Class Action Defense Cases—In re Orleans Homebuilders: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Defense Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation In Southern District Of Texas

Judicial Panel Grants Defense Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Unopposed by Class Action Plaintiffs, and Transfers Actions to Southern District of Texas Nineteen (19) class actions – seven in the District of New Jersey; two in the Southern District of Texas; and one each in the Middle District of Alabama, the District of Arizona, the Eastern District of California, the Southern District of California, the Northern District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the District of Kansas, the Western District of Missouri, the Northern District of Ohio, and the Eastern District of Wisconsin – were filed against Heartland Payments Systems arising from an “electronic intrusion into Heartland’s processing system.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

FedEx Class Action Defense Cases–In re FedEx Ground: Indiana Federal Court Grants Class Action Certification Motions As To Certain State Labor Law Class Action Claims And Denies Class Action Treatment As To Five State Lawsuits

Labor Law Class Actions, Coordinated for Pretrial Purposes by Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, Warranted Class Action Treatment under Certain State Laws but failed to Satisfy Prerequisites for Class Action Treatment under Other State Laws Indiana Federal Court Holds

Numerous class action lawsuits were filed in various states against Federal Express alleging labor law violations in that FedEx allegedly failed to pay certain delivery drivers overtime and other wages; ultimately, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation coordinated the class actions for pretrial purposes in the Northern District of Indiana. In re FedEx Ground Package System, Inc., Employment Practices Litig., ___ F.3d ___ (N.D.Ind. July 27, 2009) [Slip Opn., at 1 _et seq._]. In October 2007 and March 2008, the district court resolved “the first of three wages” of class action certification motions involving putative class actions that had been filed in 28 states. _Id._, at 1 (and see Note, below). Plaintiffs in 14 of the remaining class actions, filed in at least 11 different states, moved the district court to certify their lawsuits as class actions (or as collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)), _id._, at 1-2. The district court explained that in considering whether to grant class action treatment with respect to the states at issue, “Analysis focuses primarily on whether the substantive law governing the motion allows resolution, without extrinsic evidence, of whether the Operating Agreement and policies applicable to the entire class create an employment relationship, and whether a would-be employer’s conduct can convert an employment relationship (as defined in the employment contract) into an independent contractor relationship.” _Id._, at 2.

Given the length of the district court’s opinion, and the detailed analysis involved in considering each state’s laws, we provide here only the court’s conclusions. First, the district court granted the motion by Arizona plaintiffs to certify their lawsuit as a class action, see In re FedEx, at 4-5. Second, the court denied the motion by Colorado plaintiffs to certify their lawsuit as a class action, id., at 7. Third, the court denied the motion by Connecticut plaintiffs to certify their lawsuit as a class action, id., at 9. Fourth, the court denied the motion by certain plaintiffs for conditional certification of a collective action under the FLSA, id., at 16. Fifth, the court granted the motion by Georgia plaintiffs to certify their lawsuit as a class action, id., at 24. Sixth, the court granted the motion by Louisiana plaintiffs to certify their lawsuit as a class action with respect to certain claims for relief, but denied the motion with respect to other claims for relief, id., at 39-40. Seventh, the court denied the motion by certain plaintiffs to certify as a class action their lawsuit under the Motor Carrier Safety Act, id., at 43-44. Eighth, the court granted the motion by Nevada plaintiffs to certify their lawsuit as a class action with respect to a statutory claim brought under Nev. Rev. Stat. Ch. 608, but otherwise denied the motion with respect to all other claims for relief, id., at 50. Ninth, the court granted the motion by North Carolina plaintiffs to certify their lawsuit as a class action, id., at 52. Tenth, the court granted the motion by Ohio plaintiffs to certify their lawsuit as a class action, id., at 56. Eleventh, the court granted the motion by Oregon plaintiffs to certify their lawsuit as a class action with respect to all claims for relief except for the rescission claim, id., at 67. Twelfth, the court denied the motion by Vermont plaintiffs to certify their lawsuit as a class action, id., at 78.

Certification of Class Actions Class Action Court Decisions Employment Law Class Actions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

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

Judicial Panel Grants Defense Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Over Objection of Class Action Plaintiffs, and Transfers Actions to Southern District of New York Three class actions – two in New York and one in Pennsylvania – were filed against Citigroup and others alleging that “Citigroup entities and/or its employees made misrepresentations or omissions in the context of the sale of auction rate securities (ARS).

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases—In re Comcast: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiff Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation In Eastern District Of Pennsylvania

Judicial Panel Grants Plaintiff Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Rejects Request of Overwhelming Majority of Responding Parties for Transfer to Northern District of Illinois, and Transfers Actions to Eastern District of Pennsylvania as Requested by Moving Party Nine class actions –three each in Illinois and Pennsylvania, and one each in the Eastern and Northern Districts of California, and the Southern District of West Virginia – were filed against Comcast and others alleging antitrust violations; specifically, the class action complaints allege that “Comcast improperly tied and bundled the lease of cable boxes to the ability to obtain premium cable services in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases—In re LandAmerica: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiff Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation In District of South Carolina

Judicial Panel Grants Defense Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 and Agrees to Transfers Class Actions to District of South Carolina Two class actions – one in California and one in South Carolina – were filed against various defendants, including LandAmerica and SunTrust Banks, “on behalf of individuals and entities that sought to enter into a Section 1031 tax-deferred exchange and entrusted money to facilitate the exchange with the qualified intermediary LandAmerica 1031 Exchange Services, Inc.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

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

Judicial Panel Grants Unopposed Defense Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, and Transfers Actions to Southern District of New York Thirty (30) individual and class action lawsuits were filed against Bank of America and other defendants arising out of “alleged misrepresentations and omissions made in the context of Bank of America’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.”; 28 of the lawsuits had been filed in New York, and one each in California and Kansas.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases—In re Cox Enterprises: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Defense Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation But Transfers Class Actions To Western District Of Oklahoma

Judicial Panel Grants Defense Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Unopposed by Class Action Plaintiffs, but Transfers Actions to Western District of Oklahoma Four class actions – two in Louisiana and one in Arizona and Georgia – were filed against various defendants, including Cox Enterprises, Cox Communications, Cox Communications Louisiana, Cox Communications New Orleans, and CoxCom (collectively “the Cox defendants”), together with an additional 14 potentially-related class action alleging antitrust violations; specifically, the class action complaints allege “that Cox improperly tied and bundled the lease of cable boxes to the ability to obtain premium cable services in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases—In re Oral Sodium Phosphate: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Defense Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation In Northern District Of Ohio

Judicial Panel Grants Defense Request for Pretrial Coordination of 38 Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, and Transfers Actions to Northern District of Ohio even though Only One of the Class Actions was Pending in that District Thirty-eight (38) class actions were filed against common defendant C.B. Fleet (Fleet) and various defendants alleging products liability claims; specifically, the class action complaints allege oral sodium phosphate solution-based (OSPS) products by Fleet were unsafe and caused personal injuries because they “high doses of OSPS products could lead to acute phosphate nephropathy, a type of kidney injury, and that Fleet knew of the risks associated with high doses of OSPS but downplayed or obscured those risks.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

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

Judicial Panel Grants Defense Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Unopposed by Class Action Plaintiffs, and Transfers Actions to District of New Jersey Six class actions – two in Massachusetts and one each in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania – were filed against Staples alleging violations of state and federal labor laws; specifically, the class action complaints allege that Staples failed to pay its assistant, operations and/or sales managers overtime pay under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and/or various state wage and hour statutes.

Class Action Court Decisions Employment Law Class Actions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases—In re Payless ShoeSource: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Defense Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation In Eastern District Of California

Judicial Panel Grants Defense Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Unopposed by Class Action Plaintiffs, and Transfers Actions to Eastern District of California Two class actions – one in Central District of California and one in the Eastern District of California – were filed against Payless ShoeSource alleging violations of California’s Song-Beverly Act; specifically, the class action complaints allege that Payless “requests and records customers’ personal identification information in violation of California Civil Code § 1747.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized