Services
Below is a list of DM&A’s class action administration services: Litigation Consulting, Pre-Notice, Class Notice, Claims Processing, Settlement Distribution and Additional Services. Please click on the service below to learn more.
Our class action administration services include:
Litigation Consulting
DM&A has long history of consulting with attorneys and their clients on damages issues in connection with a wide variety of litigation matters. Determining damages in litigation involves applying economic, financial, and accounting principles to specific circumstances. The basis for measuring damages frequently comes from comparing actual financial results subsequent to an alleged wrongful act to the financial results that would have occurred “but for” the damaging event.
Although developing and testifying to comprehensive measures of economic loss is often a primary objective, DM&A regularly assists attorneys in analyzing causation issues to establish a foundation for legal liability. We confer with our clients regarding every aspect of discovery and data management. In addition, we can generate preliminary calculations of damage under various scenarios, which may facilitate settlement negotiations. We also evaluate other expert reports and testimony, as well as assist in preparing cross examination and rebuttal testimony.
Our Litigation Consulting services include:
- Identifying class members through statistical analysis of customer, employment or other data.
- Calculating preliminary estimates of economic damages from sample data.
- Calculating formal measures of economic damages suitable for court presentation.
- Providing expert witness testimony on results of our analyses.
- Applying sophisticated database and spreadsheet modeling techniques to efficiently analyze vast amounts of data.
- Auditing class member lists created by parties to the litigation.
Pre-Notice Services
Pre-Notice Services is a critical phase in class action administration, laying the foundation for seamless post-settlement procedures. Before the settlement is established, DM&A works closely with counsel and other parties involved to determine how to best communicate and administer the settlement terms and claims procedures, as well as distribute the settlement. We analyze the most efficient method of identifying, notifying and processing claims for thousands of class members. DM&A’s careful planning ensures an uninterrupted process.
Our Pre-Notice services include:
- Consulting with counsel on settlement terms and claims procedures.
- Developing methodologies for allocating the settlement fund to approved claimants.
- Determining timeline needed to effectively administer settlement.
- Working with counsel to develop most effective and efficient means of administering settlement.
- Conducting “privacy notice” mailings to putative class members.
Class Notice
DM&A takes pride in its ability to design customized and accurate claims administration procedures and provides services beyond those offered by traditional claims administrators. We have reviewed documents archived for over 50 years to identify potential class members, uncovered fraudulent class members, assisted classes of elderly claimants, and audited claims procedures managed directly by defendants. We oversee distribution to ensure that all tax and other legal forms are prepared and filed as necessary. Throughout the process, we provide reports on the project status to the court and other interested parties as required.
Our Class Notice services include:
- Assisting with design of class notice.
- Providing translation services in connection with multi-lingual notice programs.
- Facilitating NCOA “scrub” of class member address data for accuracy.
- Managing printing and mass mailing of class notice.
- Managing online and hard copy publication of class notice.
- Facilitating media coverage of settlement.
- “Skip tracing” incorrect class member addresses.
- Creating and maintain accurate class member database.
Claims Processing
Because of their complexity, the administration of class actions involves managing extensive amounts of data and scrupulous attention to detail. Our managers are experts in database administration and use both “off-the-shelf” and proprietary software to ensure the integrity of all claims data. We can accelerate the notification and collection process by using cost effective, custom-designed programs and forms that streamline the claims process. We interact with claimants by answering their inquiries and assisting them in resolving incomplete or rejected claim applications.
Our Claims Processing services include:
- Assisting with design of claim form.
- Managing printing, mass mailing, and publication of claim form.
- Facilitating email distribution of claim form.
- Designing project-specific claims processing software.
- Employing optical character recognition (OCR) software and barcode technology to enhance claims processing efficiency and accuracy.
- Monitoring and reporting on requests for exclusion.
- Monitoring, logging and proofing completed claim forms.
- Reviewing supporting documentation submitted with claim forms.
- Researching and resolving defective and disputed claims.
- Processing and distributing approval and rejection notices.
Settlement Distribution
A critical phase in claims administration is distributing the settlement. DM&A strives to accurately compute the appropriate settlement amount for each class member based upon the criteria established for that particular case. We quickly distribute settlements as well as manage reports on taxes related to distribution amounts. This includes withholding federal and state income taxes, payroll taxes, distribution of W-2 and 1099 forms, and filing tax returns.
Our Settlement Distribution services include:
- Assisting with design of distribution plan.
- Computing distribution amounts in accordance with plan.
- Processing and distributing settlement checks to approved claimants.
- Withholding, depositing and reporting on taxes related to distribution amounts.
- Processing and distributing required tax forms to claimants receiving distributions.
- Allocating and distributing fund residual to selected charities.
- Escheating unclaimed distribution amounts to governmental authorities for the benefit of specified class members.
Additional Services
DM&A has a breadth of experience in other areas of claims administration. Below is a partial list of other services offered.
Our additional services include:
- Creating and managing case-specific websites.
- Setting up and managing case-specific call centers.
- Responding to inquiries from class members.
- Managing settlement fund bank accounts.
- Preparing settlement fund income tax returns.
- Preparing status reports and attending status hearings.