March 24, 2010 – Arthur N. Abbey was nominated for the 2010 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award for his work as lead counsel on In re Vivendi Universal, S.A. Securities Litigation. In Vivendi, on January 29, 2010, after a three month trial, a jury delivered a verdict finding Vivendi liable for securities fraud with regard to 57 material misstatements. Vivendi is just one of nine securities class actions tried to verdict based on wrongs committed since the enactment of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act in 1995.

The Public Justice Foundation presents this nationally prestigious award each year to the attorney or legal team that made the most outstanding contribution to public interest through precedent-setting or otherwise extraordinary litigation. The finalists and recipients of this award exemplify how trial attorneys use their skills and determination to push for greater social justice. Typically, the cases won or settled by the finalists cover a broad range of public interest work, including but not limited to civil rights, consumer protection, workers' rights, human rights, environmental preservation and corporate and governmental accountability.

This is a second nomination for Abbey Spanier Rodd & Abrams, LLP. Partner Judith L. Spanier was a finalist for the 2007 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award for her notable work in Hummel v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. In that case, plaintiffs obtained a $78 million jury verdict against Wal-Mart on behalf of 186,000 current and former hourly employees and an express finding that Wal-Mart did not act in good faith in failing to pay class members for missed rest breaks and off the clock work.