Held v. Advance Watch Company, Ltd., et al.

On September 30, 2008, the Sacramento County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Held v. Advance Watch Company, Ltd., which resolved citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E.'s allegations that the defendant Advance Watch Company, Ltd. ("Advance Watch") has been in the chain of distribution of toys or other children's products containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate ("DEHP") in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

Advance Watch represented that as of June 16, 2008, it is no longer involved in the chain of distribution for watches in California. However, as part of the settlement, Advance Watch agreed that should it reintroduce the product, the company will not sell any watches containing DEHP in California. The settlement sum does not include additional fees incurred seeking judicial approval of the Consent Judgment.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $36,000, to be divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to whistleblower Held and his counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.