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A new survey released recently reveals that defense spending on class actions in the United States has increased for the seventh straight year and has reached a record-breaking all-time high of over $3 billion in 2021. According to the Carlton Fields’ annual 2022 Class Action Survey, labor and employment claims related to Covid-19 have skyrocketed, especially wage and hour, discrimination, and workplace safety claims.
Food labeling class actions have seen a steady rise in 2021, with courts certifying classes, others settling, and many dismissed outright. In January of this year, Subway customers sued the sandwich giant alleging that its “tuna” actually contains no tuna, generating major headlines and strong denials from the defendant. Now in its third iteration, the plaintiffs’ amended complaint asserts that the “tuna” actually contains proteins from other animals, such as pork, chicken, and meat. Subway has strongly denied these claims, and the litigation is currently pending in the Northern District of California.
Amid surging popularity and increased regulatory interest, virtual or cryptocurrency is facing a new legal challenge – class action lawsuits – as investors and their lawyers target this emerging asset class.
In April 2020, lawyers representing investors filed nearly a dozen class-action lawsuits against major cryptocurrency companies in the Southern District of New York, alleging that these companies defrauded investors by selling unlawful securities via digital tokens. Defendants include big names in the crypto space such as Binance, Block.one, Bitmex, Tron, and others.
Michelle tells us about a challenging gender discrimination case she handled recently (“Jane” vs. “Acme Corporation”) following Jane’s termination by the company.
Recent rule changes and more aggressive scrutiny by courts and class action practitioners have put objectors to class action settlements under a renewed spotlight. Just last week, Southern District of Florida Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman ordered well-known attorney and objector Ted Frank to provide a list of cases in the last ten years in which his and his organization's objections to class action settlements have been struck, and instances in which he has been sanctioned, determined to lack standing, or denied an opportunity to speak at a fairness hearing.
Former President Donald Trump has launched three class-action lawsuits against Twitter, Facebook, and Google-owned YouTube, alleging these social media behemoths of censoring him and a class of similarly situated plaintiffs in violation of the First Amendment and targeting the legality of Section 230 of the Communications Act. All three cases were filed in the Southern District of Florida.
Multi-sport athletes have to have their act together. Moving among different sets of people, sport-specific fundamentals and the obligations you have to multiple sets of teammates and coaches requires adaptability, extra effort and time management skills. Bo Dennis has these traits and has carried with him the lessons from being a three-sport athlete in high school and a two-sport athlete in at the University of Delaware through his career as a trial lawyer and now as a mediator. As you will see, Bo’s career has been among the most diverse. His trial practice clients, fellow members of the bar, and those who mediate with Bo benefit from that broad life experience and how relatable that experience makes him. And the persistence it takes to be an athlete and successful lawyer comes through as well.
In a sweeping ruling analyzing the authority of an MDL Judge to award “holdback” attorneys’ fees to lead counsel for common benefit work, Roundup MDL Judge Vince Chhabria of California refused to hold back for lead counsel 8.25% of all recoveries in state court Roundup cases brought by other attorneys and cases that settled without any lawsuit being filed at all.
A survey released recently reveals that class action spending in the United States is growing at more than twice the rate of other litigation categories, and has reached an all-time high of $2.9 billion in 2020