A judge presiding over two competing class action suits against online travel company, YTB has asked lawyers in each of the two suits to find a way to consolidate the cases.
U.S. District Judge, G. Patrick Murphy told each of the sides last week that he would not hear two parallel cases simultaneously.”We’re not going to be hearing two cases at one time,” the judge said. “It makes a lot of sense to file one complaint.”
The lawyers in each case were given two weeks to come together to figure out a way to come together into one suit. If there is no agreement reached in that time, Judge Murphy will issue an order of his own choosing.
The two suits, one filed in California and one in Illinois are seeking a total of over $100 million dollars in damages stemming from claims that YTB was operating an illegal pyramid scheme and defrauded their independent consultants out of millions of dollars.
Now the lawyers from each case must come together and figure out a way to consolidate the two cases. Not only do they have to choose the fairest way to represent all of those involved, but they must also figure out who will represent the former YTB consultants. The lawyers have also begun to bicker over who will be lead counsel. Even when and if the suits are consolidated, the earliest the two cases will come to trial will be 2010.
YTB of course said that whether there is one suit or two, they will defend themselves vigorously against all charges Jonathan S. Quinn, just one of YTB’s lawyers, said, “The firm has done nothing wrong. The agents were trained to make money by working at home. They could sell travel-related services, such as airline fare, or recruit others to sell travel services. There were two different opportunities to earn money, both valid.”
Pre trial motions in the case will be heard just after the first of the year.
This has been a rough year for the embattled company that continues to try and put 2008 behind them. With recent horrible third quarter results and the sell off of assets, the year can’t end sooner.
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