In re Nat'l Football League Players Concussion Injury Litig.

821 F.3d 410

IN RE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE PLAYERS CONCUSSION INJURY LITIGATION.

Craig Heimburger; Dawn Heimburger, Appellants (15–2206)

Cleo Miller; Judson Flint; Elmer Underwood; Vincent Clark, Sr.; Ken Jones; Fred Smerlas; Jim Rourke ; Lou Piccone; James David Wilkins, II, Appellants (15–2217)

Curtis L. Anderson, Appellant (15–2230)

Darren R. Carrington, Appellant (15–2234)

Raymond Armstrong; Nathaniel Newton, Jr.; Larry Brown; Kenneth Davis; Michael McGruder; Clifton L. Odom; George Teague ; Drew Coleman; Dennis DeVaughn; Alvin Harper; Ernest Jones ; Michael Kiselak; Jeremy Loyd; Gary Wayne Lewis; Lorenzo Lynch; Hurles Scales, Jr.; Gregory Evans; David Mims ; Evan Ogelsby; Phillip E. Epps; Charles L. Haley, Sr.; Kevin Rey Smith; Darryl Gerard Lewis; Curtis Bernard Wilson; Kelvin Mack Edwards, Sr.; Dwayne Levels; Solomon Page ; Tim McKyer; Larry Barnes; James Garth Jax; William B. Duff; Mary Hughes; Barbara Scheer, Appellants (15–2272)

Liyongo Patrise Alexander; Charlie Anderson; Charles E. Arbuckle; Cassandra Bailey, as Representative of the Estate of Johnny Bailey; Ben Bronson; Curtis Ceaser, Jr.; Larry Centers; Darrell Colbert; Harry Colon; Christopher Crooms; Jerry W. Davis ; Tim Denton ; Michael Dumas; Corris Ervin; Doak Field; Baldwin Malcolm Frank; Derrick Frazier; Murray E. Garrett; Clyde P. Glosson; Roderick W. Harris; Wilmer K. Hicks, Jr.; Patrick Jackson; Gary Jones; Ryan McCoy ; Jerry James Moses, Jr.; Anthony E. Newsom; Rance Olison; John Owens; Robert Pollard; Derrick Pope; Glenell Sanders; Thomas Sanders; Dwight A. Scales; Todd Scott; Frankie Smith; Jermaine Smith; Tyrone Smith ; James A. Young, Sr., Appellants (15–2273)

Scott Gilchrist, individually and on behalf of the Estate of Carlton Chester “Cookie” Gilchrist, Appellant (15–2290)

Jimmie H. Jones; Ricky Ray ; Jesse Solomon, Appellants (15–2291)

Andrew Stewart, Appellant (15–2292)

Willie T. Taylor, Appellant (15–2294)

Alan Faneca; Roderick “Rock” Cartwright; Jeff Rohrer; Sean Considine, Appellants (15–2304)

James Mayberry, Appellant (15–2305).

Nos. 15–2206

15–2217

15–2230

15–2234

15–2272

15–2273

15–2290

15–2291

15–2292

15–2294

15–2304

15–2305.

United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit.

Argued Nov. 19, 2015.

Opinion filed: April 18, 2016.

Amended May 2, 2016.

TerriAnne Benedetto, Esquire, Seeger Weiss, Gene Locks, Esquire, David D. Langfitt, Esquire, Locks Law Firm, Dianne M. Nast, Esquire, NastLaw, Arnold Levin, Esquire, Frederick S. Longer, Esquire, Levin, Fishbein, Sedran & Berman, Robert C. Heim, Esquire, Dechert, Sol H. Weiss, Esquire, Anapol Schwartz, Philadelphia, PA, David R. Buchanan, Esquire, Diogenes P. Kekatos, Esquire, Christopher A. Seeger, Esquire, Seeger Weiss LLP, Samuel Issacharoff, Esquire (Argued), New York University Law School, Brad S. Karp, Esquire, Theodore V. Wells, Jr., Esquire, Lynn B. Bayard, Esquire, Bruce A. Birenboim, Esquire, Walter R. Reiman, Esquire, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, New York, NY, Stephen F. Rosenthal, Esquire, Steven C. Marks, Esquire, Podhurst Orseck, Miami, FL, Beth A. Wilkinson, Esq., Wilkinson Walsh & Eskovitz, Paul D. Clement, Esquire (Argued), Andrew N. Ferguson, Esquire, David Zachary Hudson, Esquire, Robert M. Bernstein, Esquire, Bancroft PLLC, Washington, DC, for Appellees.

Alan B. Morrison, Esquire, George Washington University, Scott L. Nelson, Esquire, Public Citizen Litigation Group, Washington, DC, for Amicus Appellant Public Citizen Inc.

Shana De Caro, Esquire, Michael V. Kaplen, Esquire, De Caro & Kaplan, Pleasantville, NY, for Amicus Curiae Brain Injury Association of America.

Christopher A. Bandas, Esquire, Bandas Law Firm, Corpus Christi, TX, Howard J. Bashman, Esquire (Argued), Willow Grove, PA, Gary P. Lightman, Esquire, Glenn A. Manochi, Esquire, Lightman & Manochi, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellants Craig and Dawn Heimburger.

Edward W. Cochran, Esquire, Cochran & Cochran, Shaker Heights, OH, John J. Pentz, Esquire, Sudbury, MA, for Appellants

Cleo Miller; Judson Flint; Elmer Underwood; Vincent Clark, Sr.; Ken Jones ; Fred Smerlas; Jim Rourke; Lou Piccone; James David Wilkins, II.

George W. Cochran, Esquire, Streetsboro, OH, for Appellant Curtis L. Anderson.

Joseph Darrell Palmer, Esquire, Carlsbad, CA, Jan L. Westfall, Esquire, Menifee, CA, for Appellant Darren R. Carrington.

Richard L. Coffman, Esquire, The Coffman Law Firm, Mitchell A. Toups, Esquire, Weller Green Toups & Terrell, Beaumont, TX, Deepak Gupta, Esquire (Argued), Matthew W.H. Wessler, Esquire, Jonathan E. Taylor, Esquire, Gupta Wessler PLLC, Washington, DC, Jason C. Webster, Esquire, The Webster Law Firm, Houston, TX, for Appellants Raymond Armstrong; Nathaniel Newton, Jr.; Larry Brown ; Kenneth Davis; Michael McGruder; Clifton L. Odom; George Teague ; Drew Coleman; Dennis DeVaughn; Alvin Harper; Ernest Jones ; Michael Kiselak; Jeremy Loyd; Gary Wayne Lewis ; Lorenzo Lynch; Hurles Scales, Jr.; Gregory Evans; David Mims; Evan Ogelsby; Phillip E. Epps; Charles L. Haley, Sr.; Kevin Rey Smith; Darryl Gerard Lewis; Curtis Bernard Wilson; Kelvin Mack Edwards, Sr.; Dwayne Levels; Solomon Page; Tim McKyer; Larry Barnes ; James Garth Jax; William B. Duff ; Mary Hughes; Barbara Scheer; Willie T. Taylor.

Lance H. Lubel, Esquire, Adam Q. Voyles, Esquire, Lubel Voyles, Mickey L. Washington, Esquire, Houston, TX, Charles L. Becker, Esquire (Argued), Kline & Specter, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellants Liyongo Patrise Alexander; Charlie Anderson ; Charles E. Arbuckle; Cassandra Bailey, as Representative of the Estate of Johnny Bailey; Ben Bronson; Curtis Ceaser, Jr.; Larry Centers; Darrell Colbert; Harry Colon; Christopher Crooms; Jerry W. Davis; Tim Denton; Michael Dumas; Corris Ervin; Doak Field; Baldwin Malcolm Frank; Derrick Frazier; Murray E. Garrett; Clyde P. Glosson; Roderick W. Harris; Wilmer K. Hicks, Jr.; Patrick Jackson; Gary Jones ; Ryan McCoy; Jerry James Moses, Jr.; Anthony E. Newsom; Rance Olison; John Owens ; Robert Pollard; Derrick Pope; Glenell Sanders: Thomas Sanders ; Dwight A. Scales; Todd Scott; Frankie Smith; Jermaine Smith; Tyrone Smith ; James A. Young, Sr.

Jared H. Beck, Esquire, Elizabeth Lee Beck, Esquire, Beck & Lee Trial Lawyers, Antonino G. Hernandez, Esquire, Miami, FL, Cullin A. O'Brien, Esquire (Argued), Fort Lauderdale, FL, Jeffrey J. Cairlanto, Esquire, Profy Promisloff & Ciarlanto, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellant Scott Gilchrist, individually and on behalf of the Estate of Carlton Chester “Cookie” Gilchrist.

Dwight P. Bostwick, Esquire, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, Washington, DC, Cyril V. Smith, Esquire, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, Baltimore, MD, Ramya Kasturi, Esquire, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP, New York, NY, for Appellants Jimmie H. Jones; Ricky Ray; Jesse Solomon.

Stuart D. Lurie, Esquire, Rosenthal Lurie, Exton, PA, Michael H. Rosenthal, Esquire, Rosenthal Lurie, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellant Andrew Stewart.

Steven F. Molo, Esquire (Argued), Thomas J. Wiegand, Esquire, Kaitlin R. O'Donnell, Esquire, MoloLamken LLP, New York, NY, Eric R. Nitz, Esquire, Rayiner I. Hashem, Esquire, Jeffrey M. Klein, Esquire, MoloLamken LLP, Washington, DC, William T. Hangley, Esquire, Michele D. Hangley, Esquire, Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller, Philadelphia, PA, Linda S. Mullenix, Esquire, Austin, TX, for Appellants Alan Faneca; Roderick “Rock” Cartwright; Jeff Rohrer; Sean Considine.

David S. Coale, Esquire, Edward J. Dennis, Esquire, Kent D. Krabill, Esquire, Lynn Tillotson Pinker and Cox, Dallas, TX, for Appellant James Mayberry.

Before AMBRO, HARDIMAN, and NYGAARD, Circuit Judges.

OPINION OF THE COURT

AMBRO, Circuit Judge.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.	INTRODUCTION	420
II.	BACKGROUND	421

A.	Concussion Suits Are Brought Against the NFL	421
B.	The Parties Reach a Settlement	422
C.	The Proposed Settlement	423

1.	Monetary Award Fund	423
2.	Baseline Assessment Program	424
3.	Education Fund	425
4.	The Proposed Class	425

III.	JURISDICTION & STANDARD OF REVIEW	425
IV.	CLASS CERTIFICATION	426

A.	Numerosity	426
B.	Commonality	426
C.	Typicality	427
D.	Adequacy of Representation	428

1.	Class Counsel	429
2.	Class Representatives	430
3.	Conflicts of Interest	431

E.	Predominance	434
F.	Superiority	434

V.	CLASS NOTICE	435
VI.	CLASS SETTLEMENT	436

A.	Presumption of Fairness	436
B.	Girsh & Prudential Factors	437
C.	Settlement's Treatment of CTE	441

VII. ATTORNEYS' FEES 444

A.	Deferral of Fee Petition	444
B.	Clear Sailing Provision	447

VIII. CONCLUSION 447

I. INTRODUCTION

The National Football League (“NFL”) has agreed to resolve lawsuits brought by former players who alleged that the NFL failed to inform them of and protect them from the risks of concussions in football. The District Court approved a class action settlement that covered over 20,000 retired players and released all concussion-related claims against the NFL. Objectors have appealed that decision, arguing that class certification was improper and that the settlement was unfair. But after thorough review, we conclude that the District Court was right to certify the class and approve the settlement. Thus we affirm its decision in full.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Concussion Suits Are Brought Against the NFL

In July 2011, 73 former professional football players sued the NFL and Riddell, Inc. in the Superior Court of California. Compl., Maxwell v. Nat'l Football League, No. BC465842 (Cal.Super.Ct. July 19, 2011). The retired players alleged that the NFL failed to take reasonable actions to protect them from the chronic risks of head injuries in football. The players also claimed that Riddell, a manufacturer of sports equipment, should be liable for the defective design of helmets.

The NFL removed the case to federal court on the ground that the players' claims under state law were preempted by federal labor law. More lawsuits by retired players followed and the NFL moved under 28 U.S.C. § 1407 to consolidate the pending suits before a single judge for pretrial proceedings. In January 2012, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated these cases before Judge Anita B. Brody in the ...