Litigation Team Represents Georgia’s Office of Consumer Affairs
July 10, 2007
July 10, 2007 (Atlanta, GA) - Governor Sonny Perdue appointed litigation partners J. Randolph Evans and Stefan Passantino as Special Attorneys General to represent Georgia’s Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) in connection with the prosecution of an action for alleged violations of Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act against Bill Heard Enterprises, Inc. and to litigate the State's compliance with Georgia’s Open Records Act. A key component of the Fair Business Practices Act is the protection of Georgia consumers from false and deceptive advertising.
The legal action filed by Evans and Passantino on behalf of the OCA alleges that Bill Heard created an unauthorized mailing to potential customers in Georgia and elsewhere that was designed to resemble a recall notification sent by General Motors (GM).
“This case is simply reinforcing Georgia’s Fair Business Act which prohibits deceptive advertisements,” says Evans, chair of McKenna Long & Aldridge’s Financial Institutions Practice. “These dealings include illusory practices under both state and federal trade law.”
"I am proud that the Governor has appointed us to pursue this complex action so vital to the protection of Georgia's consumers. We plan to take that responsibility very seriously as we pursue this action," says Passantino, who heads the firm’s Political Law practice with Randy Evans.
Evans handles high profile, complex litigation matters in state and federal courts throughout the United States for some of the largest companies in the world, including ACE, Zurich and CIGNA.
Passantino also represents parties in intricate litigation matters including issues relating to insurance claims handling, bad faith, coverage, and tort liability. In addition, he also represents some of the largest global companies in multifaceted legal disputes.