A federal judge in San Diego gave preliminary approval on Feb. 29, 2016, to a class settlement resolving claims that AG Adriano Goldschmied, Inc. sold jeans labeled “Made in the U.S.A.” that contained foreign-made parts.
The case
Plaintiff David Paz said he bought a pair of AG’s “The Protégé” jeans at a Nordstrom store in San Diego in May 2014 and relied on the Made in USA label. He claimed the fabric, thread, buttons, rivets or zipper parts were made outside the USA. Nordstrom was also named as a defendant. The suit, Paz v. AG Adriano Goldschmied, Inc. (S.D. Cal. No. 3:14-cv-01372), was brought under California consumer protection law, including the state’s Made in USA statute.
The settlement
- The class covers California purchasers only, though the complaint sought a nationwide class.
- Qualifying class members could choose a $20 promotional code per product for agjeans.com or a pair of AG pants selected by AG.
- AG agreed to revise its product labels.
- Class counsel could seek up to $175,000 in fees, and the plaintiff up to a $5,000 incentive award.
Judge Dana M. Sabraw’s order said AG sold about 1 million class products in California during the class period, and set a fairness hearing for Sept. 9, 2016. The court granted final approval on Oct. 28, 2016, Top Class Actions reported.
The case was one of several California denim suits over Made in USA labels; see our coverage of the Citizens of Humanity case.
Source & credit
Source: U.S. District Court, S.D. Cal.: Order granting preliminary approval of class action settlement, Paz v. AG Adriano Goldschmied, Feb. 29, 2016.
Also: Top Class Actions: Nordstrom, AG Adriano Goldschmied Apparel Class Action Settlement; The San Diego Union-Tribune, “‘Made in USA’ jeans case settles,” April 23, 2016.