Despite the significant passage of time since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Shady Grove Orthopedic Associates v. Allstate Insurance, courts continue to wrestle with whether state statutory class action bars are...more
Parties have long argued over whether the filing of a class action tolls the statute of limitations for absent class members so that they can pursue a separate class action if the initial action fails to be certified for any...more
This week, the Eleventh Circuit denied a motion for an en banc rehearing of its July decision to reverse the dismissal of a class action brought in the Northern District of Alabama. The decision in July was premised on the...more
As we have noted in prior posts, many states require courts to bifurcate punitive damages trials upon the defendant’s request. The question therefore arises whether a federal court sitting in diversity must or, at least...more
Numerous states have adopted statutory bans on “unfair” or “deceptive” trade practices. When state legislature enacted those statutes, most of them decided to let consumers sue directly for damages. However, many state...more
The Alabama Deceptive Trade Practices Act’s (ADTPA) restriction on private class actions does not apply in federal court. Federal Rule 23 controls. That’s what the Eleventh Circuit recently held, relying on Shady Grove...more
Dealing a blow to defendants facing consumer fraud litigation in the 11th Circuit, the court of appeals for that circuit has reinstated a class action under the Alabama Deceptive Trade Practice Act (ADTPA), despite that the...more