Class Action Defense Cases—In re Toys “R” Us: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Defense Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation In Central District of California

Judicial Panel Grants Defense Request for Pretrial Coordination of Two Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Opposed by Illinois Class Action Plaintiffs, and Transfers Actions to Central District of California Two putative nationwide class actions were filed in the Central District of California and the Northern District of Illinois against Toys “R” Us alleging violations of the federal Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA); specifically, the class action complaints allege that defendant printed “certain credit and debit card information on customer receipts” in violation of FACTA.

Class Action Court Decisions Class Actions In The News FCRA Class Actions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

TILA Class Action Defense Cases–Christ v. Beneficial: Eleventh Circuit Reverses Class Action Certification And Damage Award In Truth-In-Lending-Act Class Action Holding TILA Does Not Authorize Actions Seeking Private Injunctive Relief

Private Injunctive Relief Unavailable Under Truth in Lending Act, so District Court in TILA Class Action Seeking such Relief Improperly Granted Class Action Treatment under Rule 23(b)(2) and Erred Further in Awarding $22 Million in Damages as “Restitution or Disgorgement” under Declaratory Judgment Act Eleventh Circuit Holds

Plaintiff filed a class action against Beneficial Florida, Inc. and numerous affiliates (the Bank) alleging violations of the federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA) in the disclosures made by the Bank in connection with a $2000 loan; the class action complaint alleged that the Bank violated TILA by listing the fee for non-filing insurance (NFI) in the wrong column on the disclosure form. Christ v. Beneficial Corp., ___ F.3d ___ (11th Cir. October 28, 2008) [Slip Opn., at 1-2]. Specifically, the class action alleged that the Bank disclosed the NFI as an “amount charged” when it should have been disclosed as a “finance charge,” _id._, at 4. In part, plaintiff’s class action complaint sought damages, injunctive relief, declaratory relief, and disgorgement, _id._, at 4-5. The Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation centralized the class action with other related class actions against the Bank in the Middle District of Alabama, and ultimately the Alabama federal court certified a nationwide class action against the Bank under Rule 23(b)(2), _id._, at 5-6, which authorizes class actions where a defendant acted “on grounds that apply generally to the class, so that injunctive relief or corresponding declaratory relief is appropriate respecting the class as a whole,” FRCP Rule 23(b)(2). In certifying the class action, the district court held that “[i]njunctive and declaratory relief are available under TILA,” _id._, at 6 (citation omitted). The district court later granted summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff class “and awarded injunctive relief and over $22 million in restitution and disgorgement pursuant to the Declaratory Judgment Act.” _Id._, at 3. The Eleventh Circuit reversed.

The Eleventh Circuit primarily addressed whether “private injunctive relief” is available under TILA: it noted that TILA is silent on the issue, neither expressly authorizing such relief nor prohibiting it, and that the district court “inferred from TILA’s silence that TILA provides private injunctive relief.” Christ, at 8. Based on its detailed analysis, the Circuit Court disagreed. See id., at 8-12. The Eleventh Circuit then held that certification of a Rule 23(b)(2) class action was inappropriate because the Declaratory Judgment Act, standing alone, would not support such an order. Id., at 12. The Court explained, “The relief sought under the Declaratory Judgment Act is essentially a declaration of liability under TILA, and can only ‘lay the basis for a damage award rather than injunctive relief.’” Id. (citation omitted). Accordingly, because it held that TILA did not authorize private injunctive relief, the Eleventh Circuit vacated the class action certification order. Id.

Certification of Class Actions Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation RESPA/TILA Class Actions Uncategorized

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

Judicial Panel Grants Plaintiff Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Unopposed by any Responding Parties, and Transfers Actions to Western District of North Carolina Three class actions – one in California, Illinois and North Carolina – were filed against LendingTree and other defendants alleging that LendingTree failed to “limit access to and/or adequately safeguard private customer information in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

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Class Action Defense Cases—In re Countrywide Financial: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Defense Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation But Transfers Class Actions To Southern District of California

Judicial Panel Grants Defense Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Opposed by Some Class Action Plaintiffs and Two Attorneys General, but Transfers Actions to Southern District of California Seven class actions – three in the Central District of California, two in the Southern District of California, one in Illinois and one in Kentucky – were filed against Countrywide Financial Corp. and affiliated entities; the various class action complaints “aris[e] out of allegations that Countrywide engaged in predatory lending practices by (1) originating and/or servicing residential mortgages in an unlawful, unfair or deceptive fashion, (2) misrepresenting or concealing the terms, risk, or suitability of the loans; and/or (3) placing borrowers in loans that they could not afford.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation RESPA/TILA Class Actions Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases—In re Epogen & Aranesp: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiff’s To Centralize Class Action Litigation But Send Class Actions Back To Central District Of California

Judicial Panel Grants Plaintiff Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Over Objection of Certain Class Action Plaintiffs and Defendants and Objection of Common Defendant, but Transfers Class Actions Back to Central District of California, Where Class Actions Originally had been Filed Five nationwide class actions were filed in five different federal courts against common defendant Amgen and various other defendants; the class action lawsuits “concern[ed] Amgen’s marketing of its Epogen and Aranesp anemia drugs, and they also all involve alleged violations of California statutory law.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases—In re Family Dollar Stores: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiffs’ Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation But Transfers Class Actions To Western District Of North Carolina

Over Objection of Defense Attorneys, Judicial Panel Grants Plaintiffs’ Request for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, but Agrees with Defendant that Class Actions should be Centralized in Western District of North Carolina Nine class action lawsuits were filed against Family Dollar Stores alleging violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); specifically, the class action complaints alleged that under the FLSA defendant’s store managers are entitled to overtime pay.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases—In re Aqua Dots: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Defense Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation In Northern District of Illinois

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 Northern District of Illinois Seven class actions were filed against defendants Spin Master Ltd. and Spin Master, Inc. in six federal district courts – one in New Jersey and one in Pennsylvania – arising out of the “design and manufacture of Aqua Dots” and/or challenging “the adequacy of the November 2007 voluntary recall of this product.

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Class Action Defense Cases—In re Puerto Rican Cabotage: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiff Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation But Transfers Class Actions To District Of Puerto Rico

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 Defendants, but Rejects Southern District of Florida in Favor of District of Puerto Rico as Appropriate Transferee Court Five class actions – three in the Southern District of Florida, one in the Middle District of Florida and one in the District of Puerto Rico – were filed against Horizon Lines and others alleging “that defendants conspired to fix prices of cabotage services to and from Puerto Rico in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

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MDL Antitrust Class Action Defense Cases–In re New Motor Vehicles: First Circuit Affirms Dismissal Of Class Action Holding Plaintiffs Lacked Standing To Prosecute Claims In Antitrust Class Action Complaint Because They Are “Indirect Purchasers”

Class Action Plaintiff Lessees of Vehicles were “Indirect Purchasers” – not “Direct Purchasers” – within the Meaning of Illinois Brick and therefore Lacked Standing to Prosecute Antitrust Claims in Class Action Complaint First Circuit Holds Plaintiffs, lessees of new cars, filed a class action against various automobile manufacturers alleging violations of the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act; the antitrust class action complaints alleged that “defendant manufacturers conspired to restrict the flow of cheaper Canadian cars into the U.

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Class Action Defense Cases–In re ConAgra: Georgia Federal Court Denies Class Certification Motion Holding Proposed Products Liability Class Action Lacked Typicality And Failed Predominance And Superiority Test

Class Action Seeking Economic and Personal Injury Damages Resulting from Sale of Contaminated Peanut Butter not Entitled to Class Action Certification because Rule 23(a)’s Typicality Test and Rule 23(b)(3)’s Predominance/Superiority Test not Satisfied Georgia Federal Court Holds

Numerous individual and class action lawsuits were filed against ConAgra arising out of peanut butter contaminated with Salmonella. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated the various individual and class action lawsuits in the Northern District of Georgia, after which a master class action complaint was filed that sought to represent two nationwide classes: (1) purchasers of peanut butter “rendered unusable and valueless” by ConAgra’s recall, and (2) consumers of contaminated peanut butter who suffered personal injury. by the February 14, 2007 recall of such peanut butter.” In re ConAgra Peanut Butter Products Liab. Litig., ___ F.Supp.2d ___ (N.D. Ga. July 22, 2008) [Slip Opn., at 3-4]. The class action complaint sought to recover damages under an “unjust enrichment” theory with respect to the first class, and personal injury damages as to the second class. _Id._, at 4. Plaintiffs moved the district court to certify the litigation as a class action; the district court denied the motion. _Id._, at 1.

The event itself was uncontested: the FDA issued a warning concerning ConAgra’s peanut butter in February 2007, and by May 2007, the Center for Disease Control had confirmed that 628 people in 48 states had been infected by Salmonella-tainted peanut butter, and more than 70 people required hospitalization. In re ConAgra, at 1-2. ConAgra recalled all of the potentially-contaminated products. Testing revealed that less than 2% of the jars contained Salmonella, but ConAgra “offered full refunds to all purchasers of recalled peanut butter.” Id., at 3. The district court noted that the recall “received a lot of publicity” and that there was “widespread participation in the refund program.” Id. Specifically, by January 2008 ConAgra had “refunded $2,984,308.68 directly to consumers, representing 941,302 jars of peanut butter” and had “reimbursed retailers $30,665,293.00 for inventory that was in the retailers’ possession at the time of the recall or for product returned to the retailers by customers.” Id.

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