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`Case 3:16-cv-04721-VC Document 251 Filed 04/09/21 Page 1 of 4
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`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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`FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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`Plaintiffs,
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`BUCKEYE TREE LODGE AND SEQUOIA
`VILLAGE INN, LLC, a California limited
`liability company, 2020 O STREET
`CORPORATION, INC, D/B/A THE MANSION
`ON O STREET, PROSPECT HISTORIC
`HOTEL, and SHILOH MORNING INN, LLC, a
`Oklahoma limited liability company,
`individually and on behalf of themselves and all
`others similarly situated,
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`
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`vs.
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`EXPEDIA, INC., a Washington corporation;
`HOTELS.COM, L.P., a Texas limited
`partnership; HOTELS.COM GP, LLC, a Texas
`limited liability company; ORBITZ, LLC, a
`Delaware limited liability company,
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`
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`
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`Defendants.
`
`Case No. 3:16-cv-04721-VC
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`CLASS ACTION
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`AMENDED [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING
`PLAINTIFFS’ UNOPPOSED MOTION FOR
`APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION
`SETTLEMENT, ATTORNEY’S FEES AND
`COSTS, AND INCENTIVE AWARDS
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`Date: March 25, 2021
`Time: 2:00 p.m.
`Courtroom: 4, 17th Floor
`Judge: Hon. Vince Chhabria
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`AMENDED [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR
`APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
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`Case No. 16-cv-04721-VC
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`Case 3:16-cv-04721-VC Document 251 Filed 04/09/21 Page 2 of 4
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`[PROPOSED] ORDER
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`Plaintiffs’ Unopposed Motion for Approval of Class Action Settlement came on for regularly
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`scheduled hearing before this Court as noticed. Having considered the Parties’ briefs, supporting
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`evidence, and other documents, and good cause having been shown, the Court hereby ORDERS as
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`follows:
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`1.
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`The Court confirms its certification of the Rule 23(b)(2) class and its finding that the
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`requirements of numerosity, commonality, typicality, and adequacy had been established for a California
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`Rule 23(b)(2) class; that the California class was ascertainable; and that questions of law and fact common to
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`all Class Members predominated over questions affecting only individual members.
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`2.
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`The Court confirms the appointment of the law firms Patterson Law Group, APC, Cuneo
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`Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP, Pratt & Associates, and Richa Law Group, P.C. as Class Counsel.
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`3.
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`The Court confirms the appointment of David Pfau, Ted Spero, Dennis Villavicencio, and
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`Fred Wickman as Class Representatives.
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`4.
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`The class action settlement is approved. It is fair, adequate, and reasonable, and it meets
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`the requirements of Rule 23(e)(2) and the standards set by the Ninth Circuit in Hanlon v. Chrysler Corp.,
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`150 F.3d 1011, 1026 (9th Cir. 1998) and its progeny. Specifically, the Court finds that the following
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`relevant factors weigh in favor of approval: (1) the strength of the plaintiffs’ case; (2) the risk, expense,
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`complexity, and likely duration of further litigation; (3) the risk of maintaining class action status
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`throughout the trial; (4) the amount offered in settlement; (5) the extent of discovery completed and the
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`stage of the proceedings; and (6) the experience and views of counsel.
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`5.
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`Notice is not required for this Rule 23(b)(2) class. The terms of the Settlement provide for
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`injunctive relief only and specifically preserve the Class Members’ rights to bring claims for monetary
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`damages of any kind. Class Members do not have the right to opt out. As a result, notice is not required.
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`Moreno v. San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit Dist., No. 17-cv-02911-JSC, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
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`13309, 2019 WL 343472, at *10 (N.D. Cal. Jan. 28, 2019); Stathakos v. Columbia Sportswear Co., No.
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`4:15-cv-04543-YGR, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17138, at *9 (N.D. Cal. Jan. 25, 2018); Lilly v. Jamba
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`Juice Co., No. 13-CV-02998-JST, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34498, 2015 WL 1248027, at *25-26 (N.D.
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`Cal. Mar. 18, 2015). And because notice is not required, neither is a preliminary approval hearing. See
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`AMENDED [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR
`APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
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`Case No. 16-cv-04721-VC
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`Case 3:16-cv-04721-VC Document 251 Filed 04/09/21 Page 3 of 4
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`Stathakos, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17138, at *15; Lilly v. Jamba Juice Co., No. 13-CV-02998-JST, 2015
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`U.S. Dist. LEXIS 58451, at *11 (N.D. Cal. May 4, 2015); Kim v. Space Pencil, Inc., No. C 11-037996
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`LB, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 169922, 2012 WL 5948951, at *17 (“[T]he reaction of class members is not
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`relevant here because notice [is] not required under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(e) and there is no
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`binding effect on the Class nor is there a release being provided.”).
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`6.
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`The Court enters the injunction as defined in the Parties’ settlement agreement as follows:
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`a.
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`Expedia shall implement, within thirty (30) days of the entry of this Approval
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`Order, the following injunctive relief:
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`i.
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`Expedia shall use best efforts to ensure that properties with which Expedia
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`does not have a contract and that have no relationship with a third party provider to the
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`Websites (“class member properties”) do not appear in search results on the Websites with
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`unavailability messaging or on a property details page with unavailability messaging.
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`Recognizing that technology is evolving, best efforts may include steps currently taken by
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`Expedia and those that have been implemented since the filing of this Action, such as
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`contractually requiring third party providers to notify Expedia when a hotel terminates its
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`relationship with that third party and using technological controls to prevent hotels from
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`appearing in search results when third parties notify Expedia that a hotel has terminated its
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`relationship with that third party. Nothing in this Paragraph 4(a)(i) shall prevent Expedia
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`from taking different or additional steps to ensure that class member properties do not
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`appear in search results with unavailability messaging or on property details pages with
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`unavailability messaging. To the extent that Expedia becomes aware that a class member
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`property is appearing next to unavailability messaging, Expedia shall act promptly to
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`remove that property from its Websites.
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`ii.
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`Expedia shall remove from the Websites any property that terminates its
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`contract with Expedia and that is not available to Expedia through a third party provider to
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`the Websites.
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`AMENDED [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR
`APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
`
`Case No. 16-cv-04721-VC
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`6(a)(i)
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`Case 3:16-cv-04721-VC Document 251 Filed 04/09/21 Page 4 of 4
`Case 3:16-cv-04721-VC Document 251 Filed 04/09/21 Page 4 of 4
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`ill.
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`Expedia shall use best efforts to ensure that search engine marketing,
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`search engine optimization, and social media advertisements for the Websites do not
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`identify by name class memberproperties that are not in and of themselvesattractions.
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`Iv.
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`To the extent it has not already done so, Expedia will notify all third party
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`providers that when a hotel with which the third party has contracted terminates its
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`agreement with that
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`third party,
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`the third party must provide accurate availability
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`information to Expedia to allow it to remove the property from the Websites.
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`V.
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`Every six months, Expedia will perform an audit to confirm that a sample
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`of hotels appearing on its websites are affiliated with Expedia through direct contracts or
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`third party providers.
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`b.
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`The terms of this injunction shall be in effect for three (3) years from the Approval
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`Date.
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`7.
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`8.
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`The Court approvesthe stipulated Attorney’s Fees and Costs award of $2,100,000.
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`The Court approvesthe stipulated Incentive Awards of $12,500 for each of the four Class
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`Representatives.
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`IT IS SO ORDERED.
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`DATED: April 9, 2021
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`3
`AMENDED J[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR
`APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT
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`Case No. 16-cv-04721-VC
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