When Is A Statutory Violation—Without More—Sufficient To Confer Standing
When the United States Supreme Court decided Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, 136 S. Ct. 1540 (2016), a little over a year ago, many lawyers believed the court’s decision would settle a rather simple question: if a defendant violates a statute, is that sufficient for a… Read More
Ninth Circuit Rejects “Administratively Feasible” Requirement in Ascertainability Dispute
As expected, the Ninth Circuit has joined the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Circuits in rejecting the Third Circuit’s “administratively feasible” prong of the ascertainability requirement for class certification. Briseno v. ConAgra Foods, Inc., — F.3d —, 2017 WL 24618 (9th Cir. Jan. 3, 2017). But… Read More
Seventh Circuit Tosses “No Injury” FACTA Claim After Spokeo
The Seventh Circuit has issued the first opinion of a federal court of appeals addressing, under Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, 136 S. Ct. 1540 (2016), whether a plaintiff has standing to sue under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et… Read More
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Class ActionsThe Second Circuit Blesses Post-Jury Verdict, Pre-Judgment Decertification
This post was co-authored by Carla Graff, a summer associate with Montgomery McCracken and Charles B. Casper, a partner and chair of Montgomery McCracken’s Class Action Defense Practice Group. How long does the judicial obligation to ensure proper class certification last? According to the Second Circuit, it… Read More
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Class ActionsIf You Conduct Business in New Jersey You Need to Review Your Online Terms and Conditions
Companies that do business in New Jersey have seen a sharp spike in class actions alleging their Web sites violate the New Jersey Truth-in-Consumer Contract, Warranty, and Notice Act, 56 N.J.S.A. § 56:12-14, et seq. (“TCCWNA”). The statute has caused headaches for companies for a… Read More
U.S. Supreme Court Rules Concrete Harm Is Required to Sue for Statutory Damages
For the second time in four years, the U.S. Supreme Court passed up an opportunity to decide what constitutes the concrete injury needed for standing when Congress authorizes individuals to sue for statutory damages for violation of a federal statute. In Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins,… Read More
“Non-GMO”: The Food Labeling Class Action Train Is NOT Running Out of Steam
This week, I shared perspectives on non-GMO labeling with respect to two topics that should be driving the discussion among those at the board room table and those serving as the company’s counsel: (1) what measures should food manufacturers contemplate to minimize risk exposure as… Read More
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Class ActionsStill Standing: Data Breach Class Action Against P.F. Chang’s Revived on Appeal
This guest post was authored by our colleague Stephen A. Grossman, a partner and chair of Montgomery McCracken’s Data Privacy and Cybersecurity practice, and co-chair of its E-Discovery practice. He can be reached at sgrossman@mmwr.com or 856-488-7767. We have previously written here and here on… Read More
Supreme Court Says Plaintiffs in Class and Collective Actions Can Sometimes Use Averages and Representative Samples to Prove Elements of Their Case
The Supreme Court decided yesterday, in Tyson Foods, Inc. v. Bouaphakeo, No. 14-1146, 2016 WL 1092414 (U.S. Mar. 22, 2016), that the named plaintiffs in a wage-and-hours case could use an expert’s calculation of the average time a representative sample of workers took to put… Read More
Food Labeling Litigation in 2016: The Sun Never Sets
This past September, I blogged about the brewing battle over Vermont’s controversial GMO labeling law (“Act 120”), which was approved May 8, 2014 and is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2016. Since then, not only has the Vermont GE controversy taken on national and constitutional… Read More