SEATTLE, LOS ANGELES – Expanding their efforts on behalf of consumers injured by the VW emissions fraud scheme, leading consumer rights firm Hagens Berman and the world’s largest business litigation firm, Quinn Emanuel, are today filing a class action in federal court in Los Angeles on behalf of South Korean owners of tainted VW and Audi vehicles. This action is the first in the nation arising from the scandal filed in the interest of foreign consumers. The U.S. firms are joined by Seoul-based Barun Law, LLC, one of Korea’s most prominent full-service firms with a leading international litigation practice.

This suit follows six others filed by Hagens Berman and Quinn Emanuel seeking remedies for U.S. consumers. It also comes on the heels of the firms’ October 12 request for a preliminary injunction requiring VW to offer to buy back non-compliant vehicles, which would relieve blindsided consumers from continuing as forced polluters. That motion is set for hearing in federal court in November.

Steve Berman, Hagens Berman’s managing partner, explained, “VW perpetrated a global fraud with global victims. South Koreans believed VW's 'Clean Diesel' lies and bought these vehicles in droves."

John B. Quinn, Quinn Emanuel’s managing partner, added that: "Many of these cars were manufactured here. VW also uses advertising generated in the U.S. to extol the virtues of its cars to the Korean market. Defrauded Korean buyers can justifiably avail themselves of U.S. class action procedures and remedies."

The firms estimate South Koreans bought approximately 125,000 vehicles containing the emissions "defeat device." The suits on behalf of U.S. consumers implicate at least 483,000 vehicles. The lawsuits involve at least the following CleanDiesel model vehicles: Jetta CleanDiesel (model years 2009 – 2015), Jetta Sportswagen (model years 2009 – 2014), Beetle and Beetle convertible CleanDiesel (model years 2012 – 2015), Audi A3 TDI (model years 2010 – 2015), Golf CleanDiesel (model years 2010 – 2015), Golf Sportswagen CleanDiesel (model year 2015), and Passat CleanDiesel (model years 2012 – 2015). Join the class-action lawsuits against Volkswagen if you have an affected model. Please visit Hagens Berman’s website and complete the registration form. If you have unanswered questions, contact our legal team now.

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About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a consumer-rights class-action law firm with offices in 10 cities. The firm has been named to the National Law Journal’s Plaintiffs’ Hot List eight times. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.

About Quinn Emanuel
Quinn Emanuel is a 700-lawyer business litigation firm. With 18 offices globally, it is the largest law firm in the world devoted solely to business litigation. Firm lawyers have tried over 2,300 cases, winning 88.2% of them. Four times the firm has been voted one of the four “most feared” firms by General Counsels at Fortune 500 companies — the lawyers they “least like to see” on the other side. Further information is available at www.quinnemanuel.com.

About Barun Law
Barun law is a 170-lawyer, full-service firm, one of Korea’s largest. The firm’s litigation practitioners are predominantly former judges and prosecutors from all levels of the Korean courts system and prosecutor’s offices. Their international client base includes some of the world’s largest companies, leading financial institutions and funds, growing firms, entrepreneurs, and foreign governments. Further information is available at www.barunlaw.com.

Contacts

Hagens Berman
Ashley Klann
[email protected]
206-623-7292

Quinn Emanuel
Shon Morgan
[email protected]
213-443-3000

Barun Law
Jason Ha
[email protected]
+82 2 3476 5579