This program, presented by Bo Phillips of Alston & Bird, will provide a detailed overview of the range of ethical issues that arise in class action litigation, from discovery issues regarding absent putative class members to the rules regarding settlement negotiations and settlement approvals. The program will address the duties of class counsel, requirements of evidence preservation and litigation hold notice to class members, and disclosures to the class and the court regarding the terms of proposed settlements. The course will also examine recent litigation trends for more rigorous scrutiny of class settlements by both state and federal courts.
Learning Objectives:
Obtain an overview of the ethical issues that arise in class action litigation
Develop best practices for avoiding ethical violations in class action litigation
Explore developing ethical obligations associated with class action settlements by analyzing recent litigation trends in state and federal courts
Robert (“Bo”) D. Phillips, Jr. is a partner in the San Francisco and Los Angeles offices of Alston & Bird. His practice focuses on defending clients in class actions in various jurisdictions around the country, and he has served as lead counsel in more than 100 putative class actions over the past two decades. His recent cases include issues such as alleged false advertising and unfair competition, insurance sales practices, life insurance, and annuity product disclosures and policy performance, product liability, food and nutrition labeling, and a range of employment issues. Bo has written extensively and spoken frequently on ethical issues in litigation practice, and he is a contributor to the American Bar Association’s treatise “A Class Action Practitioner’s Guide” and author of that book’s chapter entitled “Ethical Issues in Class Action Litigation.” Bo is a 1978 graduate of Duke Law School and received his undergraduate degree in 1974 from Davidson College.
Presenter is very experienced and very knowledgeable.