Jury Awards $17M to California Residents in AT&T Class Action

KANSAS CITY, Kan., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 19, 2008, a Kansas jury awarded a class of AT&T's California residential customers nearly $17 million against the telecommunications giant. Susman Godfrey attorneys served as lead trial counsel during a five-week trial that culminated in a unanimous verdict on Plaintiffs' breach of contract claim. The award of $16,881,000 represents 100% of the damages claimed by the class and is subject to mandatory pre-judgment interest. Pre-judgment interest will add millions to the total amount AT&T's owes its current and former customers.

The multidistrict litigation, In re Universal Service Fund Telephone Billing Practices Litigation, MDL No. 1468, originated in 2002 and was consolidated before the Hon. John W. Lungstrum of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas. The Plaintiffs claimed that from August 1, 2001, until March 31, 2003, AT&T breached its contracts by overcharging its California residential customers for AT&T's Universal Service Fund obligations. Susman Godfrey served as co-lead counsel for the class, along with Heins Mills & Olson, P.L.C., and Stanley, Mandel & Iola L.L.P.

Representing Plaintiffs at trial were Barry Barnett, Marc M. Seltzer, David H. Orozco, and Warren T. Burns of Susman Godfrey L.L.P.; Joseph Goldberg of Freedman Boyd Hollander Goldberg & Ives, P.A.; Isaac L. Diel of Sharp McQueen, P.A.; and Barbara J. Felt of Heins Mills & Olson, P.L.C.

    Contact:
    Barry C. Barnett
    P: (214) 754-1903
    E: bbarnett@susmangodfrey.com

About Susman Godfrey L.L.P.

Susman Godfrey L.L.P., a law firm with more than 80 lawyers, was recently named one of the top litigation boutiques in the country by The American Lawyer. The firm represents plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of commercial litigation matters, including antitrust, patent and intellectual property, securities and corporate governance litigation, energy, commercial and products liability, bankruptcy and financial restructuring, accounting malpractice, arbitration, climate change, and international litigation. The firm has offices in Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York. For additional information, visit www.susmangodfrey.com.