Eric Gibbs & Michael Schrag Speak on Lumber Liquidators Case at AAJ, Harris Martin

May 27, 2015

Partners Eric Gibbs and Michael Schrag will travel to Minneapolis this week to speak about the Lumber Liquidators litigation at the Plaintiffs-Only Hot Topics & Trends in Litigation Seminar presented by the American Association for Justice; and the Harris Martin Lumber Liquidators Flooring Litigation Conference.

AAJ members who registered to attend the Seminar will hear Mr. Gibbs speak about class certification strategies and other developments in the litigation against the retail lumber giant following news that its laminate wood flooring may contain toxic levels of formaldehyde.  At the Harris Martin Conference, Mr. Schrag will discuss potential class certification hurdles and strategies in the Lumber Liquidators litigation. Continued Legal Education (CLE) credits are available for attendees of both events.

Lumber Liquidators class action lawsuits proceed

The law firm has filed three federal class action lawsuits against Lumber Liquidators in connection to its laminate wood flooring products. The lawsuits allege that the company engaged in unfair business and sales practices when it manufactured and sold flooring to American consumers that was inaccurately labeled as compliant with formaldehyde emissions standards set forth by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

More than one hundred class action lawsuits have been filed against Lumber Liquidators nationwide in the wake of the 60 Minutes report aired in early March. According to the report, independent laboratory testing performed on certain Lumber Liquidators Chinese-made laminate wood flooring revealed levels of formaldehyde up to 20 times the legal level.

Federal judges to consider motion to transfer Lumber Liquidators to a single federal court

Tomorrow’s AAJ Seminar and the Harris Martin Litigation Conference precede a May 28 meeting of federal judges in Minneapolis to consider a motion to transfer into one court the numerous Lumber Liquidators lawsuits already filed. The motion asks that these lawsuits be coordinated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. If coordinated, the lawsuits will be heard as part of a Multi-District Litigation (MDL).

Lumber CEO resigns as company’s stock hits three-year low

As litigation proceeds, Lumber Liquidators has pulled all of its Chinese-manufactured laminate wood flooring from American stores. Lumber Liquidators’ stock prices hit three-year lows on May 21 with the news of CEO Robert Lynch’s unexpected resignation.

About Eric Gibbs and Michael Schrag

Michael Schrag and Eric Gibbs are partners at Gibbs Law Group and Of Counsel to Gibbs Law Group LLP, each with twenty years of experience representing plaintiffs in complex class actions nationwide.

Mr. Schrag currently serves as Co-Lead counsel in Beaver v. Tarsadia Hotels, in which the court granted plaintiffs’ summary judgment on the issue of liability in a large unfair competition class action against real estate developers. While serving as Co-Lead counsel in Ammari v. Pacific Bell Directory, Mr. Schrag helped obtain a $27 million judgment for consumers who overpaid an AT&T subsidiary to advertise in Yellow Pages directories — a result the National Law Journal deemed as one of the top 100 verdicts in 2009.

Mr. Gibbs has been widely recognized for his professional excellence and achievements and frequently lectures on class action related issues. He was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2012 guide for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions, and was honored as a Northern California Super Lawyer (2010-2014) (Top 100 in Northern California). Mr. Gibbs is a former co-chair of AAJ’s Class Action Litigation Group and is the current co-chair of AAJ’s Consumer Privacy and Data Breach Litigation Group.

Questions?

To speak with Mr. Gibbs or Mr. Schrag about the Lumber Liquidators class action lawsuits or other pending cases, call toll-free (800) 254-9493 or fill out the form.