Class Action

Expert Analysis

• How Emotionally Intelligent AI Could Assist With E-Discovery

  

  While artificial intelligence has already revolutionized the e-discovery field, the development of emotionally intelligent AI promises to explore data in an even more nuanced and human way, thereby further reducing the burden on legal teams, say Lisa Prowse and Brian Schrader at e-discovery services provider BIA.

• A Weak Link In Consumers' FDA Test Claims

  

  As class action plaintiffs scrutinize more consumer product labels, they increasingly allege that their own U.S. Food and Drug Administration-compliant testing has obtained results contrary to what the product says, presenting defendants with an opportunity to scrutinize claims at the threshold, say Joshua Fougere and Jacquelyn Fradette at Sidley.

• 9th Circ. Ruling Returns Stability To Joint Employer Test

  

  By applying a traditional control-type test to hold that McDonald’s was not a joint employer of its franchisee’s employees, the Ninth Circuit last week in Salazar v. McDonald’s injected a welcome dose of clarity and common sense into a volatile area of law, say Andrew Murphy and Lauren Linderman at FaegreBD.

• Preventable Risks Your Law Firm May Be Overlooking

  

  Although most lawyers are well-prepared to defend or justify the value of an insurance claim for clients, often law firms have not clearly identified their own potential liabilities, planned for adequate insurance or established prudent internal risk management practices, says Victor Sordillo at Sompo International.

• 6 Ethics Tips For Attorneys Making Lateral Transfers

  

  With lateral transfers between law firms on the rise, it is more important than ever for partners to understand the steps they must take to adhere to ethics rules and other requirements when making a transition, say attorneys at Harris Wiltshire.

• Opinion

  FTC Warning On Plaintiffs Bar Advertising Is Timely

  

  Given the proliferation of misleading ads from plaintiffs attorneys and associated lead generation firms about drugs and medical devices, the Federal Trade Commission's recent announcement that it has sent out warning letters about such advertising practices is welcome news, says Eric Alexander of Reed Smith.

• Options For Calif. Franchisors After New Contractor Standards

  

  Recent judicial and legislative developments in California that make it harder to classify workers as independent contractors have left franchisors with lots of questions, but some safeguards may lessen the risk of liability when franchisees fail to comply with labor laws, say Jonathan Solish and Glenn Plattner at Bryan Cave.

• A Developing Split Over Online Marketplace Product Liability

  

  A pair of recent opinions from the Third and Sixth Circuits suggest that e-commerce intermediaries may be held liable for selling allegedly defective products, but an Arizona federal court's recent opinion in State Farm v. Amazon demonstrates the level of uncertainty that exists on this issue, say Blake Angelino and Benjamin Broadhead at FaegreBD.

• Rebuttal

  Mutual Funds Should Consider Shareholder Litigation

  

  A recent Law360 guest article attempts to dissuade mutual funds from engaging in shareholder litigation, but it ignores the practical realities of how, under the right circumstances, it often makes sense for mutual funds to participate, say attorneys at Labaton Sucharow.

• Opinion

  Erosion Of Bristol-Myers Test In Class Actions Is Misguided

  

  In two pending class actions, the Seventh Circuit and the D.C. Circuit may be slated to water down the U.S. Supreme Court's Bristol-Myers holding that state courts do not have specific, personal jurisdiction over nonresident plaintiffs' claims, even though there is no policy justification for treating class actions differently, say attorneys at Skadden.

• Bid To Boot Opioid Judge Raises Questions On Judicial Roles

  

  The attempt to disqualify Ohio federal judge Dan Aaron Polster from the multidistrict opioid litigation illustrates the complicated nature of disqualification decisions, and the conflict between two theories of judging — the disengaged balls-and-strikes umpire and the engaged, problem-solving citizen-judge, says former Illinois judge Raymond McKoski.

• NY Pay Frequency Ruling May Expand Employer Liability

  

  In Vega v. CM & Associates Construction Management, a New York appellate court recently recognized for manual workers a private cause of action and the ability to recover liquidated damages when they have been paid late, a decision that could lead to an uptick in pay frequency claims, say Leni Battaglia and Melissa Rodriguez at Morgan Lewis.

• Vaping Crisis Raises New Liability And Insurance Issues

  

  As the number of vaping-related lung illnesses continues to grow, causation and overall exposure remain elusive concepts, but historical precedent arguably provides a framework for understanding the liability and insurance coverage implications, say Jodi Green and Jonathan Viner of Nicolaides.

• Consider The Power Of Tactical Empathy

  

  By employing tactical empathy techniques to understand the interests behind the positions taken by others, attorneys can gain the upper hand in deal negotiations and litigation while still promoting and preserving long-term relationships with opponents, judges and others, say Shermin Kruse of TEDxYouth@Wrigleyville and Ursula Taylor of Strategic Health.

• The Problem — And Opportunity — Of Implicit Bias In The Bar

  

  Law firms are beginning to recognize implicit bias as a problem. But too few recognize that it is also an opportunity to broaden our thinking and become better legal problem solvers, says Daniel Karon of Karon LLC.