LOS ANGELES – (Business Wire) Insurers for the Sterling Family Trust agreed to settle a lawsuit filed against it by fair housing attorneys alleging claims of housing discrimination, said Robert Platt, lead counsel for the Trust and a partner at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, in Los Angeles.
"After three years of litigation, the fair housing attorneys could not prove a single violation of the Fair Housing Act," Platt said. "My clients vehemently and unequivocally deny that anyone was discriminated against. Nevertheless, the insurance companies for the Trust decided to settle the case because the cost of continued litigation far exceeded the cost of settlement."
"The expert testimony from the case also conclusively confirmed that the Trust did not discriminate against anyone," added Platt. "The fair housing attorneys could not identify a single individual who was wrongfully denied the right to rent an apartment from the Trust. In fact, not a single individual has ever been subjected to any discrimination by my clients."
Faced with these facts, the fair housing attorneys agreed to settle the case without a determination of liability. As part of the settlement, the Trust expressly denied any liability and agreed to allow the insurance companies to fund the settlement.