Class Action

TILA Class Action Defense Cases–Barber v. Chase: Ninth Circuit Reverses Dismissal Of TILA Class Action Holding “Buried” Disclosures Did Not As A Matter Of Law Comply With TILA

Posted on June 09, 2009
Lender’s Disclosures that APR may Increase based on Information in Credit Report not Clear and Conspicuous Within Meaning of TILA so District Court Erred in Dismissing Class Action Complaint Ninth Circuit Holds Plaintiffs filed a class action against Chase Bank alleging violations of the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA), and Regulation Z promulgated thereunder; the class action complaint alleged that plaintiffs “have been the victims of a practice they now call ‘adverse action repricing,’ which apparently means ‘raising ...

BofA Class Action Defense Cases–Miller v. Bank of America: California Supreme Court Upholds Reversal Of Class Action Judgment Holding Banks May Offset Overdraft/NSF Fees Against Public Benefit Deposits

Posted on June 08, 2009
$360 Million-Plus Class Action Judgment Against Bank of America Properly Reversed by Court of Appeal because Offsetting Overdraft and Insufficient Funds Fees Against Public Benefit Deposits (such as SSI Benefits) does not Violate State Law California Supreme Court Holds Plaintiff filed a putative class action against Bank of America alleging, inter alia, violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) and Consumers Legal Remedies Act (CLRA); the class action complained that BofA improperly offset Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from bank accounts to cover sums owed the bank...

Labor Law Class Actions Maintain Dominance Among Weekly Class Action Lawsuits Filed In California State And Federal Courts

Posted on June 06, 2009
To assist class action defense attorneys anticipate the types of cases against which they will have to defend in California, we provide weekly, unofficial summaries of the legal categories for new class action lawsuits filed in the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, San Diego, San Mateo, Oakland/Alameda and Orange County areas...

Bayer Class Action Defense Cases—In re Bayer Aspirin: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiffs’ Motions To Centralize Class Action Litigation In Eastern District Of New York

Posted on June 05, 2009
Judicial Panel Grants Plaintiffs’ Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Opposed by Only One Group Class Action Plaintiffs, and Transfers Actions to Eastern District of New York Eight class actions – four in New Jersey, two in Illinois and one each in California and New York – were filed against Bayer and various other defendants challenging “Bayer’s marketing and sale of Bayer Aspirin with Heart Advantage or Bayer Women’s Low-Dose Aspirin Plus Calcium, or both...

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CAFA Class Action Defense Cases–Rynearson v. Motricity: Washington Federal Court Remands Class Action Complaint To State Court Holding Defense Failed To Establish Amount In Controversy Under CAFA

Posted on June 04, 2009
Motion to Remand Class Action to State Court Granted because $5 Million Amount in Controversy Required by Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) not Established because “Cost” of Complying with Possible Injunction not Sufficient to Support Removal Jurisdiction Washington Federal Court Holds Plaintiff, a citizen of Florida, filed a class action in Washington state court against Motricity, a Delaware corporation with its principle place of business in Washington; the class action complaint alleged that Motricity, which “represents providers of mobile content in dealing with wireless carriers whose networks and billing services the providers use” and “receives a fee per content transaction billed to cellular telephone users,” violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act by “placing unauthorized charges for mobile content on customers' bills...

Class Action Defense Cases–Williams v. Mohawk Industries: Eleventh Circuit Reverses Denial Of Class Action Treatment Of RICO Complaint And Remands For Further Consideration Of Class Action Certification

Posted on June 03, 2009
Class Action Complaint Alleging Violations of State and Federal RICO laws based on Employer’s Conspiracy to Hire Illegal Workers and Depress Wages of Legal Workers Satisfied Rule 23(a)’s Commonality and Typicality Class Action Requirements, and Requires Further Analysis by District Court as to Whether Rule 23(b)(3)’s Class Action Requirements had been Met Eleventh Circuit Holds Plaintiffs filed a class action against their employer, Mohawk Industries, alleging labor law violations; specifically, the class action complaint asserted that defendant conspired with various temporary employment agencies to hire illegal aliens and depress wages...

CAFA Class Action Defense Cases–Tanoh v. Dow Chemical: Ninth Circuit Holds State Lawsuits With Less Than 100 People Not Removable Under Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA) Because Total Number Of Plaintiffs Cannot Be Combined

Posted on June 02, 2009
Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA), which Authorizes Removal of Class Actions and Treats Certain “Mass Actions” as Class Actions for Purposes of Removal, does not Allow Defendant to Combine Plaintiffs from Separate State Court Lawsuits in Order to Satisfy Numerosity Requirement for Removal Ninth Circuit Holds Seven lawsuits were filed in California state court by 664 plaintiffs against Dow Chemical and others alleging that they were exposed to a Dow chemical product “while working on banana and pineapple plantations” in villages on the Ivory Coast; the lawsuits alleged the chemical exposure caused “a host of serious and permanent injuries…, including sterility and infertility...

Class Action Defense Cases–Simon-Whelan v. The Andy Warhol Foundation: New York Federal Court Denies Motion To Dismiss Class Action Alleging Antitrust Violations In Authentication Of Warhol Works Of Art

Posted on June 01, 2009
Class Action Complaint Alleging Various Defendants Conspired to Wrongfully Deny Authenticity of Warhol Paintings Survives Defense Motion to Dismiss New York Federal Court Holds Plaintiff filed a class action against the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts (a not-for-profit charitable trust), the Estate of Andy Warhol (which was valued at $400 million and which originally owned 100,000 Warhol works of art), Vincent Fremont (the exclusive sales agent for the Foundation’s Warhol paintings) individually and in his capacity as Successor Executor of the Estate, Vincent Fremont Enterprises and the Andy Warhol Authentication Board (a not-for profit corporation responsible for authenticating the works of Andy Warhol) alleging inter alia violations of state and federal antitrust laws; the class action complaint asserted that defendants conspired to control the market for Warhol works...

Employment-Related Class Action Lawsuits Continue To Lead List Of Weekly Class Actions Filed In California State And Federal Courts

Posted on May 30, 2009
As a resource to California class action defense attorneys, we provide weekly, unofficial summaries of the legal categories for new class action lawsuits filed in the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, San Diego, San Mateo, Oakland/Alameda and Orange County areas...

Class Action Defense Cases—In re Satyam: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiff Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation In Southern District Of New York

Posted on May 29, 2009
Judicial Panel Grants Plaintiff Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Unopposed by Other Class Action Plaintiffs or by Common Defendants, and Transfers Actions to Southern District of New York Six class actions – one in California and five in New York – were filed against Orleans Homebuilders and OHB Homes alleging violations of federal securities laws; specifically, the class action complaints “arise from a purported massive financial scandal involving common defendant Satyam Computer Services, Ltd...

Securities Fraud Class Action Defense Cases–In re Zumiez: Washington Federal Court Dismisses Securities Fraud Class Action Holding Allegations In Class Action Complaint Insufficient Under PSRLA

Posted on May 28, 2009
Allegations in Securities Fraud Class Action Failed to Meet Heightened Pleading Requirements under Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA) Warranting Dismissal with Prejudice of Class Action Complaint Washington Federal Court Holds Plaintiffs filed a class action against Zumiez and three individual defendants alleging violations of federal securities laws; the class action complaint asserted that defendants “engaged in a scheme to defraud shareholders by making materially false and misleading statements by making false and misleading statements and engaging in insider trading...

Class Action Defense Cases–In re DC Water & Sewer: District Of Columbia Circuit Denies Permission To Appeal Class Action Certification Order As "Blatantly Untimely" And Criticizes Defendant And Defense Counsel For Filing Petition

Posted on May 27, 2009
Petition under Rule 23(f) for Permission to Appeal Class Action Certification Order Untimely and that Defendant and its Counsel “Would File – and Attempt to Justify – such a Blatantly Untimely Petition” is “Troubling” District of Columbia Circuit Holds Plaintiff filed a class action against DC Water and Sewer Authority (WA SA) alleging violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the class action complaint asserted that WASA engaged in acts of discrimination in the hiring and promotion of employees...

WaMu Class Action Defense Cases–In re Washington Mutual: Washington Federal Court Dismisses Majority Of Securities Fraud Class Action Claims Finding 400-Page 1000-Paragraph Class Action Complaint Lacked Specificity

Posted on May 26, 2009
Sheer Size of Class Action Complaint for Securities Fraud Violations did not Defeat Motions to Dismiss because Class Action Allegations were “Verbose” but “Disordered” and Required “More Definite Statement” Washington Federal Court Holds Three class action complaints were filed against dozens of defendants alleging securities fraud in connection with Washington Mutual home lending business; specifically, the class actions alleged violations of §§ 10(b) and 20(a) of the 1934 Securities and Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 promulgated under § 10(b), and under §§ 11, 12(a)(2) and 15 of the 1933 Securities Act...

Class Action Defense Cases–Baum v. AstraZeneca: Pennsylvania Federal Court Grants Defense Summary Judgment Motion In Labor Law Class Action Holding Plaintiff Properly Classified As Exempt From Overtime Pay

Posted on May 25, 2009
Labor Law Class Action Challenging Defendant’s Classification of Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives as Exempt from Overtime Laws Dismissed on Defense Motion for Summary Judgment because Plaintiff Fell within Outside Sales Exemption Pennsylvania Federal Court Holds Plaintiff, a pharmaceutical sales representative, filed a class action in Pennsylvania state court against her employer, AstraZeneca, alleging labor law violations; the class action complaint asserted that defendant improperly classified her as “exempt” and failed to pay her overtime required by Pennsylvania law...

Surge In Class Action Complaints Filed In California State And Federal Courts Led By ADA Class Actions But Labor Law Actions Continue To Top List Of New Class Action Lawsuits Filed In Past Week

Posted on May 23, 2009
In order to assist class action defense attorneys anticipate the types of class actions against which they will have to defend in California, we provide weekly, unofficial summaries of the legal categories for new class action lawsuits filed in the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, San Diego, San Mateo, Oakland/Alameda and Orange County areas...

Class Action Defense Cases—In re Aetna: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Defense Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation In District Of New Jersey

Posted on May 22, 2009
Judicial Panel Grants Defense Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Opposed by Plaintiffs in One of the Class Actions, and Transfers Actions to District of New Jersey Two class actions – one in Connecticut and one in New Jersey – were filed against Aetna and affiliated entities, and other defendants (including Ingenix and its parent UnitedHealth Group), challenging Aetna’s “policies and practices for reimbursing its plan members’ visits to health care providers that are not part of the Aetna network,” that is, to “nonparticipating” or “out-of-network” providers...

FDCPA Class Action Defense Cases–Lemire v. Wolpoff & Abramson: Connecticut Federal Court Grants Class Action Treatment To FDCPA Class Action Against Law Firm

Posted on May 21, 2009
Class Action Against Law Firm Alleging Violations of Debt Collection Laws Warranted Class Action Treatment over Defense Challenge to Adequacy of Representation based on Claim that Class Action was Filed by “Professional Plaintiff” and over Challenge to Superiority Prong of Rule 23(b)(3) Class Action Certification Test based on Negative Net Worth of Defendant and FDCPA’s 1% Net Worth Cap on Liability Connecticut Federal Court Holds Plaintiff filed a class action against the law firm of Wolpoff & Abramson alleging violations of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)...

AT&T Class Action Defense Cases--AT&T v. Hulteen: Supreme Court Holds Employer Does Not Violate Pregnancy Discrimination Act By Paying Pension Benefits Calculated Under Pre-PDA Accrual Rule Giving Less Retirement Credit For Pregnancy Than Medical Leave

Posted on May 20, 2009
Class Action Failed to Allege Discrimination Against Employer that Calculated Pension Benefits under Pre-Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) Rules, Lawful at the Time, that Gave Less Retirement Credit to Pregnancy Leave than for Medical Leave Supreme Court Holds Plaintiffs filed a class action against AT&T alleging violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the class action complaint asserted that defendant discriminated against employees on the basis of sex and pregnancy by providing pension and other benefits on a seniority system that treated pregnancy differently from other medical conditions...

Securities Fraud Class Action Defense Cases–Vladimir v. Bioenvision: New York Federal Court Grants Motion To Dismiss Securities Fraud Class Action Holding Class Action Complaint Failed To Meet Heightened Pleading Requirements Of PSLRA

Posted on May 19, 2009
Defense Motion to Dismiss Securities Fraud Class Action Granted because Defendants had no Duty to Disclose Merger Discussions Prior before Definitive Merger Agreement Reached and because Anonymous Source Insufficient to Satisfy Heightened Pleading Requirements of PSLRA (Private Securities Litigation Reform Act) New York Federal Court Holds Plaintiffs filed a class action against Bioenvision and certain officers and directors, and Perseus-Soros Biopharmaceutical Fund (Bioenvision’s largest pre-merger shareholder) alleging violations of federal securities laws; the class action complaint alleged violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against Perseus-Soros under section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, and against the individual defendants and Perseus-Soros under section 20(a)...

Prop 64 Class Action Defense Cases–In re Tobacco II: California Supreme Court “Turns Class Action Law Upside Down” And Holds UCL Class Actions May Be Certified Even If Class Members Lack Standing To File Suit In Own Name

Posted on May 19, 2009
Class Actions Alleging Violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) may be Certified as a Class Action even if Putative Class Members Lack Standing to Prosecute UCL Claims in Their Own Name, but Class Representative Alleging Misrepresentation as Basis of UCL Class Action Claim must Demonstrate Actual Reliance on the Defendant’s Allegedly Deceptive or Misleading Statements California Supreme Court Holds A class action lawsuit was filed in California state court against various tobacco industry defendants alleging violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL); specifically, the class action complaint asserted that defendants “conduct[ed] a decades-long campaign of deceptive advertising and misleading statements about the addictive nature of nicotine and the relationship between tobacco use and disease...

TILA Class Action Defense Cases–Frazier v. Accredited Home Lenders: Alabama Federal Court Grants Lender’s Summary Judgment Motion In TILA Class Action

Posted on May 18, 2009
Lender Motion for Summary Judgment as to Class Action Claims Alleging Lender Violated TILA and HOEPA Properly Granted because Disclosed Finance Charges Fell within TILA’s Tolerance for Accuracy and because HOEPA did not Apply as Transaction was not High-Cost Loan Alabama Federal Court Holds Plaintiff filed a class action against Accredited Home Lenders, dba Home Funds Direct, alleging violations of the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act (HOEPA), which requires additional disclosures be made in connection with “high cost” loans; the class action complaint asserted that her lender “improperly understated the finance charge on credit it extended to her” and “failed t comply with the additional disclosure requirements” of HOEPA...

Labor Law Actions Continue To Top List Among Weekly Class Action Lawsuits Filed In California State And Federal Courts But With Comparatively Low Percentage Of New Class Action Filings

Posted on May 16, 2009
As a resource for California class action defense attorneys, we provide weekly, unofficial summaries of the legal categories for new class action lawsuits filed in the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, San Diego, San Mateo, Oakland/Alameda and Orange County areas...

Wal-Mart/Netflix Class Action Defense Cases—In re Online DVD Rental: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiff Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation In Northern District Of California

Posted on May 15, 2009
Judicial Panel Grants Plaintiff Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Supported by Common Class Action Defendants and by Vast Majority of Class Action Plaintiffs, and Transfers Class Actions to Northern District of California Twelve class actions – eleven in the Northern District of California and one in the Western District of Washington – were filed against Wal-Mart and Netflix alleging violations of antitrust laws; specifically, the class action complaints allege “defendants conspired to divide the online DVD rental market in violation of federal antitrust laws...

3M Class Action Defense Cases–Whitaker v. 3M: Minnesota State Court Grants Class Action Treatment To Labor Law Class Action Against 3M Alleging Age Discrimination

Posted on May 15, 2009
Labor Law Class Action Against 3M Alleging Age Discrimination Warranted Class Action Certification Minnesota State Court Holds Plaintiff filed a class action against his employer, 3M, alleging labor law violations; the class action complaint asserted that 3M discriminated against employees on the basis of age with respect to leadership development opportunities, promotion decisions, compensation decisions, and job eliminations...

FACTA Class Action Defense Cases–Leysoto v. Mama Mia: Florida Federal Court Denies Class Action Treatment Of FACTA Class Action Because Potential Liability Vastly Disproportionate To Actual Damages Suffered By Putative Class

Posted on May 14, 2009
FACTA Class Action Seeking $4.6 Million to $46 Million in Statutory Damages from Restaurant with Net Worth of $40,000 did not Warrant Class Action Treatment because Class Action not “Superior” Method of Resolving Dispute Florida Federal Court Holds Plaintiff filed a putative class action in Florida state court against Mama Mia, “a local restaurant in Hollywood, Florida, with approximately $40,000 in net assets”; the class action alleged that defendant violated the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), which requires that merchants truncate credit card and debit card numbers on electronically-printed customer receipts...

Mercedes-Benz Class Action Defense Cases–In re Mercedes-Benz: New Jersey Federal Court Grants Class Action Treatment To Class Action Claims For Unjust Enrichment And Consumer Fraud Based On Analog-Based Tele Aid Sales

Posted on May 13, 2009
Nationwide Class Action Complaint Alleging Unjust Enrichment and Violations of New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act Claims Warranted Class Action Treatment because Sale by Mercedes of Analog-Based Tele Aid Systems Involved Common Issues that Predominated over Individual Issues and because Balance of Rule 23’s Requirements for Class Action Certification had been Satisfied New Jersey Federal Court Holds Ten separate class action lawsuits were filed in six different states against Mercedes-Benz and other defendants arising from vehicles equipped with the “Tele Aid” emergency response system; Mercedes-Benz moved the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to consolidate the class action complaints for pretrial purposes, pursuant to 28 U...

CAFA Class Action Defense Cases–In re Hannaford Bros. v. Sprint: First Circuit Affirms Remand Of Class Action Holding Home State Exception To CAFA (Class Action Fairness Act) Jurisdiction Applies

Posted on May 12, 2009
Class Action on Behalf of Florida Citizens Against Florida Corporation, Removed to Federal Court under Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA), Properly Remanded to State Court because Home State Exception to CAFA Jurisdiction Applies First Circuit Holds Plaintiff filed a class action in Florida state court against Kash N’ Karry Food Stores (a chain of grocery stores in Florida) alleging “alleging that Kash N' Karry had failed to adopt adequate security measures to protect its customers' credit card information...

McDonald’s Class Action Defense Cases–In re McDonald’s French Fries: Illinois Federal Court Denies Class Action Treatment Of Consumer Fraud Class Action Complaint Because Individual Issues Predominate Over Common Issues

Posted on May 11, 2009
Class Action Complaint Alleging Consumer Fraud/Deceptive Practices Based on Alleged Misrepresentation by McDonald’s as to Whether its Potato Products Contained Certain Allergens did not Warrant Class Action Treatment because Individual Issues Predominate Illinois Federal Court Holds Plaintiffs filed a nationwide class action against McDonald’s alleging “violations of all of the fifty states’ and the District of Columbia’s consumer fraud and/or deceptive trade practices acts, breach of express warranty, and unjust enrichment”; the class action complaint asserted that plaintiffs suffer from “certain medical conditions” and were deceived by McDonald’s as to the ingredients contained in its french fries and hash browns...

Unusually High Number Of New Class Actions Filed But Labor Law Class Actions Retain Top Spot Among Weekly Class Action Lawsuits Filed In California State And Federal Courts

Posted on May 09, 2009
In order to assist class action defense attorneys anticipate the types of cases against which they will have to defend in California, we provide weekly, unofficial summaries of the legal categories for new class action lawsuits filed in the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, San Diego, San Mateo, Oakland/Alameda and Orange County areas...

Class Action Defense Cases—In re Bayer: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiffs’ Motions To Centralize Class Action Litigation And Transfers Class Action To Eastern District Of New York

Posted on May 08, 2009
Judicial Panel Grants Plaintiffs’ Separate Requests for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Supported by Defendants, and Transfers Class Actions to Eastern District of New York Eight class actions – four in New Jersey, two in Illinois and one each in California and New York – were filed against various Bayer defendants “arising from Bayer’s marketing and sale of Bayer Aspirin with Heart Advantage or Bayer Women’s Low-Dose Aspirin Plus Calcium, or both...

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