John M. Dewey, et al. v. Volkswagen of America, et al.

In June 2010, Compass Lexecon expert Janusz Ordover testified at deposition on behalf of Volkswagen and Audi on the appropriate valuation of a class action settlement involving alleged defects that led to water ingress in certain vehicles. Professor Ordover testified that plaintiffs’ expert overstated the settlement’s benefits to class members by double-counting the cost of Volkwagen’s and Audi’s repair of vehicles pursuant to the settlement and avoided future costs to class members as a result of the repairs. In a written opinion, Judge Patty Schwartz of the United State District Court of the District of New Jersey agreed, concluding that plaintiffs’ experts’ valuation included double-counting, among other errors, and dramatically reduced the estimated benefits from the settlement. Compass Lexecon worked with Jeffrey Chase and Daniel Gsovski of Herzfeld & Rubin P.C. Bradley Reiff and Wendy Petropoulos of Compass Lexecon’s Chicago office worked with Professor Ordover.