Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy represents individuals, businesses and public institutions in a variety of actions relating to both economic and major injury cases. Currently, CP&M is investigating the following cases:

• Subprime Mortgage Losses
  In addition to the investigation into subprime credit (see above), CP&M is investigating potential fraud in the subprime mortgage industry. Acting on several inquiries from individual investors and business entities, the investigation is focusing on whether investment banks and lenders knew about the risks of mortgage securities backed by subprime loans and whether they hid those risks from investors. The background: In years past, borrowers simply got loans from the neighborhood bank, which held the mortgage risk. Now that risk has expanded dramatically — subprime mortgages are bundled together and sold to investors, with credit-rating agencies offering advice. According to media reports, lenders wrote $625 billion in subprime mortgages in 2005, nearly four times the total in 2001. The boom brought in big fees to mortgage brokers, lenders, banks and ratings agencies. However, dropping home prices are now hurting those players, with global banks reportedly ousting executives and writing off nearly $150 billion since mortgage securities began collapsing last summer. If you feel you have been victimized by investing in securities back by subprime mortgages, please contact us at TAKE ACTION to explore your legal rights.
   
• Contact Lens Solution Linked to Blindness
  As part of multiple lawsuits filed in California, CP&M is continuing its investigation into the widespread use of the now recalled ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution which has been linked to blindness in some of its users. The latest suit was filed by CP&M on July 26, 2006 in U.S. District Court in San Deigo on behalf of a San Diego woman against the pharmaceutical giant Bausch & Lomb alleging that the use of the solution caused her to suffer a serious fungal eye infection and corneal damage in her right eye. "These cases are the tip of the iceberg as far as California victims are concerned," said Niall P. McCarthy of CP&M. According to the CP&M lawsuits, MoistureLoc generated $45 million in U.S. sales last year, with analysts estimating that nearly 10 million of the more than 30 million Americans who wear contact lenses use Bausch & Lomb lens care solutions. New York-based Bausch & Lomb "misrepresented that ReNu with MoistureLoc was a safe and effective contact lens cleaning solution, when in fact the subject product causes serious fungal eye infection, corneal damage, loss of vision and blindness," the suits said. If you believe you have suffered serious side effects from the use of ReNu with MoistureLoc, please contact us at TAKE ACTION to explore your legal rights.
   
• Bank Trust Fees
  As part of a class action lawsuit filed on August 31, 2005, CP&M currently is investigating allegations that Wells Fargo Bank has improperly profited from its administration of trusts. Wells Fargo is accused of collecting tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars in improper and undisclosed payments, to the detriment of trust clients, dating back to 1980. As trustee, Wells Fargo is precluded from investing trust assets in any manner that results in a benefit to itself or any affiliated party. However, according to the lawsuit, the bank "has engaged in a pattern and practice of investing trust assets in such a way as to produce substantial additional and undisclosed payments for Wells Fargo and/or its affiliates." If you have a trust with Wells Fargo, please contact us at TAKE ACTION to explore your legal rights. 
   
• Natural Gas Litigation
  A major CP&M investigation is focused on the widespread manipulation of retail natural gas prices in California as part of the firm's representation of both public and private entities in lawsuits against the country's major gas providers accusing them of gouging consumers out of billions of dollars. The suits allege that a number of producers, marketers, traders, transporters, distributors and/or sellers of retail natural gas caused California gas prices to escalate to about six times the national average because of the gas providers' "unfair and deceptive conduct" during the state's energy crisis. The CP&M investigation is focusing on the artificial inflation of natural gas retail prices resulting from the reporting of false sales to the publishers of the industry's natural gas price indices. As a result the indices published false information, driving up the price for natural gas. Other schemes under investigation involve "churning" and "wash trades." Churning involves the rapid buying and selling of natural gas to inflate its price. In wash trades, gas providers entered into sham transactions for the simultaneous purchase and sale of the same amount of natural gas for the same price to create the illusion of high demand and increased prices. CP&M has filed suits on behalf of City and County of San Francisco, Santa Clara County, and San Diego County and is finalizing its investigation on behalf of other entities. For information, contact us at TAKE ACTION concerning public entities and large businesses victimized by manipulated natural gas prices.
   
• Prescription Drugs / Vioxx
  CP&M, acting on calls from individuals, has conducted dozens of investigations and prosecuted a number of cases in which people have been injured by a variety of pharmaceutical drugs, including Vioxx and other drugs in the same pain killer class. Our lawyers have the experience and resources to successfully litigate cases against the manufacturers of defective, harmful drugs. If you believe you or a relative has been injured by a pharmaceutical drug, you may contact us at TAKE ACTION to explore your legal rights.

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