Class Action Defense Cases—In re Vonage IPO: 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, Rejecting Opposition by Plaintiffs in One Class Action based on Pending Motion for Remand of Class Action to State Court Fourteen securities class action lawsuits – 13 in New Jersey and one in New York – were filed against various defendants based on the initial public offering of Vonage common stock. In re Vonage Initial Public Offering (IPO) Securities Litig.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Webloyalty.com Class Action Defense Case—In re Webloyalty.com: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation In The District Of Massachusetts

Judicial Panel Grants Request, Unopposed by Defense, for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 Four class action lawsuits (three in Massachusetts and one in California) were filed against Webloyalty.com and various other defendants alleging that they “engaged in a scheme to defraud consumers whose personal and/or credit card information was accessed by Webloyalty during online transactions (with the defendant web retailer(s) involved in each action) as part of Webloyalty’s Reservation Rewards or other programs.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases—In re National Security Agency: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Denies Requests To Exclude Class Actions From Coordinated/Consolidated Pretrial Proceedings In The Northern District Of California

Judicial Panel Agrees with Government and Telecommunication Company Defense Attorneys that Six Additional Class Action Lawsuits Should be Transferred to Northern District of California for Pretrial Coordination or Consolidation with Class Actions Previously Transferred Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407

Several class action lawsuits were filed against the federal government challenging the government’s “surveillance of telecommunications activity and the participation in (or cooperation with) that surveillance by individual telecommunications companies.” In re National Security Agency Telecommunications Records Litig., ___ F.Supp.2d ___, 2007 WL 549355, *1 (Jud.Pan.Mult.Lit. February 15, 2007). In response to a motion to centralize that litigation, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) held in part that “centralization under Section 1407 was necessary in order to eliminate duplicative discovery, prevent inconsistent pretrial rulings (particularly with respect to matters involving national security),” and transferred the class action cases to the Northern District of California. _Id._ (citing _In re National Security Agency Telecommunications Records Litig._, 444 F.Supp.2d 1332, 1334 (Jud.Pan.Mult.Lit. 2006)). Plaintiffs in a class action pending in Missouri, together with defense attorneys involve in class actions pending in Connecticut, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey and Vermont, moved the Judicial Panel to vacate its orders conditionally transferring the affected class action cases to the Northern District of California for inclusion in the coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings; plaintiffs in the initially centralized actions joined in the motion, opposing transfer of the additional class actions. _In re NSA Telecommunications_, 2007 WL 549355 at *1. The United States and telecommunication company defendants opposed the motions to vacate.

The Judicial Panel denied the motions, reaffirming that these six class actions involve common questions of fact with the class actions previously centralized in the Northern District of California. In re NSA Telecommunications, 2007 WL 549355 at *1. The Panel concluded, “Transfer of these actions is appropriate for reasons expressed by the Panel in its original order directing centralization in this docket.” The Panel explained at page *1:

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases—In re MERSCORP: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiff’s Motion Unopposed By Defense Attorneys To Centralize Class Action Litigation

Judicial Panel Grants Request, Unopposed by Defense, for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 but Selects Southern District of Texas as Appropriate Transferee Court for Class Actions Several class action lawsuits were filed against MERSCORP and Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. challenging mortgage loan registration fees and alleging that the fees violate the federal Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases—In re CitiFinancial: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiff’s Motion Supported By Defense To Centralize Class Action Litigation In Northern District of Illinois

Judicial Panel Agrees with Plaintiffs and Defense that Class Action Cases Warranted Pretrial Coordination Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, Rejecting Arguments of Sole Plaintiff’s Lawyer in Opposition to Request Five class action lawsuits (Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri and Wisconsin) were filed against CitiFinancial Services and others alleging that certain prescreened mailings from Citifinancial violated the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) because defendants improperly used consumer reports for purposes of mailing prescreened offers of credit for loans to plaintiffs and potential class members.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases-In re Lycoming Crankshaft: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Denies Defense Request To Centralize Class Action Litigation In The Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Class Action Lawsuits did not Warrant Pretrial Coordination Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Holds Three class action lawsuits were filed in California and Pennsylvania against various defendants involving crankshaft products liability. Defense attorneys for some of the defendants moved the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 to centralize the lawsuits for pretrial purposes in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; plaintiffs in all class actions opposed pretrial coordination.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

CertainTeed Class Action Defense Case—In re CertainTeed: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiff’s Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation But Selects Northern District of Illinois As Transferee Court

Judicial Panel Grants Request, Unopposed by Defense, for Pretrial Coordination of Class Action Lawsuits Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 in the Easter District of Pennsylvania Eight class action lawsuits were filed against CertainTeed Corp. and other defendants advancing negligence and products liability based on alleged defects in roofing shingles manufactured, warranted, and distributed by CertainTeed. In re CertainTeed Corp. Roofing Shingle Prods. Liab. Litig., ___ F.Supp.2d ___, 2007 WL 549356, *1 (Jud.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases-In re New Century Mortgage: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Denies Defense Request To Centralize Class Action Litigation In The Central District of California

Class Action Lawsuits did not Warrant Pretrial Coordination Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Holds Three class action lawsuits were filed in Indiana and California against New Century Financial, New Century Mortgage and Home123; Indiana plaintiffs’ lawyer moved the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) to centralize the lawsuits for pretrial purposes in the Northern District of Indiana, but then moved to withdraw the request “asserting that they have reached an agreement with plaintiff in [one of] the Central District of California [cases] .

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Bluetooth Class Action Defense Case—In re Bluetooth Headset: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Grants Plaintiff Motion Joined In By Defense Attorneys To Centralize Class Action Litigation In The Central District Of California

Judicial Panel Agrees Pretrial Coordination Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 is Warranted for Class Actions Involving Bluetooth Headsets and Grants Request, Supported by Defense and Plaintiffs in Other Class Actions, to Centralize Litigation in Central District of California Numerous class action lawsuits – seeking both statewide and nationwide class certification – were filed in several states against Motorola, Plantronics, GN Jabra North America and GN Netcom, “seek[ing] relief under various theories of liability, such as unjust enrichment, breach of express and/or implied warranties, and strict products liability” based on the central allegation that use of Bluetooth headsets may cause hearing loss.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized

Class Action Defense Cases-In re Movie Artwork: Judicial Panel On Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Denies Defense Motion To Centralize Class Action Litigation In The Central District of California

Class Action Lawsuits Involving Copyright and Trademark Infringement Claims did not Warrant Pretrial Coordination Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Holds Four class action lawsuits were filed against several defendants alleging various copyright and trademark infringement claims involving “different copyrights and trademarks owned by different entities and covering different movie and cartoon characters.” In re Movie Artwork Copyright Litig., 473 F.Supp.2d 1381, 1382 (Jud. Pan.

Class Action Court Decisions Multidistrict Litigation Uncategorized