LawFuel – The Law Firm News Service – International law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has today launched the first international, externally assured corporate social responsibility (CSR) report produced by a major international law firm. The report covers each of Freshfields’ 26 offices around the world and follows the release of the firm’s London-focused CSR report in 2006.

An independent assurance statement and commentary* on the CSR report said: ‘Freshfields’ second CSR report demonstrates continued progress in the firm’s commitment to retain its leading position in CSR reporting in its sector. Producing a substantive CSR report, reporting against material GRI indicators and having external, independent assurance marks it out from current practice among other firms.’

The report, ‘Corporate Social Responsibility: Making a difference around the world’, is in line with Freshfields’ pledge in 2006 to expand the scope of the report to include the firm’s international activities.

Guy Morton, joint senior partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, said: ‘We are proud to have produced our first firm-wide report as part of our ongoing CSR journey. It has been a challenging and thought-provoking exercise, which will lead to further improvements in the way we conduct our business.

‘The report is an opportunity to assess, on an international scale, how we are progressing in our commitment to being a socially and environmentally responsible business. It is also intended to improve our understanding of the local and international markets and communities we work in,’ he said.

The firm’s community and pro bono data is also assured by the London Benchmarking Group and its carbon footprint has been independently reviewed by the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management.

Using these recognised benchmarks, ‘Making a difference around the world’ covers a wide variety of activities and commitments that make up and influence Freshfields’ approach to CSR. It is organised under the general areas of law and ethics; people and diversity; climate change and environment; and community and pro bono legal advice, and explores how the firm has largely addressed the targets set out in its first CSR report, along with its aims for the future.

John Blain, Freshfields’ London partner responsible for CSR, said: ‘We aim to be responsible as well as profitable. Key to this is having a positive impact on our local communities, reducing our contribution to climate change, being a good employer, investing in the future by helping to improve the skills of young people, and, as a law firm, promoting human rights and enhancing access to justice for people in need. This report reflects our progress in these areas.’

* The report was assessed and assured by The Corporate Citizenship Company

SAN FRANCISCO– LAWFUEL – Litigation News & Law Firm Announcements –Kelly M. Dermody of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, announced today that the parties have settled a class action lawsuit filed against Scripps Health (“Scripps”) regarding pricing and collection practices for uninsured patients at its affiliate hospitals. Ms. Dermody is court-appointed lead counsel for the Class.

The settlement, which will be considered for preliminary approval before San Diego County Superior Court Judge Steven R. Denton on February 1, 2008, resolves the Class Representative’s and Class members’ claims against Scripps and its affiliated hospitals.

Settlement Terms

As part of the settlement, Class members will be entitled to make a claim for 35% refunds or deductions from their prior hospital bills for treatment occurring between July 19, 2002 and the date of preliminary settlement approval. Low-income uninsureds may also seek to qualify their past bills for free or reduced care beyond the 35% discount. Scripps has also agreed to maintain compassionate pricing and collections policies going forward, including across-the-board discounts for all uninsured patients, regardless of income; enhanced charity discounts to enable moderate-income uninsureds to receive even greater discounts; financial counseling to uninsured patients to help them qualify for discounted pricing or receive extended payment plans; increased communications to uninsureds about Scripps pricing policies; and limits on collections practices and collections lawsuits. In addition, Scripps has agreed to maintain its uninsured pricing and collections policies going forward for at least four years, among other things. Scripps denies wrongdoing and liability in the case.

Settlement Class

The proposed Settlement Class includes any patient who:

(1) from July 19, 2002 to the date of the Court’s preliminary approval order;

(2) received any form of medical treatment as a result of initially presenting at the Emergency Department of a Scripps hospital or affiliate;

(3) were uninsured at the time of treatment; and

(4) did not receive any discount or waiver of the charges for treatment.

Background

This class action originated on July 19, 2006, when uninsured patient Phillip Franklin filed a class action cross-complaint against Scripps Health, a not-for-profit hospital system based in San Diego, after Scripps sued Mr. Franklin through a collection agency. Mr. Franklin was uninsured at the time of treatment. Mr. Franklin alleged that he, like other uninsured patients at Scripps, was charged unreasonable, unconscionable and excessive rates for his treatment. In June 2007, the Court granted the case class action status. The Court also appointed Mr. Franklin as the Class Representative and Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP to serve as Class Counsel.

“The settlement achieves the goals of the lawsuit: a fair system of pricing for Scripps’s uninsured patients during the Class period, and maintenance of policies and practices designed to ensure that this vulnerable population is treated fairly going forward. We commend Scripps for taking a leadership role on this important issue,” said Lead Class Counsel Kelly M. Dermody, partner in the firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, in San Francisco, California.

Phillip Franklin, the Court-appointed Class Representative said, “I am very pleased that Scripps will maintain progressive policies for uninsured patients and that it will have more oversight over its outside collections agent. I hope uninsured patients will come forward and get involved in the settlement claims process because they will get automatic discounts and could even qualify for free care.” Franklin added, “I am proud to have played a part in this result.”

Scripps Health operates the following hospitals in the San Diego area: Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, Scripps Mercy Hospital, and Scripps Green Hospital. Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista became a campus of Scripps Mercy Hospital in October 2004.

Reporters seeking further information on the Scripps Health class action or a copy of the Court’s order should contact attorney Kelly M. Dermody at (415) 956-1000.

About Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP

With three offices nationwide and on the web at www.lieffcabraser.com, Lieff Cabraser is one of the largest law firms in America dedicated solely to advancing the rights of plaintiffs. For the last five years, The National Law Journal has selected Lieff Cabraser as one of the top plaintiffs’ law firms in the United States.