3 million was distributed to nine non-profit organizations to promote medical or patient privacy in California.

A class action on behalf of machine operators who were denied meal and/or rest breaks . . .

Recently, a Los Angeles Superior Court granted preliminary approval to the settlement of wage and hour claims that the Marcarian Law Firm brought on behalf of approximately 250 machine operators of one of the largest custom plastic injection molding manufacturers on the west coast. The lawsuit alleged that the defendant had denied the operators their opportunity to take certain meal and rest breaks.  Although the defendant did not admit any liability, it agreed to settle the case for $216,000.  The settlement, if finally-approved by the court, will provide a substantial payment to these minimum-wage workers for missed meal and/or rest breaks.

Other class actions . . .

Over the past several years, the Marcarian Law Firm has represented a number of clients in other class actions involving labor law violations and pharmaceutical-related matters, litigating against some of the most capable and prestigious law firms in the nation.  The Marcarian Law Firm is well-seasoned in class action litigation.