Benjamin F. Johns
BENJAMIN F. JOHNS, an associate in the Haverford office, is admitted to practice before the Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. His entire practice is devoted to litigation, with an emphasis on antitrust, securities, and consumer fraud class actions. Ben is a member of the Firm's Case Development Group, and is responsible for identifying and assessing potential new cases.
Ben has presented oral argument before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation several times, and has also argued motions to dismiss, for class certification and for summary judgment. He has provided substantial assistance in the prosecution of the following cases:
Ben has presented oral argument before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation several times, and has also argued motions to dismiss, for class certification and for summary judgment. He has provided substantial assistance in the prosecution of the following cases:
- In re TriCor Indirect Purchasers Antitrust Litig., No. 05-360-SLR (D. Del.). Antitrust class action on behalf of indirect purchasers and third-party payors. The plaintiffs alleged that the manufacturers of a cholesterol drug engaged in anticompetitive conduct designed to keep generic versions of the drug off of the market. The indirect purchaser case settled for $65.7 million.
- Physicians of Winter Haven LLC, d/b/a Day Surgery Center v. STERIS Corporation, No. 1:10-cv-00264-CAB (N.D. Ohio). Class action lawsuit on behalf of hospitals and surgery centers that purchased a sterilization device that allegedly did not receive the required pre-sale authorization from the FDA. Final approval was granted to a settlement that provides approximately $20 million worth of benefits to class members.
- In re Philips/Magnavox Television Litig., No. 2:09-cv-03072-CCC-JAD (D.N.J.). Class action lawsuit on behalf of consumers whose flat screen televisions failed shortly after the expiration of the warranty period due to an alleged design defect. Preliminary approval was granted to a settlement that makes available to class members a $4 million cash fund, in addition to other benefits. Ben argued against one of the motions to dismiss.
- Smith v. Gaiam, Inc., No. 09-cv-02545-WYD-BNB (D. Colo.). Consumer protection class action lawsuit which alleged that the defendant made affirmative misrepresentations about aluminum water bottles that it sold. Obtained a settlement that provided full recovery to approximately 930,000 class members.
- Allison, et al. v. The GEO Group, No. 2:08-cv-467-JD (E.D.Pa.). Civil rights class action lawsuit alleging that pre-trial detainees admitted to prisons operated by The GEO Group were unconstitutionally strip searched. After the Court denied the defendant’s motion for judgment on the pleadings, the parties reached a $2.9 million settlement.
- Kurian v. County of Lancaster, No. 2:07-cv-03482-PD (E.D.Pa.). Civil rights class action lawsuit alleging that pre-trial detainees admitted to the Lancaster County Prison were unconstitutionally strip searched. The district court granted final approval to a $2.5 million settlement.
- In re Recoton Sec. Litig., 6:03-cv-00734-JA-KRS (M.D.Fla.). Class action lawsuit alleging violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against former officers and directors of a now-bankrupt company for allegedly making materially false and misleading statements regarding the accounting and management of its inventories. The court in this case approved an all-cash settlement of $3 million.
Ben was recently elected to a three year term on the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division (“YLD”). The YLD has approximately 3,000 members, and its Executive Committee oversees more than 30 committees in the areas of public service, law-related education, and service to the legal community. The YLD is a division within the Philadelphia Bar Association, the oldest metropolitan bar association in the United States.
Ben is a graduate of the Penn State Dickinson School of Law (J.D. 2005, Woolsack Honor Society), and the Penn State Harrisburg School of Business Administration (M.B.A. 2004, Beta Gamma Sigma). While attending law school, he was a member of the Irving R. Kaufman Securities Moot Court Team. Prior to law school, Ben attended Washington and Lee University (B.S. 2002, cum laude), where he played college basketball and spent a semester studying abroad in Osaka, Japan. Outside of the office, Ben has been a head coach in the Narberth basketball summer league for several years. He was named a Pennsylvania "Rising Star" in 2010 and 2011. He has been published in the Philadelphia Lawyer magazine, presented a Continuing Legal Education course to fellow lawyers, and spoken to a class of law school students about the practice.