MCDONALD'S FACING CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT
By Adnews Staff
A Toronto law firm has begun a class action law suit against McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Ltd., McDonald's Corp. and Simon Marketing Inc., a company hired by McDonald's to conduct contests and promotions. Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP filed a statement of claim on Friday alleging that Simon Marketing was instructed by McDonald's Corp. to withhold high-level prize pieces from McDonald's restaurants in Canada for promotions such as Monopoly, NHL Muppet Mania and the NHL An All-Star Break Game. The action is being brought on behalf of McDonald's customers who purchased food and obtained game pieces for contests held between Jan. 1, 1995 and Dec. 31, 2001. According to the law firm, in the U.S. McDonald's has reached a settlement in a related case involving Simon Marketing employees embezzling winning prizes from McDonald's games. Under the terms of that settlement, McDonald's will randomly award 15 consumers at its restaurants with $1 million prizes. Officials at Toronto-based McDonald's Restaurants of Canada could not be reached for comment.