There are number of things about this settlement that I find disturbing. The most glaring deficiency is what Amway has the nerve to call "compensation." To offer to compensate affected distributors--many of whom were bilked out of hundreds or thousands of dollars--by giving them coupons which will enable them to buy Amway product at the same price they've been paying all along, is the definitive example of adding insult to injury.
Another problem is Amway's method of notifying class members. Amway has agreed to notify only those distributors who were class members during calendar year 1995, but not those who were class members from 1990 to 1995. Their only other means of notifying the rest of the class members is to place a single announcement in a single national newspaper. It seems to me that a large percentage, maybe most, of the class members will not be aware of the proposed settlement. Not being aware, they will not have the opportunity to opt out, and will therefore be giving up their legal rights without even knowing that they're doing so. Amway's limited obligations to notify class members is not mentioned in the notice distributed in the Amagram.
Another disturbing element is that class members who opt out are also giving up their right to protest the terms of the settlement. I don't know if this is a standard clause in class action settlement agreements, but I find it remarkable. Remember that there are two ways the proposed settlement can be tossed out: 1) Amway can choose to do so if more than 200 class members opt out, and 2) the judge can do so if enough class members complain that the terms of the settlement are unfair. This means that a class member who is outraged by the terms of the settlement, as many will be, will have two choices. 1) He/she can opt out of a settlement that he feels is an insult, but in doing so gives up the right to protest to the judge and perhaps convince the judge to insist on a more equitable settlement. Or, 2) he can choose not to opt out in order to preserve his right to protest, but in doing so give up his rights to pursue legal action of his own. Either shut up or lose your legal rights...some choice.
The somewhat positive part of the settlement agreement are the additions to and reinforcements of the rules regarding the sale of tools. Most of the disclaimers detailed in the full agreement have already been used for some time now, but a couple of the rules are new. Even these are minor concessions, as rules are useless they're enforced, and it's abundantly clear that many of Amway's long-standing rules have been, and continue to be, widely ignored. Distributors who produce and sell tools have already been required (probably as a result of previous lawsuits) to include disclaimers to the effect that the purchase of the tools are optional, yet we know that distributors have found ways to circumvent the intention of these disclaimers and have continued to pressure and coerce distributors into buying them. "The tools are optional, and so is success." It remains to be seen whether these additional rules and procedures will have any significant impact on the abuses that Amway has for so long known about but consistently failed to deal with in any truly effective way.
I should add that I don't fault the Hanrahans for how things turned out in this case. I believe they did the best they could with the resources available to them, and they did far more than most people have in similar circumstances. Those who were harmed by Amway are no worse off because of this settlement, and hopefully the changes to Amway's rules and procedures will reduce the number of future victims.
(This is the notice that was distributed in the Amagram)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
John HANRAHAN, Stacy HANRAHAN,
)
and Mark MENSACK, on behalf of
)
themselves and all others similarly situated, )
)
Plaintiffs,
) Civil Action No. 94-CV 4615
) Judge Jan E. DuBois
v.
)
)
EXECUTIVES UNLIMITED, INC.,
)
EXECUTIVE PLANNERS, INC.,
)
AMERICAN MULTIMEDIA, INC., BRITT
)
MOTIVATION, INC., BRITT LEASING,
)
INC., BRITT MANAGEMENT, INC., BRITT
)
RESOURCES, INC., William BRITT, YAGER
)
ENTERPRISES, DEXTER R. YAGER, SR. &
)
FAMILY ENTERPRISES, INC., DEXTER
)
YAGER SECURITIES, INC., D&B YAGER
)
ENTERPRISES, INC., DEXTER YAGER
)
MOTIVATION, INC., INTERNET
)
SERVICES CORPORATION,
)
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION
)
CORPORATION OF AMERICA, YAGER
)
RESORT PROPERTIES, INC.,
)
DREAMBUILDERS REVIEW, Dexter
)
YAGER, and AMWAY CORPORATION,
)
)
Defendants.
)
)
NOTICE OF PENDENCY
AND SETTLEMENT OF CLASS ACTION
TO: ALL PERSONS IN THE UNITED STATES
WHO, AT ANY TIME
DURING THE
PERIOD FROM JANUARY l,1990 TO AUGUST 1,1996,
HAVE BEEN
OR ARE AMWAY DISTRIBUTORS IN THE AMWAY
LINES OF
SPONSORSHIP "DOWNLINE" FROM THE AMWAY
DISTRIBUTORSHIPS
OF EITHER BILL BRITT OR DEXTER YAGER OR
WHO PURCHASED
MOTIVATIONAL MATERIALS PUBLISHED,
PRODUCED,
DISTRIBUTED OR SOLD BY EXECUTIVES UNLIMITED,
INC., EXECUTIVE
PLANNERS, INC., AMERICAN MULTIMEDIA, INC.,
BRITT MOTIVATION,
INC., BRITT LEASING, INC., BRITT
MANAGEMENT,
INC., BRITT RESOURCES, INC., BILL BRITT, YAGER
ENTERPRISES,
DEXTER R. YAGER, SR. & FAMILY ENTERPRISES, INC.,
DEXTER YAGER
SECURITIES, INC., D&B YAGER ENTERPRISES, INC.,
DEXTER YAGER
MOTIVATION, INC., INTERNET SERVICES
CORPORATION,
INTERCONTINENTAL COMMUNICATION
CORPORATION
OF AMERICA (LISTED IN THE COMPLAINT AS
INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNICATION CORPORATION OF
AMERICA),
YAGER RESORT PROPERTIES, INC., DREAMBUILDERS
REVIEW,
AND DEXTER YAGER, BUT EXCLUDING: THE
DEFENDANTS;
ANY ENTITY IN WHICH THE DEFENDANTS HAVE A
CONTROLLING
INTEREST; AND THE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS,
AFFILIATES,
LEGAL REP.RESENTATIVES, HEIRS, SUCCESSORS, OR
ASSIGNEES
OF THE DEFENDANTS (the "Settlement Class").
YOU SHOULD READ THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AND IN
ITS ENTIRETY.
YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE LAWSUIT DESCRIBED IN THIS
NOTICE.
YQU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the above-captioned
class action is pending
in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania. Plaintiffs, on
behalf of themselves and all other similarly situated people, allege
that certain
defendants misrepresented the nature and characteristics of Amway
distributorships
and of motivational materials or training materials they published,
produced,
distributed or sold, in violation of federal statutes, l8 U.S.C.
§ 1961, et seq., and state
common law, and fixed the prices of and allocated customers for
such materials in
violation of federal law, l5 U.S.C. § 1. Plaintiffs' allegations
are set forth in full in their
Second Amended Complaint, which is on file with the Clerk of the
United States
District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, U.S. Courthouse,
601 Market
Street, Philadelphia PA 19I06.
The defendants vigorously deny all of these
allegations, deny any and all
liability, and deny that any plaintiff or potential class member
is entitled to any
damages. Defendants have agreed to settle the claims against them
to reduce the
expense and inconvenience of further litigation. The Court
has not ruled in favor of
any plaintiff or against any defendant on any claim.
The Court has preliminarily approved a
proposed settlement, and directed that
notice be given to the Settlement Class. A hearing will be held
before the Honorable Jan
E. DuBois, United States District Judge for the Eastern District
of Pennsylvania,
Independence Mall West, 601 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106,
on December 16,
1996 at 2:30 p.m. for the purpose of determining whether the proposed
settlement
should be approved as fair, reasonable and adequate, and in the
best interests of the
Settlement Class; whether this litigation should be dismissed on
the merits with
prejudice and without costs; and whether the application by plaintiffs'
counsel for an
award of attorneys' fees, costs and disbursements should be approved.
The Court may
adjourn the settlement hearing from time to time, without any further
notice to the
Settlement Class.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement, upon
Court approval, each member
of the Settlement Class who submits the proof of claim that appears
at the end of this
Notice will receive a coupon redeemable for a discount of 35% off
the suggested retail
price for up to ten (but not more than three of any one item) of
the following products:
Double X; Leading Edge/Zoom (1 liter); LOC (1 liter); See Spray
(1 lifer); IndustraClean;
Perfume Fragrances; Home Fragrances; Deep Cleansing Shampoo; Light
Conditioner;
Durashine Floor Polish; Carpet & Upholstery Shampoo; D-15 Insect
Repellent;
Hourgard Insect Repellent; Alpha Hydroxy Serum; Oral Rinse; Foundation;
Lip Color;
Blush; Vinyl & Leather Cleaner; and Flash Coat. Coupons may
be redeemed within 180
days of issuance by mailing them with appropriate payment to Amway.
Full
instructions will accompany each coupon. In addition, the defendants
will make
several changes to their business practices designed to keep customers
informed that
the purchase of motivational materials is optional and that they
may be entitled to a
refund for unwanted motivational items.
The defendants are paying $375,000 into a cash
fund, and plaintiffs' counsel
intend to make application to the Court for an award of counsel
fees and expenses to
them and reimbursement for time and expenses incurred by certain
named plaintiffs in
connection with the litigation and the settlement up to the full
amount of that cash
fund. The application for fees and reimbursement of expenses by
plaintiffs' counsel
will be filed with the Court by October 15, 1996, will be available
for inspection at the
Office of the Clerk of the Court, and will be heard and considered
by the Court before
any attorneys' fees may be paid, or distributions made from the
cash fund.
This proposed settlement is a compromise of disputed
claims and is not to be
taken as an indication of liability or that damages have been,
or would be, found against
any defendant. The Court has not reached any conclusion regarding
the merits of
plaintiffs' claims, nor on the defendants' legal defenses.
IF YOU WERE AN AMWAY DISTRIBUTOR DOWNLINE FROM
THE
DISTRIBUTORSHIP OF BILL BRITT OR DEXTER YAGER OR PURCHASED
MOTIVATIONAL MATERIALS PUBLISHED, PRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED. OR SOLD
BY EXECUTIVES UNLIMITED, INC., EXECUTIVE PLANNERS, INC., AMERICAN
MULTIMEDIA, INC., BRITT MOTIVATION, INC., BRTTT LEASING, INC.,
BRITT
MANAGEMENT, INC., BRITT RESOURCES, INC., BILL BRITT, YAGER
ENTERPRISES, DEXTER R. YAGER, SR. & FAMILY ENTERPRISES, INC.,
DEXTER
YAGER SECURITIES, INC., D&B YAGER ENTERPRISES, INC., DEXTER
YAGER
MOTIVATION, INC., INTERNET SERVICES CORPORATION, INTERCONTINENTAL
COMMUNICATION CORPORATION OF AMERICA (LISTED IN THE COMPLAINT
AS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION CORPORATION OF AMERICA), YAGER
RESORT PROPERTIES, INC., DREAMBUILDERS REVIEW, OR DEXTER YAGER
AT
ANY TIME FROM JANUARY 1, 1990 TO AUGUST 2, 1996, YOUR RIGHTS MAY
BE
AFFECTED AND YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO SHARE IN THE SETTLEMENT. YOU
HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS:
(a) If you satisfy the definition above, you
are a member of the Settlement Class
unless you request exclusion. If you choose to remain a member
of the Settlement
Class, upon approval by the Court, you will be bound by the final
judgment and will
release all individual claims against defendants based upon any
alleged
misrepresentation about the characteristics of an Amway distributorship
or about
motivational materials, or any alleged fixing of prices or allocation
of customers for
motivational materials. Objections to the proposed settlement,
and the objector's
intention to appear at the settlement hearing, must be filed on
or before November 15,
1996. If you choose to remain a member of the Settlement Class
and wish to receive a
coupon, you must submit the proof of claim that appears at the
end of this notice,
postmarked by January 15, 1997, to:
Hanrahan v. Executives Unlimited, Inc. Litigation
P.O. Box 510
Ada, Michigan 49355-0510
If you submit a proper proof of claim, the coupon will be sent to
you within 90 days
after the Court approves the settlement.
(b) If you do not wish to be a member of the
Settlement Class, you must request
exclusion by submitting a letter or postcard postmarked no later
than November 15,
1996, to P.O. Box 510, Ada, Michigan 49355-0510. You must include
the name of the
case (Hanrahan v. Executives Unlimited, Inc., Civil Action No.
94-CV-4615), and also
provide your name, address, telephone number, the date you first
became an Amway
distributor, your ADA number, if available, and the name of your
sponsor. If you send
a timely request for exclusion: (i) you will be excluded from the
Settlement Class and
will not participate in the settlement or be eligible to receive
a coupon; (ii) you will not
be permitted to appear at the hearing or object to the Settlement
Class and the
settlement; and (iii) you will not be precluded from otherwise
pursuing any individual
claim against defendants. NO REQUEST FOR EXCLUSION WILL BE CONSIDERED
VALID UNLESS ALL OF THE INFORMATION DESCRIBED ABOVE IS INCLUDED.
Defendants have the right to withdraw from the settlement depending
upon the
number of opt-outs.
If you do not request exclusion and provide the
information required, your
interests will be represented by the plaintiffs through counsel
for the Settlement Class:
Kohn, Swift & Graf, P.C., l101 Market Street, Suite 2400, Philadelphia
PA 19107, and
Conrad, O'Brien, Gellman & Rohn, P.C., 1515 Market Street,
l6th Floor, Philadelphia PA
19102. If you wish, you may enter an appearance through counsel
of your choice. If
you remain in the Settlement Class, and you do not retain your
own counsel, you will
not be responsible for the payment of any legal costs or attorneys'
fees during this
litigation.
This Notice summarizes the proposed settlement,
which is detailed in a proposed
Settlement Agreement filed with the Court. A copy of the Settlement
Agreement may
be inspected at the Office of the Clerk of the United States District
Court for the Eastern
District of Pennsylvania during regular business hours. If you
would like a copy of this
Notice, you may request it by writing to the address listed in
paragraph 3(b) above.
PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT OR THE CLERK'S OFFICE
By: Order of the United States District Court For
The Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Honorable Jan E. DuBois
(This is the full text of the proposed settlement agreement)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
John HANRAHAN, Stacy HANRAHAN,
)
and Mark MENSACK, on behalf of
)
themselves and all others similarly situated, )
)
Plaintiffs,
) Civil Action No. 94-CV 4615
) Judge Jan E. DuBois
v.
)
)
EXECUTIVES UNLIMITED, INC.,
)
EXECUTIVE PLANNERS, INC.,
)
AMERICAN MULTIMEDIA, INC., BRITT
)
MOTIVATION, INC., BRITT LEASING,
)
INC., BRITT MANAGEMENT, INC., BRITT
)
RESOURCES, INC., William BRITT, YAGER
)
ENTERPRISES, DEXTER R. YAGER, SR. &
)
FAMILY ENTERPRISES, INC., DEXTER
)
YAGER SECURITIES, INC., D&B YAGER
)
ENTERPRISES, INC., DEXTER YAGER
)
MOTIVATION, INC., INTERNET
)
SERVICES CORPORATION,
)
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION
)
CORPORATION OF AMERICA, YAGER
)
RESORT PROPERTIES, INC.,
)
DREAMBUILDERS REVIEW, Dexter
)
YAGER, and AMWAY CORPORATION,
)
)
Defendants.
)
)
SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT
WHEREAS, plaintiffs in this civil class action have alleged that
defendants
Executives Unlimited, Inc., Executive Planners, Inc., American
Multimedia, Inc.,
Britt Motivation, Inc., Britt Leasing, Inc., Britt Management,
Inc., Britt Resources,
Inc., Bill Britt (collectively, the "Britt defendants"), and Yager
Enterprises, Dexter
R. Yager, Sr. & Family Enterprises, Inc., Dexter Yager Securities,
Inc., D&B Yager
Enterprises, Inc., Dexter Yager Motivation, Inc., Internet Services
Corporation,
Intercontinental Communication Corporation of America (listed in
the
complaint as International Communication Corporation of America),
Yager
Resort Properties, Inc., Dreambuilders Review, and Dexter Yager
(collectively,
the "Yager defendants") violated the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. §
1, the Racketeer
Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO"),18 U.S.C.
§§ 1962(c) and
(d), and common law fraud and negligent misrepresentation, and
defendant
Amway Corporation ("Amway") participated in the alleged Sherman
Act
violation and aided and abetted the alleged RICO violations; and
WHEREAS, the Britt Defendants, the Yager Defendants and Amway (hereinafter
the "defendants") have vigorously denied each and every one of
these
allegations and any liability whatsoever; and
WHEREAS, the class plaintiffs and their attorneys have conducted
an
investigation into the facts and issues raised by their allegations
and have
concluded that settlement with the defendants on the terms set
forth in this
Settlement agreement is in the best interests of class plaintiffs
and the Settlement
Class (as defined below); and
WHEREAS, defendants have agreed to enter info this Settlement Agreement
solely in order to reduce further expense and inconvenience and
remove the
distraction of burdensome and protracted litigation;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and agreements
set forth
in this Settlement Agreement, it is agreed by and among the undersigned
that the
claims made by the class plaintiffs and the Settlement Class against
all
defendants shall be settled and compromised, subject to approval
of the Court as
required by Rule 23(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,
on the following
terms and conditions:
l. The undersigned attorneys represent that they are fully authorized
to
enter into the terms and conditions of, and to execute, this Settlement
Agreement.
2. This Settlement Agreement is entered into by defendants, the
class
plaintiffs, and the Settlement Class to compromise and settle this
litigation and
any and all claims, demands, causes of action, obligations, liabilities,
and
damages of any kind, including costs, expenses and attorneys' fees,
arising out of
or having connection in any way whatsoever with any act, omission,
cause, matter or
allegation that is in whole or in part the subject of or asserted
in the Complaint,
the Amended Complaint, and/or the Second Amended Complaint (the
"Complaints") filed
in this action, as well as any and all claims, demands, causes
of action, obligations,
liabilities, and damages of any kind, including costs, expenses
and attorneys' fees,
whether known or unknown, that could have been asserted against
any of the defendants
arising out of or having connection in any way whatsoever with
any of the facts alleged
in the Complaints.
3. As used in this Settlement Agreement, the term "motivational
materials"
includes audio tapes or cassettes, videotapes or cassettes, books,
magazines, pamphlets,
training materials or other written or recorded materials, and
rallies, seminars or
functions designed primarily for use by Amway distributors.
4. For purposes of accomplishing this Settlement Agreement only,
the
parties agree that this action shall proceed as a class action
under Rule 23(b)(3) of the
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on behalf of a Settlement Class
to be represented by
the plaintiffs in this action. The Settlement Class is defined
as:
All persons in the United States
who, at any time during the period
from January 1, l990 to August l,
1996, have been or are Amway
distributors in the Amway lines
of sponsorship "downline" from
the Amway distributorships of either
Bill Britt or Dexter Yager or
who purchased motivational materials
published, produced,
distributed or sold by Executives
Unlimited, Inc., Executive
Planners, Inc., American Multimedia,
Inc., Britt Motivation, Inc.,
Britt Leasing, Inc., Britt Management,
Inc., Britt Resources, Inc.,
Bill Britt, Yager Enterprises, Dexter
R. Yager, Sr. & Family
Enterprises, Inc., Dexter Yager
Securities, Inc., D&B Yager
Enterprises, Inc., Dexter Yager
Motivation, Inc., Internet Services
Corporation, Intercontinental Communication
Corporation of America
(listed in the complaint as International
Communication Corporation of
America), Yager Resort Properties,
Inc., Dreambuilders Review, or
Dexter Yager; but such class excludes:
the defendants; any entity in
which the defendants have a controlling
interest; and the officers
and directors, affiliates, legal
representatives, heirs, successors,
or assignees of the defendants.
However, the Settlement Class does not include any individuals who
properly
exclude themselves in accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 23 and in
the manner
prescribed by the Court in this case.
The undersigned agree and promise, on behalf of themselves and their
respective clients in this action, that each will cooperate in
the prompt
submission of this Settlement Agreement to the Court, will recommend
acceptance of the Settlement Agreement by the Court, will take
all steps that may
be requested by the Court with regard to this Agreement, and will
otherwise use
their best efforts to effectuate this Agreement and to obtain the
prompt entry of
a final judgment of dismissal with prejudice in this action as
to defendants. The
undersigned further agree to cooperate in determining the final
form, contents,
timing and method of notice to be given to members of the Settlement
Class of the
terms of this Settlement Agreement. An agreed-upon draft of such
notice is attached.
6. Subject to the terms of this Settlement Agreement and in full,
complete and final settlement of the claims asserted or assertable
in this action by
the class plaintiffs and the members of the Settlement Class who
have not timely
excluded themselves from the Settlement Class, including, but not
limited to, claims
for damages, interest thereon, attorneys' fees, expenses and costs,
the parties agree
as set forth in paragraphs 7 through 12.
7. Compensation to members of the Settlement Class.
a. Defendants will mail to each member
of the Settlement Class
who submits a properly executed Proof
of Claim, as specified
below, one coupon redeemable for a discount
on a selection of the
following Amway products: Double X; Leading
Edge; Zoom (1
liter); LOC (1 liter); See Spray (1 liter);
Industra Clean; Perfume
Fragrances; Home Fragrances; Deep Cleansing
Shampoo; Light
Conditioner; Durashine Floor Polish; Carpet
& Upholstery
Shampoo; L-15 Insect Repellent; Hourgard
Insect Repellent; Alpha
Hydroxy Serum; Oral Rinse; Foundation;
Lip Color; Blush; Vinyl &
Leather Cleaner; and Flash Coat.
b. Coupon may be used to purchase up to
ten of the products
listed in paragraph 7.a., but no more
than three units of any one
product, directly from Amway at a discount
of 35% off the
suggested retail price in Amway's current
price list for U.S.
distributors in effect on the date the
Settlement Agreement is finally
approved by the Court. Coupon holders
may use the coupons by
sending an order form to Amway selecting
ten items (or fewer, at
the buyer's option) and remitting to Amway,
by check or money
order, the suggested retail price minus
35%, plus shipping and
handling at half of Amway's normal rate,
i.e., 2.00 per order or 2%
of the amount of the order, whichever
is greater.
c. Coupons are freely transferable, but
only one coupon can be
redeemed per customer and only one coupon
can be used per
order.
d. Coupons expire not less than 180 days
from the date mailed
to each claimant. The expiration date
will be clearly indicated on
each coupon.
8. Acts and Practices Provisions:
a. Beginning 60 days after the date this
Settlement Agreement
receives final approval from the Court,
the Britt defendants and the
Yager defendants will label all motivational
tapes and motivational
publications, intended primarily for sale
to Amway distributors
that any of the Britt Defendants or Yager
Defendants thereafter
manufactures or produces, or causes to
be manufactured or
produced, with a notice (on the packaging
or by printing on the
product, at defendants' option) advising
the customer:
(1) That the purchase
of the motivational item is optional
and that the customer
has the right to cancel or discontinue
any future purchases
of motivational items; and
(2) That the motivational
item is subject to a refund
policy.
b. Amway will maintain a Business Support
Material Rule (the
"BSM rule") requiring any distributor
who chooses to sell
motivational tapes, books or other materials
to maintain a
commercially reasonable buyback policy
for those motivational
materials for at least 90 days following
purchase. Any distributor
who directly purchases motivational tapes
or publications from
another distributor who does not comply
with this rule is entitled
to invoke Amway's Conciliation and Enforcement
procedures, as
discussed in the Amway Business Compendium.
Amway will
notify all current distributors of their
rights under this BSM rule.
c. Beginning 60 days after the date this
Settlement Agreement
receives final approval from the Court,
the Britt defendants and
Yager defendants will agree to include
in any future contract for
the sale of motivational materials a term
requiring their customers
to abide by the BSM rule as set forth
in the preceding paragraph
and stating the terms of the applicable
refund policy.
d. Beginning 60 days after the date this
Settlement Agreement
receives final approval from the Court,
and once a year thereafter,
Amway will publish a notice reminding
distributors of their rights
under the BSM rule, including their right
to a refund on unwanted
motivational tapes of publications and
their right to invoke
Awmay's Conciliation and Enforcement procedures.
The notice
will be published in Amagram magazine
or, at Amway's sole
option, distributed in any other manner
directed to the address
shown in Amway's records for each distributor
of record at the
time the notice is sent.
9. Dispute Resolution Procedures.
a. Amway will maintain a dispute resolution
mechanism, such
as the present Conciliation and Enforcement
Procedures, to resolve
disputes concerning any alleged violations
of the BSM rule set forth
in paragraph 8 above. The dispute resolution
mechanism will have
the following features:
(1) Any distributor may invoke the mechanism.
(2) Disputes will
be heard by a panel of Amway
distributors designated
by the Amway Distributors'
Association Board
("ADAB"), the trade association of
Amway distributors,
or any successor of ADAB.
(3) Dispute resolution
panel members will be
disinterested
and impartial.
(4) The dispute
resolution panel will hold a hearing at
which each party
may submit whatever information it
desires by individual
testimony or documentary evidence.
There will be
no formal rules of evidence, but the panel may
limit the length
of discussion or the volume of irrelevant
material.
(5) The panel's
primary goal will be to mediate or
conciliate each
dispute. However, if the parties do not agree
following panel
mediation, the panel will issue a written
decision and a
recommendation for resolving the dispute.
(6) The dispute
resolution procedures will provide for an
intermediate appeal
of any panel decision to the ADAB.
(7) If the dispute
is not otherwise resolved, the final
recommendations
of the panel and/or the ADAB are
provided to Amway,
which will make an independent
determination
and may conduct an independent
investigation
of the facts. Amway will issue a final decision
adopting, reversing,
or modifying the recommended
resolution. Amway's
decision in all cases will be final,
conclusive and
binding on all participants in the dispute
resolution procedure.
b. Amway will make available the sales
and customer service
personnel in its Distributor Relations
and Customer Service
departments, as appropriate, to respond
to telephone inquiries
from any distributors with questions about
or disputes involving
the Amway rules applicable to motivational
materials. Those
personnel will provide information about
the relevant rules and
will, to the extent practicable, use their
best efforts to facilitate
an informal resolution of any dispute
involving the Amway rules.
Amway will annually notify all distributors
of the telephone
numbers of the Distributor Relations and
Customer Service
departments.
l0. Rules And Procedures To Prevent Undue Pressure To Purchase
Motivational Materials.
a. Amway will maintain a rule requiring
sellers of motivational
materials to notify their customers, at
least once a year, that
purchase of motivational materials is
voluntary, by including in the
packaging of tapes or in the text of publications
the following
message:
"We have a continuing
interest in you and your Amway
business. This
special message is to help you evaluate
expenses which
relate to Business Support Materials
available to you.
Your expenditures on these items should
be reasonable
compared to your business volume and
profits. You should
review your business expenses and
decide whether
you wish to continue purchasing future
Business Support
Materials. The use of Business Support
Materials in connection
with your Amway business is
voluntary and
should always be in compliance with the
Amway Rules of
Conduct."
The Britt defendants and Yager defendants
agree to continue
to comply with this notice rule and provide
their customers with
this notice.
b. Amway will maintain in the BSM rule
described in
paragraph 8 a requirement that any distributor
who chooses to sell
motivational materials on a "standing
order" basis must adhere to
the following principles and procedures:
(1) All "standing
order" customers have the right to
cancel or change
their order at any time.
(2) At least twice
a year, preferably in September and
March, the seller
will provide to each "standing order"
customer a card
with the following language conspicuously
printed:
"We have a continuing
interest in you and your
Amway business.
This special message is to help you
evaluate expenses
which relate to Business Support
Materials available
to you. Your expenditures on these
items should be
reasonable compared to your business
volume and profits.
You should review your business
expenses and decide
whether you wish to continue
purchasing Business
Support Materials. The use of Business
Support Materials
in connection with your Amway business
is voluntary and
must always be in compliance with the
Amway Rules of
Conduct. If you wish to discontinue
receiving future
[tapes, books, etc.), please return this
postcard by [
]. IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE THIS
POSTCARD BY [
], YOU WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE
FUTURE ISSUES
OF [TAPES, BOOKS, ETC.)."
To the extent that the Britt defendants
and Yager defendants sell
motivational materials on "standing order,"
they agree to continue
to comply with this notice rule and provide
their customers with
this notice.
c. Amway will maintain in the BSM rule
described in
paragraph 8 a provision prohibiting distributors
who choose to sell
motivational materials from saying, suggesting,
or implying that
the use of any such materials will guarantee
success as an Amway
distributor or that Amway requires the
use of any such materials.
This provision in the BSM rule will require
motivational materials
to contain the following legend:
"While the techniques
and approaches suggested in
this [tape, book,
etc.] have worked for others, no one can
guarantee that
these techniques and approaches will work
for you. We hope,
however, that the ideas presented here
will assist you
in developing a strong and profitable
business. These
materials have been published
independently
of Amway Corporation and have not been
reviewed by Amway
Corporation."
The BSM rule will also require this same
message to be
included in the audio portion of any audio-taped motivational
materials. The Britt and Yager defendants agree to continue to
abide by this provision and to include the required information
in
motivational materials they publish.
d. Beginning 60 days after the date this
Settlement Agreement
receives final approval from the Court,
Amway will include in the
basic distributor agreement a statement
reciting that Amway does
not discriminate on the basis of race,
religion, gender or creed. In
addition, Amway will periodically send
all distributors the
following reminder of the right to choose
and the right to differ:
"Respect for the
individual is critical to a successful
Amway business.
From the beginning, Amway has prided
itself on being
an equal opportunity business. It's an
opportunity open
to people from all walks of life -- people
with varying religious
convictions, political affiliations,
nationalities,
ethnic backgrounds and racial origins. Amway
distributors come
together as business associates, agreeing
on the principles
of free enterprise. They work together to
achieve financial
independence by following the Amway
Sales and Marketing
Plan and observing the Code of Ethics
and Rules of Conduct.
On all other issues not specifically
affecting the
operation of their Amway business, Amway
distributors have
the right to hold differing viewpoints,
without their
differences jeopardizing their status as Amway
distributors or
their business relationships.
The notice may, at Amway's sole option,
continue in substance as
follows:
If the business
platform becomes a pulpit for
preaching religious
doctrines, political causes or other issues
of such an intensely
personal nature, people with differing
beliefs who attend
what they expect to be a business meeting
are turned away
or turned off from Amway. In essence,
they are discouraged
from participating in a business
opportunity. Amway
has been a great success because it is
not restrictive.
Because it is accessible to everyone. Because
it can be tailored
to meet the needs of the individual. The
right to choose
and the right to differ. Personal choice and
personal freedom.
Isn't that really what Amway is all
about?"
The notice referred to in this subparagraph
(d) will be published at
least once per year in Amagram magazine
or, at Amway's sole
option, in any other manner directed to
the address shown in
Amway's records for each distributor of
record at the time the
notice is sent.
e. Amway's rules
provide, and will continue to provide, that a
prospect need
only obtain the official Business Kit to become a
distributor --
no other purchase of any kind may be required.
f. Amway represents
that it currently provides Direct
Distributors with
extensive and appropriate training. Amway will
continue to train
Direct Distributors and will periodically provide
every Direct Distributor
with a document reiterating key rinciples,
such as the right
to choose and the right to differ, and the rules
relating to the
sale of motivational materials, specifically
including the
BSM Rule referred to in paragraph 8 above.
11. Proof of Claim.
a. To qualify for a coupon, Settlement
Class members must
submit a Proof of Claim to Hanrahan v.
Executives Unlimited, Inc.
Litigation, P.O. Box 510 Ada Michigan
49355-0510. A Proof of
Claim form is incorporated in the proposed
form of Notice, which
is attached to and incorporated in this
Agreement. A Proof of
Claim must consist of a written statement,
made under penalty of
perjury, setting forth the reasons why
the claimant is a member of
the Settlement Class, i.e. that the claimant
is or was an Amway
distributor downline from the Amway distributorship
of Bill Britt
or Dexter Yager and/or that, while an
active distributor, the
claimant purchased one or more motivational
tapes, books, or other
publications published, produced, distributed
or sold by the Britt
defendants or Yager defendants, or attended
one or more
motivational meetings, functions, or rallies
organized by the Britt
defendants or Yager defendants.
b. Defendants will mail a coupon to each
eligible claimant who
submits a properly executed proof of claim.
c. Only one claim may be submitted per distributorship.
12. Cash Fund.
a. In addition to the coupons described
above, defendants will
contribute the sum of $375,000 as a Cash
Fund, from which any
award by the Court of attorneys' fees,
costs or other expenses will
be paid.
b. Defendants will make this sum payable
to Amway Litigation
Custody Fund at the PNC Bank,1500 Market
Street, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania 19102, Account Number 350011005166,
within 30
days following the Court's entry of a
final order approving the
Settlement Class and this Settlement Agreement.
13. Administration.
a. Defendants will mail, at their expense,
a single notice (either
a bulk postcard or notice in a magazine
or other publication, at
defendants' option) to the last known
address of each member of
the Settlement Class who is currently
an Amway distributor or was
a distributor during calendar year 1995.
The notice will inform
recipients of the terms of this Settlement
Agreement and instruct
them on how to submit a Proof of Claim
or, if they choose, to opt
out of this class Settlement Agreement.
A Proof of Claim form will
be incorporated into the notice. An agreed
form of notice is
attached to and incorporated in this Settlement
Agreement.
Defendants' obligation to pay costs of
notice by mail is limited to
this single mailing and to any costs associated
with providing
copies of the notice to class members
making such a request.
Defendants will also publish, at their
expense, a similar
notice one time in a national newspaper,
such as USA Today.
Defendants' obligation to publish notice
is limited to this single
publication.
b. Defendants will, at their expense, process
incoming Proofs of
Claim, print and mail the coupons to all
eligible claimants, and
fulfill all orders for merchandise using
the coupons, subject to the
reduced shipping and handling charges
referred to above.
c. Defendants, through counsel, will provide
periodic reports
to counsel for the Settlement Class on
the administration of the
settlement.
d. Plaintiffs' counsel may petition the
Court for an award of
fees and out-of-pocket costs from the
Cash Fund.
e. Defendants' obligation to pay for the
cost of administering
this Settlement Agreement is limited to
the costs identified in
paragraphs 12 and 13.
14. As soon as practicable after the execution of this Settlement
Agreement,
the undersigned counsel shall file it with the Court, together
with a proposed order
requesting that the court:
a. Preliminarily approve this Settlement
Agreement and direct
appropriate notice to be given to the
plaintiffs and members of the
Settlement Class, in a form acceptable
to the parties, summarizing
the terms of this Settlement Agreement;
b. Direct a hearing to be held to determine
the reasonableness,
adequacy, and fairness of this Settlement
Agreement, including
whether it should be approved by the Court;
c. Provide that any person who objects
to the approval of this
Settlement Agreement or to the final judgment
to be entered in this
litigation may appear at the hearing and
show cause why this
proposed Settlement Agreement should not
be approved as fair,
reasonable, and adequate and why a final
judgment should not be
entered; and
d. Reserve jurisdiction over the effectuation
of this Settlement
Agreement for all purposes, including
resolving any disputes that
may arise.
15. If the Court declines to enter an order approving the form and
content
of notice to be provided to the Settlement Class and preliminarily
approving
this Settlement Agreement, then this Settlement Agreement is void
in its
entirety and the parties shall have no obligation to undertake
any of the
conduct provided for in this Settlement Agreement.
16. Defendants may elect to terminate this Settlement Agreement
if more than
two hundred (200) class members exclude themselves by the date
fixed by the
Court pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 23. Defendants' option to terminate
the
Settlement Agreement shall be exercised, if at all, within thirty
{30) days
following the date fixed by the Court for members of the Settlement
Class to
exclude themselves. Defendants' election to terminate the Settlement
Agreement shall be by written notice served upon Harold E. Kohn
and James J.
Rohn, by certified mail or telecopy, with a copy filed with the
Court. No
hearing on approval of this Settlement Agreement shall be held
before the
deadline for defendants' exercise of their option to terminate
the
Settlement Agreement, unless defendants otherwise agree in writing.
In the
event defendants exercise this option, then this Settlement Agreement
is
void in its entirety and the parties shall have no obligation to
undertake
any of the conduct provided for in this Settlement Agreement.
17. Upon the Court's final approval of this Settlement Agreement
as
reasonable, fair, and adequate, the undersigned will jointly file
a motion for an
order to enter an immediate and final judgment pursuant to Fed.
R. Civ. P. 54(b)
dismissing this action against defendants on the merits with prejudice.
18. Plaintiffs, on behalf of themselves and on behalf of the Settlement
Class
they represent, herewith release and discharge the defendants,
for good and
valuable consideration, and with the intent to be legally bound,
from any and all
claims, demands, causes of action, obligations, liabilities, and
damages of any
kind, including costs, expenses and attorneys' fees, arising out
of or having any
connection whatsoever with any act, omission, cause, matter or
allegation that is
in whole or in part the subject of or asserted in the Complaints,
as well as any
and all claims, demands, causes of action, obligations, liabilities,
and damages of
an kind, whether known or unknown, including costs, expenses,
and attorneys'
fees, that could have been asserted against defendants in the Complaints.
l9. The foregoing release and discharge applies to all losses and
damages of
any kind, even if those losses and damages are not now known or
anticipated,
and even if those losses or damages are different or greater than
is now expected.
20. The Settlement Class acknowledges, through its representatives,
that the
Settlement Class members may hereafter discover material facts
in addition to or
different from those which the Settlement Class now believes to
be true with
respect to the subject matter of the foregoing release and discharge.
The
Settlement Class understands that there may be future events, circumstances,
or
occurrences materially different from those the Settlement Class
believes are
likely to occur, but the Settlement Class nevertheless agrees that
the applicability
and effect of the foregoing release and discharge shall not be
limited or impaired
in any way notwithstanding any such facts, events, circumstances,
or
occurrences.
21. The Settlement Class acknowledges, through its representatives,
that the
Settlement Class is relying on its own judgment, belief and knowledge
in
entering into this settlement agreement, and that the foregoing
release and
discharge is made without relying on any statement or representation
by any of
the defendants, other than those contained in this Settlement Agreement.
22. The Settlement Class representatives, on behalf of themselves
and all other
members of the Settlement Class, hereby covenant not to pursue
any claim or
liability, or voluntarily assist any person or entity in pursuing
any claim or
liability, against any of the defendants that in any way arises
out of or has any
connection whatsoever with any act, omission, cause, matter or
allegation that is
in whole or in part the subject of or asserted in the Complaints
or which could
have been asserted against the defendants in the Complaints.
23. Defendants' obligations under paragraphs 8, 9, and 10 of this
Settlement
Agreement shall cease five years after the date this Settlement
Agreement
receives final approval from the Court. The sunset of such provisions
does not
preclude class members from subsequently bringing an independent
action if
otherwise allowed by applicable law.
24. The parties may execute this Settlement Agreement in counterparts,
and
the execution of the counterparts shall have the same effect as
if all parties have
signed the same instrument.
25. This Settlement Agreement constitutes the entire agreement among
the
parties pertaining to the settlement of this action and supersedes
all prior and
contemporaneous undertakings of the parties in connection herewith.
IN WITNESS THEREOF, the parties have caused this Settlement Agreement
to
be executed by their duly authorized representatives and agents
on this l2th day of August,1996.
Harold E. Kohn
Patrick W. Kittredge (I.D. No. 03556)
KOHN, SWIFT & GRAF, P.C.
Gary M. Marek (I.D. No. 45230)
1101 Market Street, Suite 2400
KITTREDGE, DONLEY, ELSON
Philadelphia, PA 19107
FULLEM & EMBICK
421 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 829-9900
James J. Rohrn
Karen M. Scheller
Counsel for the Britt Defendants
CONRAD, O'BRIEN, GELLMAN &
and Defendant Amway Corporation
ROHN, P.C.
1515 Market Street, l6th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19l02-1916
Alan M. Wiseman
Counsel for Plaintiffs John and Stacy John C. Peirce
Hanrahan and Mark Mensack
Joseph A. Ostoyich
HOWREY & SIMON
l299 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004-2402
(202) 783-0800
Sharon D. Grider
Michael A. Mohr
AMWAY CORPORATION
Ada, MI 49355-OOOl
(616) 787-5797
Counsel for Defendant Amway Corporation
William M. Janssen
David J. Cynamon
(I.D. No. 48002)
Alvin Dunn
SAUL, EWING, REMICK & SAUL
SHAW, PIZTMAN, POTTS &
3800 Centre Square West
TROWBRIDGE
Philadelphia, PA 19102
2300 N Street, N. W.
(215) 972-1967
Washington, D.C. 20037
(202) 663-8000
William J. Abraham
24 North High Street
Robert D. Paul
Columbus, Ohio 43215
WHITE & CASE
(614) 221-5474
1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006-4604
(202) 626-3614
William R. Culp, Jr.
Burton J. Haynes
CULP, ELLIOTT, MARSH &
BODZIN, HAYNES & GOLUB
CARPENTER
1156 l5th Street, N.W.
The Carillon
Washington, D.C. 20005
227 West Trade Street, Suite 1500
(202) 785-8887
Charlotte, NC 28202
(704) 372-6322
Counsel for Dexter Yager, D&B Yager
J. William Blue
Enterprises, Inc., Yager Enterprises,
NORTHEN, BLUE, ROOKS, THIBAUT,
Dexter R. Yager, Sr. & Family Enterprises,
ANDERSEN & WOODS
Inc., Dexter Yager Securities, Inc., Dexter P.O. Box
2208
Yager Motivation, Inc., Internet
Chapel Hill, NC 27515
Services Corporation, Intercontinental
(919) 968-444l
Communication Corporation of America
(listed in the complaint as International
Counsel for the Britt Defendants
Communication Cozporation of America),
Yager Resort Properties, Inc.,
and Dreambuilders Review
Dated: August 12, 1996