Class Action

Expert Analysis

• Challenging Class Cert. When Plaintiffs Missed 'False' Ad

  

  False advertising class action plaintiffs often target language from a defendant's marketing materials or product label — but a defendant may be able to challenge class certification with evidence that many class members did not see the statement in question, say Michael Schwartz and Maren Messing at Patterson Belknap.

• Judge's Rebuke Of Mass. AG Has Lessons For All Attorneys

  

  A Massachusetts federal judge’s recent rebuke of the state Attorney General’s Office for refusing to respond to discovery requests in Alliance for Automotive Innovation v. Healey highlights six important considerations for attorneys who want to avoid the dreaded benchslap, say Alison Eggers and Dallin Wilson at Seyfarth.  

• Font Considerations To Give Your Legal Briefs An Edge

  

  Following the D.C. Circuit’s recent notice discouraging use of the font Garamond in legal briefs, Jason Steed at Kilpatrick looks at typeface requirements and preferences in appellate courts across the country, and how practitioners can score a few extra brief-writing points with typography.

• Avoiding Biometric Privacy Class Actions After Md., NY Bills

  

  Pending biometric privacy laws in Maryland and New York, if passed, could trigger other jurisdictions to follow suit, so businesses should start implementing compliance practices now to stave off a wave of class actions, says David Oberly at Blank Rome.

• Make Profitability Management Part Of Your Law Firm Culture

  

  As the legal industry continues to change in the post-pandemic world, law firms should adapt to client demands by constantly measuring and managing the profitability of their services, says Joseph Altonji at LawVision.

• Series

  Winner's Playbook: Behind The Scenes Of Lamps Plus

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court issued a major decision on class arbitration in Lamps Plus v. Varela two years ago. Now, attorneys at Lewis Brisbois and Mayer Brown explain how their work for Lamps Plus developed the law on interpreting arbitration agreements that exclude language expressly addressing class arbitration.

• How D&O Coverage Fits Into Diversity Claim Mitigation

  

  As companies face a shift in the directors and officers insurance market following a spate of recent shareholder suits over lack of diversity in corporate leadership, executive teams should review D&O policy coverage while implementing diversity initiatives that will effect meaningful, long-term change, say Natasha Romagnoli and Hannah Ahn at Blank Rome.

• Employer Compliance Tips For Calif. Heat Recovery Breaks

  

  As the weather warms up, California employers can reinforce worker safety and reduce class action risk by managing state requirements for breaks to prevent heat illness, which are significantly different from regulations for meal and rest breaks, says Michael Nader at Ogletree.

• 4 Trends In Discoverability Of Litigation Funding Documents

  

  Recent rulings shed light on how courts and international arbitration tribunals decide if litigation funding materials are discoverable and reaffirm best practices that attorneys should follow when communicating with funders, say Justin Maleson at Longford Capital and Michele Slachetka and Christian Plummer at Jenner & Block.

• Opinion

  Keep Junk Science Away From Juries

  

  Well-grounded scientific testimony in judicial proceedings has become more essential than ever, especially with large verdicts at stake in cases concerning hot-button issues like talc and climate change, so judges must act as gatekeepers to exclude unsound science from jury trials, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation.

• D&O Insurance Implications From Tesla's Stock Drop Suit

  

  A recent shareholder stock drop lawsuit against Tesla showcases the legal perils that can follow companies' social media missteps, and highlights the importance of directors and officers liability insurance in the current age of political polarization, says Tae Andrews at Miller Friel.

• 7 Lessons For Young Lawyers Starting Their Careers

  

  This year's law graduates and other young attorneys must recognize that the practice of law tests and rewards different skills and characteristics than law school, and that what makes a lawyer valuable changes over time, says Vernon Winters, retired partner at Sidley.

• Opinion

  Justices Should Clarify Securities Fraud Loss Causation

  

  At its May conference, the U.S. Supreme Court should agree to review BofI Securities Litigation, to clear up a circuit split on how to assess loss causation in securities fraud cases, as shareholder class actions increasingly focus on external events that led to a stock drop, says Lyle Roberts at Shearman & Sterling.

• FDCPA Ruling Has Privacy Implications For Financial Services

  

  In Hunstein v. Preferred Collection, the Eleventh Circuit’s recent decision to allow claims against a debt collector who shared customer information with a vendor is concerning for financial services companies in its potential to broaden the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and other consumer protection laws to include privacy rights, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• How SPACs Can Avoid Failed China Reverse Mergers 2.0

  

  As red-hot special purpose acquisition companies hungry for de-SPAC transactions set their sites on Asia, practitioners can look to the failed Chinese reverse mergers of the early 2000s for lessons about regulation, due diligence and misrepresentation, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.