Latest news with #Evanson
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
‘No regrets' for Rotorua Retiree
A 600m move brought Lesley new friends, fun and peace of mind. Despite moving just 'around the corner' from her family home, Lesley Evanson reckons it is one of the biggest – and best – steps she's taken in her life. After selling her family home, the 73-year-old shifted three months ago into a brand-new unit in the recently completed 87-unit Karaka Pines Regency Park Estate in Rotorua. 'I haven't gone far,' she says. 'My home was literally 600m from the village and I've lived in the area for 40 years. I've no regrets. Everyone here is so friendly and it has a nice vibe. I don't even think about my old house now.' Regency Park Estate is owned and operated by Tauranga-based Karaka Pines Villages and is one of eight retirement villages the company runs throughout New Zealand. With 59 units occupied when Karaka Pines purchased the complex in 2019, a further 28 have since been constructed, with the final one completed in February this year. One of the advantages for people moving into Karaka Pines Villages like Regency Park Estate is that they get to retain capital gains, unlike the situation at most other retirement communities in New Zealand, where it is kept by village operators. Karaka Pines CEO Adam Yates says this financial model is a fair one for residents and can make the difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars in their pockets. The last unit to be constructed at Regency Park Estate was the one snapped up by Evanson, and already she says it feels like home. 'It's got two bedrooms, a joint bathroom (between the bedrooms), a visitor toilet and a huge kitchen, living area and patio. I love it,' she says. 'I had watched the village being built and a few years ago I took an aunt to have a look at it. Then I had some of my friends move in here which started me thinking 'oh, maybe it's time for me too'. 'Since I've been here, I've had other residents knock on my door and introduce themselves, it's been really nice. The staff and managers are lovely and keep us informed about what's going on.' While Evanson enjoys plenty outside the village – including aqua jogging, knitting, crochet and quilting – she's kept just as busy within Regency Park Estate. 'There is always something to do,' she says. 'A lot of activities are organised for us. We had a Mother's Day night and I believe they are arranging something for the King's Birthday weekend in June.' Evanson, who lives alone, was just six when she emigrated to New Zealand from England with her parents. Before settling in Rotorua, she lived in many areas of the country including Northland, Lower Hutt, Christchurch and Auckland. She retired four years ago from her job in the information systems department at Rotorua Hospital, a position she held for 33 years. Another plus for Evanson is that she still sees her five grandchildren regularly. Ranging in age from 3 to 23, they all live nearby apart from her 23-year-old granddaughter who is away studying in Hamilton. 'One of my granddaughters goes to high school not far from Regency Park Estate and she often pops in to see me on her way home.' Yates describes Regency Park Estate as a boutique lifestyle retirement village set in 'beautiful' landscaped grounds. It is close to the Redwoods Forest Park and is a short drive from the Green and Blue lakes, Lake Tarawera and Lake Rotorua. 'Everything people need to live a satisfying and easy-going retirement is close at hand as well,' he says. 'The Te Ngae shopping centre is just across the road and a bus stop is right outside the village.' Yates says construction on the first home in the new development started in July 2021 (progress had earlier been held up amid the Covid-19 pandemic) with the first resident moving in in December 2021. 'In the time we have owned Regency Park Estate we have renovated the resident community centre, introduced a weekly fee that's fixed for 15 years, and had the pleasure of watching residents thrive.' He says homes come up for sale in the village from time to time. Before being put on the market, they are refurbished to near new condition with modern kitchens and bathrooms. Apart from Regency Park Estate, Karaka Pines operate Roseland Park in Hamilton, Kempton Park in Tauranga, Karaka Lifestyle Estate in Auckland, Karaka Pines Rototuna in Hamilton, Woodcroft Estate in Christchurch, Karaka Pines Waihī Beach and Karaka Pines Pāpāmoa.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Amazon, Apple seek legal fees as sanction in US consumer lawsuit
HighlightsApple Inc. and Inc. have requested a total of $223,000 in sanctions against the class action law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro for allegedly prolonging litigation related to iPhone and iPad pricing. U.S. District Judge Kymberly Evanson criticized Hagens Berman for not disclosing that their client, Steven Floyd, wanted to withdraw from the lawsuit, which contributed to unnecessary delays in the legal process. The lawsuit, which claims that Apple and Amazon conspired to artificially inflate product prices, continues with additional plaintiffs after the dismissal of Steven Floyd's claims. Apple and Amazon have asked for a combined $223,000 in sanctions against a prominent class action law firm, accusing it of dragging out litigation over the price of iPhones and iPads after the initial plaintiff in the case sought to drop out. U.S. District Judge Kymberly Evanson in Seattle last month said the companies could ask to recover legal fees from Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro for failing to immediately disclose that its client wanted out of the case. Hagens Berman "needlessly prolonged this litigation and required considerable judicial resources," Evanson said. The companies said in their fee request on Friday that their legal teams worked more than 350 hours on motions relating to seeking information about the plaintiff. Spokespeople for Hagens Berman, Apple and Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The lawsuit, which accuses the companies of conspiring to artificially inflate the price of iPhones and iPads sold on Amazon's platform, is continuing after other plaintiffs were added to the case. Apple and Amazon have denied the antitrust claims. Apple is represented by attorneys from Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, while Amazon has a team from Sidley Austin, Redgrave and Davis Wright Tremaine. The tech companies said they would limit their fee request to match hourly rates typically charged in the Western District of Washington. Weil partner Mark Perry, a Washington, D.C., lawyer who co-leads the firm's appellate and strategic counseling practice, said his rate for the purpose of the fee request was $900 an hour. Perry and other defense lawyers in the case did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Hagens Berman client Steven Floyd told his lawyers in January 2024 that he wanted out of the litigation because he did not want to participate in the discovery process, Evanson said last month. But the firm did not immediately disclose this to the court, the judge said, and instead created the impression that Floyd "had suddenly fallen out of contact in January 2024, for reasons his counsel did not know and possibly unrelated to the litigation." Hagens Berman's "characterizations of Floyd's situation over the past fourteen months have not reflected his reality," Evanson said. The judge on Tuesday formally dismissed Floyd's claims from the lawsuit.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Amazon, Apple seek legal fees as sanction in US consumer lawsuit
By David Thomas and Mike Scarcella Apple and Amazon have asked for a combined $223,000 in sanctions against a prominent class action law firm, accusing it of dragging out litigation over the price of iPhones and iPads after the initial plaintiff in the case sought to drop out. U.S. District Judge Kymberly Evanson in Seattle last month said the companies could ask to recover legal fees from Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro for failing to immediately disclose that its client wanted out of the case. Hagens Berman "needlessly prolonged this litigation and required considerable judicial resources," Evanson said. The companies said in their fee request on Friday that their legal teams worked more than 350 hours on motions relating to seeking information about the plaintiff. Spokespeople for Hagens Berman, Apple and Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The lawsuit, which accuses the companies of conspiring to artificially inflate the price of iPhones and iPads sold on Amazon's platform, is continuing after other plaintiffs were added to the case. Apple and Amazon have denied the antitrust claims. Apple is represented by attorneys from Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, while Amazon has a team from Sidley Austin, Redgrave and Davis Wright Tremaine. The tech companies said they would limit their fee request to match hourly rates typically charged in the Western District of Washington. Weil partner Mark Perry, a Washington, D.C., lawyer who co-leads the firm's appellate and strategic counseling practice, said his rate for the purpose of the fee request was $900 an hour. Perry and other defense lawyers in the case did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Hagens Berman client Steven Floyd told his lawyers in January 2024 that he wanted out of the litigation because he did not want to participate in the discovery process, Evanson said last month. But the firm did not immediately disclose this to the court, the judge said, and instead created the impression that Floyd "had suddenly fallen out of contact in January 2024, for reasons his counsel did not know and possibly unrelated to the litigation." Hagens Berman's "characterizations of Floyd's situation over the past fourteen months have not reflected his reality," Evanson said. The judge on Tuesday formally dismissed Floyd's claims from the lawsuit.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Amazon, Apple seek legal fees as sanction in US consumer lawsuit
Apple and Amazon have asked for a combined $223,000 in sanctions against a prominent class action law firm, accusing it of dragging out litigation over the price of iPhones and iPads after the initial plaintiff in the case sought to drop out. #Operation Sindoor Live Updates| From Sindoor to showdown, track Indo-Pak conflict as it unfolds Pakistani Air Force jet shot down in Pathankot by Indian Air Defence: Sources India on high alert: What's shut, who's on leave, and state-wise emergency measures US district judge Kymberly Evanson in Seattle last month said the companies could ask to recover legal fees from Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro for failing to immediately disclose that its client wanted out of the case. Hagens Berman "needlessly prolonged this litigation and required considerable judicial resources," Evanson said. Play Video Play Skip Backward Skip Forward Mute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo The companies said in their fee request on Friday that their legal teams worked more than 350 hours on motions relating to seeking information about the plaintiff. Spokespeople for Hagens Berman, Apple and Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The lawsuit, which accuses the companies of conspiring to artificially inflate the price of iPhones and iPads sold on Amazon's platform, is continuing after other plaintiffs were added to the case. Live Events Apple and Amazon have denied the antitrust claims . Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories Apple is represented by attorneys from Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, while Amazon has a team from Sidley Austin, Redgrave and Davis Wright Tremaine. The tech companies said they would limit their fee request to match hourly rates typically charged in the Western District of Washington. Weil partner Mark Perry, a Washington, D.C., lawyer who co-leads the firm's appellate and strategic counseling practice, said his rate for the purpose of the fee request was $900 an hour. Perry and other defence lawyers in the case did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Hagens Berman client Steven Floyd told his lawyers in January 2024 that he wanted out of the litigation because he did not want to participate in the discovery process, Evanson said last month. But the firm did not immediately disclose this to the court, the judge said, and instead created the impression that Floyd "had suddenly fallen out of contact in January 2024, for reasons his counsel did not know and possibly unrelated to the litigation." Hagens Berman's "characterizations of Floyd's situation over the past fourteen months have not reflected his reality," Evanson said. The judge on Tuesday formally dismissed Floyd's claims from the lawsuit. William Burck and Alex Spiro aren't the only partners at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan who are charging $3,000 an hour. Court filings in a $34 million fee fight between Quinn Emanuel and former client Desktop Metal showed that Michael Carlinsky, co-managing partner of the firm, is also charging the $3,000 hourly rate. Carlinsky said in an email he is "honoured to be in the same club, so to speak, as Spiro and Burck. Two fine lawyers." Reuters first reported Burck and Spiro's sky-high billing rates in February. Susman Godfrey also has a pair of veteran litigators - Neal Manne and Bill Carmody - who are charging that much.
