Western Growers is proud to announce that we have engaged Financial Recovery Strategies (FRS), a leading asset recovery and cost reduction firm, as WG’s exclusive class action settlement claim consultant. Every year throughout the U.S., tens of billions of dollars are recovered in class action settlements. These allege that products, like containerboard, automobile parts, agricultural products, information technology components and pharmaceuticals, and services, such as air cargo, freight forwarding, rail freight and credit and payment card interchange fees, were sold using unfair trade practices. Unfortunately, many companies, including our members, are unaware they may be entitled to recover money from those settlements and often either do not submit claims at all or submit substantially undervalued ones. As a result, billions of dollars have been left on the table. Western Growers wants to help our members get money to which they are entitled from these recoveries. That’s why we’ve retained FRS.

Founded in 2008, FRS provides its clients with industry-leading class action settlement claims recovery services – without any risk or expenses – while adhering to the highest level of professional ethics and standards. FRS’s management and staff have decades of experience in class action claims recovery and administration. FRS tracks dozens of settlements per year to assure that its clients participate in as many settlements as possible, while keeping client time to a minimum. Over 15,000 clients, from farmers and local store owners to household names in the “Fortune 500,” have trusted FRS with their claims. FRS has earned that trust by recovering over $100 million for its clients. 

WG negotiated a substantial discount for our members for FRS’s class action claims recovery services, which are done on a contingency fee basis. If no recovery is made, no fees are charged, and FRS covers all expenses.

FRS became and continues to be a leading provider of class action settlement claim consulting because FRS works within its clients’ guidelines to manage the claims process. In addition to always having its recovery specialists available to answer any questions its clients may have, FRS’s services include the following:

• FRS notifies its clients when it learns of settlements that may be valuable to its clients;
• FRS takes action to enhance the likelihood that all of its clients’ eligible business units (e.g., subsidiaries, divisions, acquisitions and divestitures) are included in the claim process;
• FRS provides advice on what, if any, documents need to be collected and maintained, and, when requested, FRS assists in that effort;
• When required documents are not available or are too burdensome to collect, FRS negotiates with class counsel and claims administrators to accept “common sense alternatives” to searching for and providing detailed documentation;
• FRS prepares, assembles and submits its clients’ claim packages, and manages them throughout the claims processing life cycle, including working with its clients to address any concerns or questions a claims administrator may have;
• FRS provides regular updates on the recovery process and all related developments; and
• FRS audits its clients’ recoveries to assure that their checks have not been under calculated.

In addition to class action settlement claims consulting, FRS can, under select circumstances, offer immediate cash for future settlements. FRS also provides customized cost savings programs designed to efficiently manage its clients’ energy and health benefits expenses, and provides tax reduction services.

To have FRS file and manage your claims, review and sign the one-page Authorization Agreement. Also keep an eye out for the agreement and more information about settlements in your email and mailbox!

FRS is not a court appointed claims administrator or class counsel. Claimants always have the right to file claims on their own and to not hire FRS to participate in the monetary relief provided by any settlement. FRS believes, however, that, as described above, there are services that it provides that may increase recoveries and that are unlikely to be provided by a claims administrator or by class counsel. For more information about FRS and the services it provides, please visit www.FRSco.com, or call either Steve Rimpici, FRS’s V.P. of Sales, at 201-853-1236, or Jeff Leibell FRS’s General Counsel, at 201-853-1246.