Earlier today, the Supreme Court issued its third of four class action-related decisions for the October 2010 term. In Smith v. Bayer Corp., No. 09-1205, the Court held that a federal court exceeded its authority when it issued an injunction preventing a state court from considering whether to certify a class on claims in which [...]
Archive for the ‘Supreme Court Decisions’ Category
If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again
Posted in Class Action Decisions, Class Action Fairness Act, Supreme Court Decisions, tagged anti-injunction act, CAFA, claim preclusion, collateral estoppel, frcp 23, home state, issue preclusion, kagan, local controversy, relitigation exception, rule 23, scotus, smith v. bayer, Supreme Court, u.s. supreme court, west virginia on June 16, 2011 | 2 Comments »
2010-11 U.S. Supreme Court Class Action Tally: Defendants 1, Plaintiffs 1
Posted in rule 23, Securities Class Actions, Supreme Court Decisions, tagged erica p. john, fifth circuit, fraud on the market, frcp 23, preponderance, presumption of reliance, rule 23, securities class action, securities fraud on June 6, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Just when we were starting to think that 2011 might mark the end of the great American class action… Today, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision reversing a denial of class certification in the securities class action Erica P. John Fund, Inc. v. Halliburton Co., No. 09-1403, slip op (June 6, 2011). In the opinion, authored by [...]
NY Times vs. Forbes: Is Concepcion a Blow to Consumer Rights or to Trial Lawyers’ Pocketbooks?
Posted in Class Action News, class action reform, Class Action Trends, Supreme Court Decisions, tagged arbitration, arbitration clause, AT&T Mobility, breyer, class arbitration, class arbitration waiver, concepcion, consumer class action, consumer rights, scalia on May 13, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Two op-eds published today highlight the philosophical debate over the impact of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion. The first, published by the New York Times, argues that the decision is a “devastating blow to consumer rights” because it makes it practically impossible for many consumers to seek vindication of their [...]
Class Arbitration Waivers, the Sequel?
Posted in Class Action Trends, Consumer Class Actions, Supreme Court Decisions, tagged arbitration, AT&T Mobility, class arbitration waiver, concepcion, consumer, consumer credit, credit card, croa, FAA, federal arbitration act, ninth circuit, subprime on May 4, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Last week, following the Supreme Court’s decision in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, I commented that the decision does not answer the question whether a federal court has the power to declare a class arbitration waiver unconscionable. Although not on this precise issue, the Court has granted cert on a related issue relating to the enforceability [...]
Supreme Court Finds in Favor of Class Arbitration Waivers
Posted in Supreme Court Decisions, tagged arbitration waiver, class arbitration waiver, concepcion, FAA, scalia, Supreme Court on April 27, 2011 |
In the first of four highly anticipated rulings on class action issues this term, the United States Supreme Court has handed down a major victory for business interests. In a 5-4 decision in AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion, No. 09-893, the conservative majority held that the Federal Arbitration Act pre-empts state contract law principles in determining the [...]
What Fraud Claims Make for a Good Class Action? Justice Breyer has an Idea.
Posted in Commentary, Securities Class Actions, Supreme Court Decisions, tagged breyer, erica p. john fund, fraud, fraud on the market, halliburton, oral argument, presumed reliance, presumption of reliance, reliance, scotus, securities fraud, Supreme Court on April 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The United States Supreme Court heard oral argument today in the case of Erica P. John Fund, Inc. v. Halliburton Co., No. 09-1403. A transcript of the argument is now available on the Court’s website. Erica P. John Fund involves the appropriate standard for assessing class certification in securities fraud cases brought under the “fraud [...]
Wal-Mart v. Dukes Oral Argument Transcript
Posted in Class Action News, Employment Class Actions, Supreme Court Decisions, tagged back pay, commonality, dukes, employment discrimination, ginsburg, injunctive relief, kagan, oral argument, predominance, rule 23(b)(2), scalia, sotomayor, Supreme Court, typicality, wal-mart on March 29, 2011 | 1 Comment »
The Wal-Mart v. Dukes argument was held as scheduled today. Here is a Wal-Mart v. Dukes Oral Argument Transcript. Some initial observations: The beginning of the defendant’s argument was focused on the proper standard for reviewing whether the plaintiff had sufficiently common evidence of a uniform policy. It was not until later in the defendant’s [...]
Supreme Court Set to Hear Argument in Wal-mart v. Dukes Next Tuesday
Posted in Class Action News, Employment Class Actions, Supreme Court Decisions, tagged 23(a), 23(b), 23(b)(2), back pay, class action, dukes, employment class action, frcp 23, injunctive, Supreme Court, u.s. supreme court, wal-mart on March 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The United States Supreme Court will hold oral argument next Tuesday, March 29, 2011, in case of Wal-mart v. Dukes, No. 10-277. The issue for review, at least so far, according to order granting certiorari, is: Whether claims for monetary relief can be certified under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(2) – which by its terms [...]


Will AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion Really Kill the Consumer Class Action?
Posted in Commentary, Consumer Class Actions, Practice Tips, Supreme Court Decisions, tagged arbitration, AT&T Mobility, class arbitration, class arbitration waiver, class waiver, concepcion, consumer class action, scalia, Supreme Court on May 25, 2011 | 8 Comments »
Daniel Fisher, who writes the Full Disclosure blog at Forbes.com, posted an article last Friday titled Has Scalia Killed the Class Action? Fisher’s article one of the best I’ve seen in discussing the potential practical impact that the Supreme Court’s recent class arbitration waiver decision in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion may have on future consumer class action litigation. I highly recommend it. [...]
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