I’ve been meaning to post a link to a new class action-related blog authored by my law partner, Deborah Renner. Deborah is as knowledgeable about class actions as anyone I know, and she’s always up on the latest trends. She has a background that uniquely pairs the practical and academic aspects of class actions, having taught class action law at Fordham Law School in addition to her many years as a class action defense litigator. Deborah is primary editor of the firm’s blog, Class Action Lawsuit Defense, but she also recently launched her own personal blog, Renner on Class Actions, where she offers astute insights and in-depth analysis into a variety of class action issues and trends. Be sure to check it out.
Posts Tagged ‘class action blog’
A Belated Welcome to the Blogosphere – Renner on Class Actions
Posted in Other class action blogs, tagged class action blog, class action trend, renner on March 15, 2013| Leave a Comment »
ClassActionBlawg.com is Back, More Powerful than Ever Before
Posted in General Site Information, tagged class action blog on October 12, 2010| 3 Comments »
To you, my very, very loyal reader (I have in mind a picture of Flight of the Conchords superfan, Mel, who by the way has her own blog):
If you really have been waiting in anticipation for this post, you really should consider therapy. However, when I began my extended hiatus in June, I did promise to resume blogging this fall, and I am a man of my word. That, and my life has recently returned to some semblance of normalcy after I had two nationwide class actions go away in a two-week period.
So, the time has come to start blogging about the exciting world of class action litigation once again. I’m in the process of dusting off the cobwebs, and you should expect to see some real content over the next few days. I have even managed to attract a guest contributor. So, if you weren’t on the edge of your seat before, you should be now. Stay tuned…
Yours truly,
Paul Karlsgodt
Class Action Countermeasures: Practice Tips for Class Action Defense Lawyers and their Clients
Posted in Other class action blogs, tagged class action blog, class action countermeasures, class action strategy on December 29, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Andrew J. Trask (twitterfeed: @classstrategist) of the international law firm, McGuire Woods, has a great new legal blog called Class Action Countermeasures. The blog’s tagline is “Discussions of the Strategic Considerations Involved in Class Action Defense,” and it definitely lives up to that promise. Here’s just a sample of the titles of insightful articles published on the blog over the past month:
- Making the 30(b)(6) Deposition Work for You
- Fighting Fishing Expeditions, The Oppenheimer Relevance Objection
- Beating Plaintiffs to the Punch, The Motion to Deny Class Certification
- Battling Third Party Litigation Funding: Aim Interrogatories at Funding Sources?
I’m adding Class Action Countermeasures to my blogroll and will be checking it for updates regularly, so opposing counsel, beware!
Fees, Fees, and More Fees
Posted in Class Action Trends, Other class action blogs, tagged attorney fees, attorneys fees, class action blog, class action fees, fee award, fee petition on September 29, 2009| Leave a Comment »
In another I must be living under a rock moment, for the first time this evening I came across Octagon Publishing’s Class Action Attorney Fee Digest Blawg. The Blawg, which supplements Octagon’s subscription service, Class Action Attorney Fee Digest, focuses exclusively on orders, decisions, and trends in attorneys’ fee awards in class actions. The publication’s key contributor is Harvard Law Professor William B. Rubenstein, who does expert witness work on class action fee issues. If you’re about to submit a fee petition or are working on a class action settlement, you’d be wise to check out this great class action resource.
Class Action Blogosphere Weekly Review
Posted in Class Action News, Class Action Trends, Other class action blogs, tagged blawg review, blog review, CAFA, class action blog, Class Action Decisions, class action developments, Class Action News, Class Action Trends, class certification decisions on October 2, 2008| 1 Comment »
A bout of the stomach flu delayed this week’s CABWR, but better late than never. Here are some blog entries from the week that was (plus a few days) that might be of interest to class action practitioners:
Class Action-Related Post of the Week
This entry from Wage Law about a conversation overheard between two judges in a coffee shop discussing a “sweetheart deal” that had been proposed in a class action pending before one of them says volumes both about the need for discretion by judges and lawyers alike in discussing their cases in public places and also the need for class action lawyers on both sides to do their homework before submitting a proposed settlement for court approval:
http://wagelaw.typepad.com/wage_law/2008/09/hearsay.html
Class Action Decisions
The Indiana Blog, How Appealing, and Corporate Legal Times, are among the many legal blogs that commented on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision disallowing a class action claim for rescission of a mortgage under the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) (See CAB entry here):
http://indianalawblog.com/archives/2008/09/ind_decisions_m_286.html
http://howappealing.law.com/093008.html#030528
http://www.cltmag.com/mortgage-lenders-fight-off-rescission-class-action-in-7th-circuit.html
The Complex Litigator and The UCL Practitioner review a California Court of Appeal decision addressing what constitutes an impermissible merits determination in ruling on a motion for class certification:
http://www.thecomplexlitigator.com/2008/09/hewlett-packard.html
http://www.uclpractitioner.com/2008/10/new-class-certi.html
Class Action Defense Blog provides a synopsis of a California Court of Appeal reversing a denial of class certification on the ground that a lower court’s orders precluding certain discovery, including discovery of contact information for other putative class members, prevented the plaintiffs from meeting their burden of demonstrating commonality and typicality:
http://classactiondefense.jmbm.com/2008/09/class_action_defense_caseslee_1.html
Classified provides summaries of several recent decisions by federal district courts in Florida on a variety of class action-related issues including proof of amount in controversy for CAFA removal, the res judicata effect of a summary judgment order in a prior class action, and reliance as an element of a claim under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act:
http://www.carltonfields.com/classactionblog/ (see entries dated September 28)
Business Spectator reports on the dismissal of a class action filed by Iraqi citizens in a New York federal court against an Australian company for its alleged acts of bribery and other unlawful conduct in connection with a UN food-for-oil program:
EDTexWeblog.com provides a summary of a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas dismissing a class action brought under the Drivers’ Privacy Protection Act (DPPA):
planadvisor discusses an Illinois federal court’s order granting class certification in an ERISA class action involving allegations of excessive fees and other breaches of fiduciary duty in administering a 401(k) plan:
http://www.planadviser.com/article.php/2933
Green Buckeye RN discusses a West Virginia federal court’s decision not to certify a class in a mass tort case filed on behalf of a would-be class of residents of a city whose water was allegedly contaminated by the defendant’s pollution:
Overlawyered reports on the dismissal of a New York lawsuit brought on behalf of a would-have-been class of men seeking to hold “Ladies Night” discounts unconstitutional:
http://overlawyered.com/2008/09/ladies-nights-a-win-for-nyc-clubs/
Class Action Scandals
Dallas Blog reports on the guilty plea of the last defendant to face charges in connection with the Milberg Weiss kickback scandal:
http://www.dallasblog.com/200809301003674/john-browning-s-legally-speaking/a-class-action-act.html
Class Action Settlements
Good Morning Silicon Valley discusses a cy pres award from an class action settlement involving alleged unpaid overtime against a video game manufacturer that went to pay for scholarships for students studying video game design:
http://blogs.siliconvalley.com/gmsv/2008/09/class-action-helps-fund-class-action.html
Enough links to an entry from The Real Battle in Seattle discussing a movement by protesters arrested during the 1999 WTO meetings in Seattle to donate proceeds from a class action verdict to fund global justice projects:
http://www.enoughenough.org/blog/59/returning-class-action-funds-to-the-global-justice-movement/
http://www.realbattleinseattle.org/node/71
Class Action (and Related) News
Slashdot is one of many non-law blogs to comment on a class action filed against a video game manufacturer for allegedly including undisclosed invasive copy protection software in its video games that could not be uninstalled:
http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/09/24/1939256&from=rss
SCOTUS Blog previews an upcoming oral argument in a case brought by public-sector union members on behalf of a proposed class seeking to hold unconstitutional certain public-sector union service fees earmarked for litigation on behalf of affiliated collective bargaining units:
http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/scotuswiki-preview-locke-v-karass/#more-7970
Class Action Trends
The D&O Diary considers whether a recent New York federal court’s order dismissing a pre-subprime crisis case involving alleged failure to disclose risky investments may portend an end to subprime-related securities litigation:
Canadian attorney Daniel A. Lublin discusses the potential benefits of bringing a group of individual wrongful dismissal claims rather than pursuing a class action:
http://blog.toronto-employmentlawyer.com/toronto_employment_lawyer/2008/09/class-action-la.html
The Consumerist showcases the latest website dedicated to providing information about class action settlements:
http://consumerist.com/5054244/find-class-action-settlements-at-topclassactionscom#c7958619
Class Action Commentary
Drug and Device Law Blog and Point of Law summarize a recent National Law Journal article by Michigan Law Professor Adam Pritchard discussing a possible mechanism for companies to unilaterally insulate themselves from certain securities class actions:
http://druganddevicelaw.blogspot.com/2008/10/end-of-securities-fraud-class-actions.html
http://www.pointoflaw.com/archives/2008/10/basic-inc-v-lev.php
This student post from The Race to the Bottom summarizes developments in the last of the securities fraud cases pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York involving Italian dairy company Parmalat:
CAFA Law Blog answers reader mail with commentary on the applicability of the diversity jurisdiction provisions of Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) to both removal and original jurisdiction:
http://www.cafalawblog.com/-resources-cafa-law-blog-mail-bag-an-inquiry-from-one-of-our-readers.html
The Deal Sleuth offers a defense of securities class action lawsuits:
http://thedealsleuth.wordpress.com/2008/09/24/in-defense-of-shareholder-class-actions/
Robert Galoppini’s Commercial Open Source Software makes an apt quote to Shakespeare in reporting on the position taken by several consumer associations in an amicus brief filed in a case involving alleged copyright infringement by the maker of a technology capable of both infringing and noninfringing technologies (referred to as “multi-use technologies”):
The Lighter Side of Class Actions
Internet Monk announces a “class action” against the publisher of a new study Bible for mental anguish in causing great anticipation for its publication…
… and draws a response from the “defendant”
http://theologica.blogspot.com/2008/09/class-action-lawsuit-against-your.html
Class Action Blogosphere Weekly Review
Posted in Class Action News, Class Action Trends, Other class action blogs, tagged attorneys fees, blawg review, blog review, CAFA, CAFA removal, class action articles, class action blog, class action commentary, Class Action News, class action scandals, Class Action Settlements, Class Action Trends, parens patriae on September 16, 2008| 2 Comments »
Here are some blog entries from the week that was that might be of interest to class action practitioners:
Class Action Decisions
For a “brief” commentary on a case addressing the removability under the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) of a class action counterclaim by a plaintiff/counterclaim defendant, see this guest commentary from Dallas attorney Jonathan Bridges on CAFA Law Blog:
http://www.cafalawblog.com/-case-summaries-guest-commentary-fourth-circuit-to-decide-whether-to-let-att-pull-up-its-shorts-class-action-to-federal-court.html
Class Action Defense Blog summarizes a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision holding that a state’s parens patriae action brought on behalf of its citizens was removable under CAFA:
http://classactiondefense.jmbm.com/2008/09/cafa_class_action_defense_case_19.html
Mass Tort Defense summarizes a Kentucky federal court decision denying class certification in a toxic tort lawsuit in part based on plaintiffs’ ability to articulate an appropriate class definition:
http://www.masstortdefense.com/2008/09/articles/federal-court-rejects-toxic-tort-class-action/
Consumer Law & Policy Blog summarizes a September 8, 2008 decision of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals applying Missouri law in upholding a class arbitration ban in a consumer class action involving prepaid gift cards:
http://pubcit.typepad.com/clpblog/2008/09/eighth-circuit.html
Class Action Commentary
Training Marketer discusses potential impacts from a class action settlement involving claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) seeking access to a retail store’s website for persons with disabilities…
http://trainingtime.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/target-settles-class-action-ada-lawsuit-is-your-site-compliant/
… more on providing online access to visually impaired users from That Credit Union Blog…
http://thatcreditunionblog.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/providing-online-accommodations-for-the-visually-impaired/
… and The Industry Standard:
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/09/15/target-pact-wont-lead-web-access-standards
The Defense Base Act Blog discusses possible impacts that the Defense Base Act could have on pending class action litigation involving claims that a company’s acts of not training its employees properly for work in Iraq has led to injuries to other employees:
http://defensebaseactblog.com/2008/09/12/will-the-defense-base-act-foil-the-recent-class-action-law-suit-against-kbr/
Class Action Scandals
Health Care Renewal comments on the University of Minnesota’s recruitment of a health insurance company executive who resigned in the wake of a stock option backdating scandal:
http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2008/09/university-of-minnesota-courts-mcguire.html
Class Action Reform
Watchdog Blog endorses proposed legislation that would prohibit class arbitration waivers in credit card agreements:
http://citizen.typepad.com/watchdog_blog/2008/09/arbitration-wil.html
Class Action Settlements
Overlawyered updates earlier commentary on a $688 million attorneys fee awarded in an Enron class action settlement:
http://overlawyered.com/2008/09/coughlin-stoia-amlaw-daily-and-prof-john-coffee-contd/
The Consumerist reports on frustrations in trying to participate in a class action settlement after receiving notice:
http://consumerist.com/5048989/join-the-verizon-etf-class-action-if-they-would-only-let-you
Class Action (and Related) Scholarship
California Punitive Damages provides a synopsis and brief commentary on a recent scholarly work entitled “Punitive Damages and Class Actions” written by Professors Fransesco Parisi (Minnesota) and Marta Cenini (Milan)…
http://calpunitives.blogspot.com/2008/09/law-review-article-punitive-damages-and.html
… and more on the same article from Mass Tort Litigation Blog:
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/mass_tort_litigation/2008/09/parisi-and-ceni.html
Point of Law reviews a paper entitled “The Use of Litigation Screenings in Mass Torts: A Formula for Fraud?” authored by Cardozo Law Professor Lester Brickman:
http://www.pointoflaw.com/archives/2008/09/brickman-of-1-m.php#more
Wage Law recommends the paper “Class Certification in the Age of Aggregate Proof” by Vanderbilt Professor Richard A. Nagreda:
http://wagelaw.typepad.com/wage_law/2008/09/class-certification-in-the-age-of-aggregate-proof.html
Class Action News
Fitz & Jen, Luke Ford.net, paidContent.org, and Portfolio.com discuss an ERISA class action filed by editors, writers, and other employees of a major newspaper recently acquired through the alleged misuse of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP):
http://www.fitzandjen.com/2008/09/jen-if-you-thin.html
http://lukeford.net/blog/?p=5006
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-jack-nelson-among-current-ex-tribune-co-staffers-trying-class-action-su/
http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/mixed-media/2008/09/16/la-times-refugees-sue-for-control-of-paper
Class Action Trends
The D&O Diary discusses the latest in options backdating settlements:
http://www.dandodiary.com/2008/09/articles/options-backdating/options-backdating-settlement-news-apple-and-unitedhealth/
Real Lawyers Have Blogs discusses a well-known plaintiffs’ class action firm’s use of social networking website Twitter to find prospective class representatives:
http://kevin.lexblog.com/2008/09/articles/social-networking-1/law-firm-using-twitter-to-find-plainitiffs-for-class-action-law-suit/
Rhondak discusses the use of small claims court as a “poor man’s class action” to vindicate consumer’s rights:
http://rhondak.livejournal.com/1036526.html
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