The Silver Lining in Paatalo V. JPMorgan Chase

A highly experienced, thirty-year attorney “bizlaw” at the expert online Just Answer provided this answer:

The settlement agreement would bind all persons who were parties to the lawsuit if they did not challenge the authority of the trustee to enter into the settlement agreement on the basis he or it was not authorized to act on behalf of them. Because they had the opportunity to object, the approval of the settlement will be res judicata and those parties will be precluded from challenging the settlement. Plaintiff operated on the basis that Successor Trustee had authority which was apparently not denied. The Court gave any party the opportunity to object. That failure to object is what makes it res judicata.