Law Firm Reprimanded for Soliciting Class Action Opt-Outs

A Michigan law firm violated the state’s rules of professional conduct when it tried to persuade class action plaintiffs to opt out of a settlement agreement, a federal judge determined.

Donald Visser, Donovan Visser, and Visser and Associates PLLC sent at least six solicitation letters to seven plaintiffs in a class action, in what the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan called an “apparent attempt to encourage class members to opt out of the class settlement agreement” and “pursue their own individual claims.”

The Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit lawyers from communicating about representation with someone ...