Category: Economics Expert Witness
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Experts’ Opinions Interpreting the PPP Regulations Were Excluded
As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in early 2020, Congress established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Several businesses applied for and received PPP loan approval from Prestamos CDFI, LLC (Prestamos). However, due to individual bank-related issues, the loan funds were returned to Prestamos, leaving the businesses without the promised financial assistance. Consequently, these businesses initiated…
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Economics Expert’s Opinions on the Outcome-Based Compensation Structure Excluded
Allstate Insurance Company sells property, casualty, and life insurance in California through independent and exclusive agents. The Plaintiffs, who were exclusive agents for the Defendant from 1990 to 2023 and had signed Exclusive Agency Agreements, have filed a class-action lawsuit. Their claim centers on unreimbursed business expenses they incurred, including costs for rent, internet, licensed…
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Economics Expert Allowed to Testify Despite Lacking Experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Named Plaintiffs Judy Kirkbride and Beeta Lewis are consumers in Ohio and Texas that purchased prescription drugs from The Kroger Company (“Kroger”) in the last several years. They alleged that Kroger, through a deceptive pricing scheme, overcharged them for prescription drugs by misreporting the “usual and customary” (U&C) prices for Plaintiffs’ medications, which resulted in…
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Economics Expert’s Statistical Model Survives Daubert Challenge in NCAA Volunteer Coach Case
The NCAA is an association whose members are colleges and universities competing in intercollegiate athletics. The NCAA governs student athletic competition at its member schools. NCAA schools are divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II, and Division III. Division I schools, which are at issue in this litigation, generally “manage the largest athletic budgets…
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Economics Expert’s Revenue-Per-Minute Analysis Rejected under Daubert
The copyright infringement case between Buck Goodday Woodall (“Bucky”) and The Walt Disney Company over the film “Moana” has highlighted the critical role of expert testimony in legal disputes, particularly when dealing with complex financial analyses. Plaintiff Woodall sought to demonstrate financial damages by presenting expert testimony from Stan Smith, who proposed a “revenue-per-minute” analysis…
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Accounting Expert Witness’ Opinions About the Unpaid Consulting Fees Excluded
In early 2015, Plaintiffs, US Thrillrides, LLC (“USTR”) and Polercoaster, LLC began discussions with Defendant, Intamin Amusement Rides Int. Corp. Est. about partnering to build Polercoasters for Plaintiffs’ customers. The “Polercoaster” is “a roller coaster that is supported or suspended from a vertical tower instead of moving along a horizontal track.” This case arises from a…
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Accounting Expert Witness Reliably Concludes That There Is No Common Value Ascribed to Points Universally
Plaintiffs, Angelique L. Lingard and Sudarien D. Smith brought this proposed consumer class action on behalf of themselves and other military servicemembers who are similarly situated against Defendants Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Inc. f/k/a Orange Lake Country Club, Inc. (“HICV”) for alleged violations of the Military Lending Act. Plaintiffs and the proposed class members purchased…
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Economics Expert Witness’ Opinions Cannot be the Basis for Finding Antitrust Injury
In this antitrust action, separate Plaintiff groups of users and advertisers sued Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta), for alleged anticompetitive conduct under the Sherman Act and California state law in connection with the Facebook social-networking app. The user group, headlined by named Plaintiffs Maximilian Klein, Sarah Grabert, and Rachel Banks Kupcho, alleged that Meta illegally acquired and…
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Claimants’ Arguments Address the Weight of the Government’s Experts’ Statements
On March 2, 2022, President Biden instructed the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) to seize the assets of wealthy Russians as part of his administration’s response to the Russian operations in Ukraine. Specifically, the Government sought forfeiture of the M/Y Amadea, International Maritime Organization (“IMO”) No. 1012531, including all fixtures, fittings, manuals, stocks, stores, inventories, and…