Recoveries from class-action settlements, but an appropriate role for a law department?

An ad by the law firm Dickstein Shapiro states that its client, DuPont, “created a system to review every class action settlement notice it receives to identify opportunities that could generate genuine business value.” I believe this means that the law department decides whether to seek payment of DuPont’s share of a settlement (See my post of Feb. 8, 2006 with its oblique reference to this system.). Bear in mind that specialized service providers will take on this task (See my post of July 14, 2006 about class-action recovery firms.).

The ad, in Corp. Counsel, Vol. 14, Dec. 2007 at 23, brags: “Through this system and with help from Dickstein Shapiro, DuPont is transforming its legal department from a cost center into a profit center.”

Indeed.