Hot Topics in Class Actions: Requirements, Rulings, and Cutting-Edge Issues

A successful attorney, whether outside counsel or in-house, needs to understand class actions. The stakes are too high and the results critical. This course provides a detailed breakdown of the information attorneys need to know to excel in this arena: what topics are at issue in today’s class action litigation; what are the requirements; what rules apply, in particular Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 23; what you must demonstrate to succeed in bringing or opposing a class action; how the courts have interpreted the requirements in granting or denying class certification and upholding and dismissing class actions; the timing on a class certification motion; the different types of class actions; the importance of defining the class and the latest issues being litigated; what notice is required to class members and what options prospective class members have; successful decisions in maintaining and challenging class actions; what you need to know about settling class actions; when you can settle a class action complaint; your best options as a defendant to settle a class action; how the rules on offer of judgment and statutory limits on damages affect settlement possibility; how the merits affect class certification; how discovery is used in class actions; the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA); how class actions for injunctive relief are treated; how class actions treat damages and the different types of awards to class members; the requirements to be an adequate class action representative, to be class action counsel, and to be lead counsel; how attorney’s fees are considered in class actions; how class action waivers and arbitration clauses have affected class actions; what the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is considering about class actions; and the important rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court and what is currently before the Court in the class action field. 

In this comprehensive presentation, attorney Jay Safer guides viewers in making important decisions on how to proceed or defend class actions. Whether new or experienced, in-house or outside counsel, viewers will finish the program primed with the knowledge necessary to be successful class action litigators, benefiting both their practice and their clients.

Learning Objectives:

I.     Identify the applicable rules applying to class actions

II.    Comprehend the requirements to bring or oppose a class action and how they are being applied today

III.   Grasp the different types of class actions and how they affect your case

IV.   Learn the rules on class certification

V.    Delineate the issues in defining the class

VI.   Understand notice requirements

VII.  Identify the decisions that must be considered as counsel for the plaintiff class and defendants