Held v. Finesse Novelty Corp., et al.

On July 30, 2012, the Alameda County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Held v. Finesse Novelty Corp., et al., which resolved citizen enforcer Anthony Held, Ph.D., P.E.'s allegations that the defendant Finesse Novelty Corp. ("Finesse") sold bracelets containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate ("DEHP") in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Finesse agreed to only sell bracelets in California after April 16, 2012 that are reformulated so that they contain less than or equal to 1,000 parts per million (0.1%) of DEHP when analyzed pursuant to state and federally approved testing methodologies. Due to Finesse's commitment to comply with these heightened standards, Held agreed to credit a portion of the civil fine that would otherwise be applied.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $35,500, 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.