About OCJ
OCJ Story
A Cy Pres award distributes unclaimed class action settlement money to a charitable organization and is how OCJ came to be.
In March 2015, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed her first bill into law. Prior to House Bill 2700, companies that lost class action lawsuits were allowed to keep unclaimed settlement money as their own. Bill 2700 changed that in mandating unclaimed funds be used to the benefit of consumers, not the corporations that harmed them.
The law was applied for the first time in 2019 in class action lawsuit Scharfstein v. BP West Coast Products LLC. Judge Jerome LaBarre directed that unclaimed funds from the class action lawsuit be used to establish a consumer advocacy non-profit organization. Three board members were named to lead its design.
Board of Directors

Henry Kantor
Chair
Founding Board Member

Justin Baxter
Secretary
Founding Board Member

Emily Reiman
Treasurer
Founding Board Member

Sayer Jones
Finance Committee Chair
Board Member
Startup Staff

Sophia Tzeng
Interim Chief Executive Officer

Tia Coachman
Interim Chief People Officer

Lester Thompson
Interim Chief Financial Officer

Laura Caputo
Interim Director of Programs

Emily Lindsay
Interim Director of Operations

ReJeana Orr
Executive Assistant and Administrator

Mariana Lindsay
Interim Program Associate
Working towards consumer justice
Oregon Consumer Justice is looking for people committed to creating a more just and equitable Oregon. If you think you may be that person, join our team.