Established 1963
Updated:
November 4, 2015
| Practice Area:
Securities Litigation
Final Order and Judgment
Order Approving Plan of Allocation
Order Awarding Attorney Fees and Expenses
Motion for Approval of Proposed Settlement and POA
Memorandum in Support of Motion for Approval of Proposed Settlement and POA
Motion for Award of Attorneys Fees and Payment of Litigation Expenses
Memorandum in Support of Motion for Award of Attorneys' Fees and Payment of Litigation Expenses
Joint Declaration in Support of Motion for Approval of Settlement and Plan of Allocation and Motion for Award of Attorneys’ Fees and Payment of Litigation Expenses
Exhibits to Joint Declaration
Stipulation of Settlement
Notice Order
Settlement Notice
Proof of Claim
Notice of Pendency
Amended Complaint
Opinion and Order Denying Motion to Dismiss
On November 4, 2015, the court granted final approval of a settlement of $120 million with one of the largest global providers of products and services for the oil and gas industry, Weatherford International Ltd. (n/k/a Weatherford International plc.).
Represented by Labaton Keller Sucharow, the plaintiffs alleged that Weatherford knowingly or recklessly filed false financial statements during the class period between March 2, 2011, and July 24, 2012, touting illusory benefits of Weatherford's tax structure and hiding the company's inadequate tax accounting procedures. By the end of the class period, Weatherford had issued three restatements, and its failure to comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) resulted in overstated earnings of more than $900 million.
"Sacramento City Employees' Retirement System is committed to prosecuting securities class actions in order to protect our members' assets, and we are very pleased with the successful result reached for investors," said Chief Investment Officer John P. Colville for the City of Sacramento, who was instrumental in the mediation process to achieve this recovery.
Achieving this settlement required over three years of intense litigation, including defeating defendants' motion to dismiss, obtaining class certification, completing fact discovery, filing four expert reports, and preparing for expert discovery and summary judgment.
The case is Freedman v. Weatherford International, Ltd., No. 1:12-cv-2121 (S.D.N.Y.). Labaton Keller Sucharow represents SCERS. For more information, please read the Settlement Notice.
The final approval hearing was held on November 3, 2015, at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse, 500 Pearl Street, Courtroom 21B, New York, NY. The deadline for objecting to the settlement, seeking exclusion from the class, or opting back into the class has passed.
Submit Proof of Claim
If you purchased or acquired the common stock of Weatherford in the United States between March 2, 2011, and July 24, 2012, inclusive, you may be eligible to recover from the settlement if you submit a proof of claim with supporting documentation no later than December 9, 2015. Relevant documents can be found under "Case Materials."
If you have questions about the settlement, please contact Labaton Keller Sucharow at settlementquestions@labaton.com or 1-888-219-6877, or the Claims Administrator, GCG, at 1-888-382-6459.
