Fight Over Distribution of $10 Million McDonald's Settlement

Back in June, McDonald’s formally settled five class action lawsuits brought on behalf of vegetarians who complained they were deceived into believing that McDonald’s french fries contained no animal products (see http://www.animalrights.net/articles/2002/000209.html). McDonald’s agreed to pay $12.5 million to vegetarian groups. Now, however, those groups are fighting amongst themselves over who will get to divided $10 million of that (the other $2.5 million, of course, goes to the lawyers).

The major instigator is once again Seattle attorney Harish Bharti, who filed the first lawsuit against McDonald’s but who has also generally alienated the attorneys involved with class-action lawsuits. Bharti, who reportedly likes to cite his training with Indian Swamis in his legal briefs, now maintains that “this whole settlement is a sham” noting that the four other attorneys are “joining hands with McDonald’s” on a settlement proposal that will be considered by a judge at the end of August.

Of course, as Los Angeles Attorney Kevin Roddy — who negotiated the settlement with McDonald’s — points out, the settlement agreement itself requires that McDonald’s and the suing parties work together to come up with a settlement proposal for the judge, which is pretty standard operating procedure when settling a class action lawsuit.

Bharti’s objections, as well as others, center around which groups will and will not receive money under the proposed settlement. Bharti is angered that groups he had been pushing, including a yoga meditation center and a cow sanctuary would not receive any money. Neither would People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or Vegan Outreach.

Chicago-based attorney James Latturner told the Seattle Times that, in fact, animal rights groups were excluded early on from the settlement because they represent only “a small subset of groups which advance vegetarianism.”

Muslim groups around the country are also petitioning to be added to the settlement.

Source:

Latest beef over fries — who gets money. Lynn Thompson, Seattle Times, August 4, 2002.

Groups ask for share of McDonald’s settlements. Associated Press, August 7, 2002.

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