In state courts, sometimes you lose even when you win. In a recent false-advertising class action, a California Superior Court entered an order concluding that the testimony of the plaintiffs’ expert—who was the linchpin of the case for class certification and on the merits—was inadmissible, which meant that the defendant was entitled to judgment as… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: Wal-Mart Stores Inc v. Dukes
Federal District Court Says That Plaintiffs Bringing Representative Claims Under California’s Private Attorney General Act Don’t Have To Seek Class Certification
Posted in Class Certification, EmploymentThe California Supreme Court held in Arias v. Superior Court that a plaintiff may bring a representative action on behalf of himself and other employees to recover civil penalties under California’s Private Attorney General Act (“PAGA”) without meeting California’s class-certification requirements. The court reasoned that, unlike a class action, where the plaintiff is suing on behalf… Continue Reading
What’s Next for the Class Action Plaintiffs’ Bar? Getting Deputized by State Attorneys General
Posted in Class Action TrendsSome academics and commentators have been reading the tea leaves in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes (pdf) and AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion (pdf) as spelling doom for consumer and employment class actions. That’s overwrought; Dukes rejected an extremely adventuresome application of the class action rules by the Ninth Circuit, and Concepcion merely reminded courts… Continue Reading
How Much Discovery From Opt-Ins in FLSA Collective Actions Should Businesses Seek?
Posted in Class Certification, Employment, Motions PracticeA recent federal court decision has addressed the knotty issue of a defendant’s right to discovery in an FLSA collective action from the individuals who opt into the class after it is conditionally certified but before the court decides whether to grant final certification. The case, Scott v. Bimbo Bakeries, USA, Inc. (pdf), No. 10-3154 (E.D…. Continue Reading
Comcast Corp. v. Behrend: Upcoming Supreme Court Case Is Critical to Antitrust Class Actions
Posted in Class Certification, U.S. Supreme CourtAlthough the class action bar in general is eagerly awaiting the Supreme Court argument in Comcast Corp. v. Behrend (No. 11-864)—which will be argued November 5th—antitrust practitioners in particular have a keen interest in the case. The issue presented is whether a district court may certify a class action without first resolving whether an expert… Continue Reading
Ninth Circuit Upholds “Provisional” Class Certification for Entry of a Preliminary Injunction in TCPA Class Action
Posted in Adequacy, Ascertainability, Class Certification, Rule 23(b)(2)The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in a TCPA case—Meyer v. Portfolio Recovery Associates (pdf)—involves several interesting issues for class-action practitioners even outside the TCPA setting. First, a bit of background. In Meyer, the plaintiff sued a debt collector under the TCPA, alleging that it used an autodialer to call his cell phone number impermissibly. The plaintiff… Continue Reading
Wall Street Journal Editorial Calls for Supreme Court Review in Whirlpool Corp. v. Glazer
Posted in Appeals, Class Certification, Commonality, Predominance, U.S. Supreme CourtThe Wall Street Journal recently published an editorial urging the Supreme Court to grant the petition for certiorari (pdf) in Whirlpool Corp. v. Glazer—a petition filed by my colleagues Stephen Shapiro, Jeffrey Sarles, and Tim Bishop. The petition seeks review of a decision by the Sixth Circuit (pdf), which affirmed the certification of a class of Ohio… Continue Reading
Second Circuit: Insufficient Notice of Class Action Settlement Means That Class Members Can Bring Copycat Class Actions
Posted in Appeals, Class Action Settlements, Class Certification, Rule 23(b)(2), SuperiorityThe Second Circuit’s recent decision in Hecht v. United Collection Bureau, Inc., No. 11-1327 (2d Cir. Aug. 17, 2012), should sound alarm bells for any business that attempts to settle a class action. The takeaway from the decision is to make sure that notice of the settlement to absent class members is adequate. Under some… Continue Reading