Overview
MARC L. GODINO has extensive experience successfully litigating complex, class action lawsuits as a plaintiffs’ lawyer. Since joining the firm in 2005, Mr. Godino has played a primary role in cases resulting in settlements of more than $100 million. He has prosecuted securities, derivative, merger & acquisition, and consumer cases throughout the country in both state and federal court, as well as represented defrauded investors at FINRA arbitrations. Mr. Godino manages the Firm’s consumer class action department.
While a senior associate with Stull Stull & Brody, Mr. Godino was one of the two primary attorneys involved in Small v. Fritz Co., 30 Cal. 4th 167 (April 7, 2003), in which the California Supreme Court created new law in the State of California for shareholders that held shares in detrimental reliance on false statements made by corporate officers. The decision was widely covered by national media including The National Law Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and the New York Law Journal, among others, and was heralded as a significant victory for shareholders.
Mr. Godino’s successes with Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP include: Good Morning To You Productions Corp., et al., v. Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., et al., Case No. 13-04460 (C.D. Cal.) (In this highly publicized case that attracted world-wide attention, Plaintiffs prevailed on their claim that the song “Happy Birthday” should be in the public domain and achieved a $14,000,000 settlement to class members who paid a licensing fee for the song); Ord v. First National Bank of Pennsylvania, Case No. 12-766 (W. D. Pa.) ($3,000,000 settlement plus injunctive relief); Pappas v. Naked Juice Co. of Glendora, Inc., Case No. 11-08276 (C.D. Cal.) ($9,000,000 settlement plus injunctive relief); Astiana v. Kashi Company, Case No. 11-1967 (S.D. Cal.) ($5,000,000 settlement); In re Magma Design Automation, Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 05-2394 (N.D. Cal.) ($13,500,000 settlement); In re Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 08-cv-0099 (D.N.J.) ($4,000,000 settlement); In re Skilled Healthcare Group, Inc. Securities Litigation, Case No. 09-5416 (C.D. Cal.) ($3,000,000 settlement); Kelly v. Phiten USA, Inc., Case No. 11-67 (S.D. Iowa) ($3,200,000 settlement plus injunctive relief); (Shin et al., v. BMW of North America, 2009 WL 2163509 (C.D. Cal. July 16, 2009) (after defeating a motion to dismiss, the case settled on very favorable terms for class members including free replacement of cracked wheels); Payday Advance Plus, Inc. v. MIVA, Inc., Case No. 06-1923 (S.D.N.Y.) ($3,936,812 settlement); Esslinger, et al. v. HSBC Bank Nevada, N.A., Case No. 10-03213 (E.D. Pa.) ($23,500,000 settlement ); In re Discover Payment Protection Plan Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, Case No. 10-06994 ($10,500,000 settlement ); Sciortino v. Pepsico, Inc., Case No. 14-478 (N.D. CA) (obtained nationwide injunctive relief requiring certain Pepsico products to comply with California’s Proposition 65); In Re: Bank of America Credit Protection Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, Case No. 11-md-02269 (N.D. Cal.) ($20,000,000 settlement).
Mr. Godino was also the principal attorney in the following published decisions: Kramer v. Toyota Motor Corp., 705 F. 3d 1122 (9th Cir. 2013) (affirming denial of Defendant’s motion to compel arbitration); In re Zappos.com, Inc., Customer Data Sec. Breach Litigation, 893 F. Supp. 2d 1058 (D. Nev. Sep 27, 2012) (motion to compel arbitration denied); Sateriale, et al. v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., 697 F. 3d 777 (9th Cir. 2012) (reversing order dismissing class action complaint); Lilly v. Jamba Juice Company, 2014 WL 4652283 (N. D. Cal. Sep 18, 2014) (class certification granted in part); Small v. University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, 2013 WL 3043454 (D. Nev. June 14, 2013) (order granting conditional certification to FLSA class); Peterson v. ConAgra Foods, Inc., 2014 WL 3741853 (S. D. Cal. July 29, 2014) (motion to dismiss denied); In re 2TheMart.com Securities Litigation, 114 F. Supp. 2d 955 (C.D. Cal. 2002) (motion to dismiss denied); In re Irvine Sensors Securities Litigation, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18397 (C.D. Cal. 2003) (motion to dismiss denied); Shin v. BMW of North America, 2009 WL 2163509 (C.D. Cal. July 16, 2009) (motion to dismiss denied).
The following represent just a few of the cases Mr. Godino is currently litigating in a leadership position: Griffith v. Government Employees Insurance Company, et al., Case No. 16-00112 (N.D. Cal.); Cortina, et al., v. Goya Foods, Inc., Case No. 14-169 (S.D. Cal.) (after defeating a motion to dismiss and motion for judgment on the pleadings, summary judgment and class certification motions are pending); Peterson v. CJ America, Inc., Case No. 14-2570 (S.D. Cal.) ($1,500,000 settlement pending final approval); Castillo, et al., v. Seagate Technology LLC, Case No. 16-01958 (N.D. Cal.) (motion to dismiss pending); Small v. University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, Case No. 13-00298 (D. Nev.); Reniger , et al., v. Hyundai Motor America, et al., Case No. 14-03612 (N.D. Cal.); Smith, et al., v. The Ohio State University, Case No. 20015-00919 (Court of Claims of Ohio) (motion to dismiss pending); Courtright, et al., v. O’Reilly Automotive Stores, Inc., et al., Case No. 14-334 (W.D. Mo); In re: Michaels Stores, Inc. Fair Credit Reporting Act Litigation, Case no. 15-05504 (D. N.J.).