California Law Revision Commission

Unfair Competition

• A plaintiff seeking to represent the general public would have to be an adequate representative of the interest of the general public pled and meet basic conflict of interest standards.

• The plaintiff's attorney would have to be an adequate legal representative of the interests of the general public pled in the action.

• Notice of commencement of a private representative action, and notice of proposed terms of a judgment, would be given to the Attorney General and district attorney. Notice of the proposed terms of the judgment would also be given to parties in other similar cases against the defendant.

• A fairness hearing would be held to make sure that the judgment in a private representative action is "fair, reasonable, and adequate" to protect the interests of the general public. Interested persons would be permitted to appear and comment on the proposed terms.

• The determination of a private representative claim on behalf of the general public would bar any further private representative claims on that cause of action. Any right to sue for individual claims would not be affected by this rule.

• Prosecutors would be given a degree of procedural priority over private plaintiffs in representing the public. The right of the private plaintiff to attorney's fees is recognized in cases where a private plaintiff contributes to a prosecutor's action.

Related Material

• Legislation
• Final Recommendation
• Tentative Recommendation
• Staff Memoranda

Legislation

• 1997: Senate Bill 143 (Kopp) -- Bill information at Legislative Counsel's website
     Not enacted.

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Final Recommendation

• Recommendation & Study -- Unfair Competition Litigation (includes Background Study by Professor Robert C. Fellmeth) (11/15/96)

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Tentative Recommendations and Other Requests for Comment

• Tentative Rec. -- Unfair Competition Litigation (May 1996)

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Staff Memoranda

• Memo 97-44 -- SB 143: Unfair Competition Litigation (6/6/97)

• Memo 97-22 -- SB 143 -- Unfair Competition Litigation (4/8/97)

• Memo 96-88, Supp. 2 -- Legislative Program; Unfair Competition Litigation (Comments of Prof. Fellmeth and CAJ) (12/11/96)

• Memo 96-88, Supp. 1 -- Legislative Program; Unfair Competition Litigation (State Bar Litigation Section Comments) (12/9/96)

• Memo 96-88 -- Legislative Program; Unfair Competition Litigation (CDAA Comments) (12/6/96)

• Memo 96-74, Supp. 1 -- Unfair Competition Litigation: Final Recommendation Draft (Additional Revisions) (11/13/96)

• Memo 96-74 -- Unfair Competition Litigation: Final Recommendation Draft (11/5/96)

• Memo 96-67, Supp. 1 -- Unfair Competition Litigation: Comments on Tentative Recommendation (Attorney General Letter) (10/7/96)

• Memo 96-67 -- Unfair Competition Litigation: Comments on Tentative Recommendation (10/2/96)

• Memo 96-30, Supp. 1 -- Unfair Competition (Mansfield comments) (5/8/96)

• Memo 96-30 -- Unfair Competition: Revised Draft of Tentative Recommendation (4/29/96)

• Memo 96-23, Supp. 1 -- Unfair Competition (Mansfield Comments) (4/10/96)

• Memo 96-23 -- Unfair Competition: Revised Draft of Tentative Recommendation (3/22/96)

• Memo 96-11, Supp. 1 -- Unfair Competition: Revised Draft (Comments of CDAA) (2/20/96)

• Memo 96-18 -- Unfair Competition: Statute of Limitations (2/14/96)

• Memo 96-11 -- Unfair Competition: Revised Draft (2/9/96)

• Memo 96-3, Supp. 3 -- Unfair Competition: Status of Study (Comments from David Roe, Environmental Defense Fund) (1/18/96)

• Memo 96-3, Supp. 2 -- Unfair Competition: Status of Study (Comments from Coalition of Manufacturers for the Responsible Administration of Proposition 65) (1/16/96)

• Memo 96-3, Supp. 1 -- Unfair Competition: Status of Study (Additional Comments from Prof. Fellmeth) (1/11/96)

• Memo 96-3 -- Unfair Competition: Status of Study (1/9/96)

• Memo 95-57, Supp. 1 -- Unfair Competition: Draft of Tentative Recommendation (Comments from Interested Persons) (11/1/95)

• Memo 95-57 -- Unfair Competition: Revised Draft of Tentative Recommendation (10/24/95)

• Memo 95-43, Supp. 3 -- Unfair Competition: Draft of Tentative Recommendation (Comments from CDAA and others) (9/27/95)

• Memo 95-43, Supp. 2 -- Unfair Competition: Draft of Tentative Recommendation (Comments from Consumers Union) (9/25/95)

• Memo 95-43, Supp. 1 -- Unfair Competition: Draft of Tentative Recommendation (Explanatory Text) (9/19/95)

• Memo 95-43 -- Unfair Competition: Draft of Tentative Recommendation (Statute) (9/8/95)

• Memo 95-32 -- Unfair Competition: Issues and Alternatives (6/22/95)

• Memo 95-35 -- Unfair Competition: Constitutional Limits on Binding Absent Parties (6/21/95)

• Memo 95-14, Supp. 2 -- Unfair Competition: Consultant's Recommendations (Comments of Consumers Union) (3/29/95)

• Memo 95-14, Supp. 1 -- Unfair Competition: Consultant's Recommendations (3/22/95)

• Memo 95-14 -- Unfair Competition: Consultant's Recommendations (3/13/95)

• Memo 95-6 -- Unfair Competition: Initial Policy Considerations (Professor Fellmeth's Background Study) (1/23/95)

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