Dougherty, Hildre & Haklar - Past Class Action Cases

The McDonalds Prize Giveaway Scandal
Microsoft Litigation
General Motors Litigation

McDonalds
The McDonalds Prize Giveaway Scandal

Prior to August 1997, McDonalds and Simon Marketing created a prize Giveaway scheme. In this scheme, substantial prizes were offered via game promotions in connection to the sale of McDonalds Products.

Beginning in approximately August 1997 and continuing through August 2001, McDonalds offered the prizes to those who purchased McDonalds Products. However, rather than awarding the prizes to consumers who had purchased McDonald's products, preliminary FBI investigations show that more than thirteen million dollars in prizes were diverted. Feel cheated? You may have been.

Potential False, Misleading and Illegal Advertising

McDonalds centered their marketing and advertising campaign on the promise of substantial prizes. The advertising, promotion and marketing of McDonalds Products occurred throughout California as well as in other parts of the country. McDonalds advertised and offered the substantial prizes to consumers. But preliminary investigation has uncovered otherwise: the consumers did not get the benefit of the prize scheme as advertised. If this is so, then McDonalds and Simon Marketing have engaged in False and Misleading Advertising in violation of California law, under the California Health and Safety Code and Business and Professions Code sections which have been enacted to protect consumers.

Undeserved Profits

The McDonalds marketing scheme was a monetary success to McDonalds and Simon Marketing! But, if the scheme ended up with over $13 million diverted as the FBI preliminary investigation has uncovered, then the consumers of California have suffered. This is because California consumers individually and collectively paid substantial amounts of money for McDonalds Products, which did not have the characteristics advertised – that is, the prizes which were promised ultimately did not exist for the general public of California to enjoy.

Therefore, the profits earned by McDonalds and Simon Marketing would not have been earned but for the prize give-away marketing scheme. Under California law, these profits should be returned to the consumer.

What Can You Do?

If a Court of Law finds that McDonalds’ and Simon Marketing’s scheme was unfair, misleading or had a tendency to mislead the general public of California, the Court can order that McDonalds and Simon Marketing disgorge and make restitution of all the revenues it has gained from sales of McDonalds Products, within the bounds of the law.

Alternately, the Court can order that these entities should restore their profits to the consumers of California who purchased McDonalds Products.

Dougherty Hildre & Haklar has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the consumers of the State of California who could possibly have been misled by the advertising scheme of McDonalds and Simon Marketing.

Visit this site often for news and breaking headlines about the lawsuit.

Microsoft
Microsoft Litigation

Dougherty, Hildre & Haklar is one of the firms representing plaintiffs in both California and nationwide class action lawsuits against Microsoft Corporation.

These lawsuits allege that Microsoft used monopoly powers in the operating system market place, as well as in several applications software markets.

The United States Government's Anti-Trust suit against Microsoft Corporation has received a great deal of publicity. U.S. District Court Judge Jackson originally issued a ruling that would have required Microsoft to be split into at least two different companies. However, the United States Court of Appeals reversed that portion of the ruling, but the United States Court of Appeals did uphold the finding that Microsoft was a monopoly.

If you live in San Diego and would like additional information regarding the Microsoft Litigation, please contact the class action lawyers at our office at (619) 817-8024. Serving San Diego, California.

General Motors
General Motors Litigation

Dougherty, Hildre, & Haklar - located in San Diego, California - successfully litigated a class action lawsuit against General Motors Corporation involving 1995, 1996 and 1997 four door GM Tahoe and Yukon vehicles. This Class Action Lawsuit, which was certified by the Superior Court in San Diego County, claimed that "window stickers" and other point of sale materials inaccurately stated these vehicles had a 30 gallon fuel tank--which they do not.

After many years of litigation, General Motors agreed to compensate class members, including original purchasers and lessees of these vehicles, by providing a certificate worth up to $750.00 toward the retail purchase of a new Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac or GMC Truck.

For more information, contact the class action attorneys at Dougherty, Hildre & Haklar. Serving San Diego, California.

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