In Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez, a decision released in January, a majority of the United States Supreme Court held that an unaccepted Rule 68 offer of judgment by a defendant cannot moot a putative class action....more
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's holding in Campbell-Ewald Company v. Gomez that an unaccepted Rule 68 offer of complete relief does not moot a plaintiff's individual claims, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third...more
OK, maybe it’s not a silver bullet, but at least there might be a tin one. Employment class action litigation is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive even if the employer is absolutely right. But what can an employer do...more
The parameters of Constitutional standing, which have been in flux for decades, are solidifying before our very eyes. In recent months the U.S. Supreme Court has confirmed that a litigant must have a “live dispute” at all...more
A divided U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez that an unaccepted settlement offer or offer of judgment is a legal nullity that cannot moot a case. However, the Court left open the possibility...more
We have an update on Campbell-Ewald, one of the Supreme Court cases we were monitoring last fall. While, contrary to our prediction, the majority decision in Campbell-Ewald, 577 U.S. ___ (2016) appears to deal a blow to...more
On January 20, 2016, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Campbell-Ewald Company v. Gomez, No. 14–857 (Jan. 20, 2016), holding that a defendant cannot moot a plaintiff’s claim under Article III of the U.S....more
What happens when you make an offer they can't refuse . . . and they refuse? The Supreme Court addressed this question in the context of complete relief offers to lead plaintiffs in Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez, a Telephone...more
As noted by this blog on several occasions, the U.S. Supreme Court and several appellate courts have grappled with the question of whether and to what extent a defendant facing a class or collective action can moot a case by...more
An unaccepted Rule 68 offer of judgment that would fully satisfy a named plaintiff’s individual claim does not moot individual or class claims opined the U.S. Supreme Court, resolving a split in the circuits. Campbell-Ewald...more
On January 20, 2016, the Supreme Court of the United States issued an important ruling that will affect employers’ ability to defend against a variety of lawsuits brought as class actions, including employment discrimination,...more
Yet another court has found that an unaccepted Rule 68 Offer of Judgment will not moot a putative class action, even where the offer purports to satisfy all of plaintiff’s demands. Plaintiffs sued in the Eastern District of...more
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez on October 14, 2015, an important case presenting the question of whether a defendant can defeat a class action by offering complete individual relief...more
A fresh Supreme Court term has kicked off, with a new slate of cases awaiting the Court’s decision. Among these cases are several that the automotive industry should keep an eye on, as they impact the law in ways that will...more
On October 1, 2015, U.S. District Judge Mark Kearney rules that Genesis Healthcare LLC (Genesis) did not violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) when it employed a third party to conduct a criminal history background...more
The First Circuit recently joined the Second, Fifth, Seventh, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits in holding that a Rule 68 offer made prior to class certification and rejected by plaintiff does not moot the plaintiff’s claim. The...more
There has been a lot of activity in the federal courts of appeals recently regarding the use of offers of judgment to named plaintiffs in class actions. The Fifth and Seventh Circuits recently held that an unaccepted Rule 68...more
The defendant in a putative class action brought pursuant to the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA), 15 U.S.C. § 1693, et seq., tendered a Rule 68 offer of judgment to the named plaintiff before class certification briefing...more
In a decision issued on August 21, 2015, the First Circuit added its voice to the recent chorus of federal appellate courts holding that an unaccepted Rule 68 offer of judgment, served before a motion for class certification...more
As highlighted in my June 16 blog post, the Supreme Court has granted certiorari, in Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez, No. 14-857 (SCOTUSblog page), to decide whether an offer of complete relief to a named plaintiff renders a...more
As we covered here, the U.S. Supreme Court accepted certiorari in Campbell-Eward Co. v. Gomez, 768 F.3d 871 (9th Cir. 2014), to decide the question of whether a full-relief offer of judgment under Federal Rule of Civil...more
Just two months before the U.S. Supreme Court hears argument in Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez, two federal circuit court panels have ruled on jurisdictional issues presented in the case. Both the Seventh Circuit in Chapman v....more
In a case that began as a putative class action, the Seventh Circuit held that a Rule 68 offer of complete relief does not render litigation moot. Plaintiff in Chapman v. First Index filed a “junk-fax” suit pursuant to the...more
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear two cases during its Fall 2015 term that could further transform the wage and hour class action landscape. We briefly discuss those two cases below. Gomez: The Effect of Rule 68...more
I’ve been delayed a bit in reporting on this, but the October 2015 term of the U.S. Supreme Court is shaping up to be a blockbuster one for class action law. Perhaps even bigger than the October 2010 term, which brought us...more