When a business is faced with class action litigation regarding its products, services or processes, protecting the enterprise's best interests is of paramount importance. LeClairRyan's team of veteran class action litigators understands and appreciates the far-reaching implications of such matters and works closely with domestic and international businesses to strategically and efficiently minimize their exposure. Our proactive approach coupled with our keen business acumen consistently yield favorable and quantifiable results for class action clients across the nation.
Our attorneys conduct early case assessments and craft cost-effective solutions best suited to our clients' business and legal needs, whether it entails litigating through trial, reaching an agreement through arbitration, or resolving a matter before trial. We carefully consider the client's business goals and future success when shaping and implementing a legal strategy.
Our track record speaks for itself—we are well respected for our proven ability to derail class actions by opposing class certification and dismissing claims at the motion to dismiss stage of litigation. With attorneys from coast to coast who are admitted in over 25 jurisdictions, we possess a depth of experience managing multidistrict and class action claims. Put simply, we are a preferred choice for class action litigation irrespective of geography.
We have represented some of the nation's most well known businesses across a spectrum of industries on issues including:
- Labor and employment practices
- Business practices
- Consumer financial services
- Corporate financial services
- Manufactured consumer products, including genetically modified foods
- Manufactured commercial products
- Retail sales and services
- Medical and dental devices
- Pharmaceuticals
- Media and technology
- Securities and shareholder derivative actions
- Information handling and disclosure
- Banking processes and services
Even though class action litigation is subject to a largely consistent legal process, our attorneys value the necessity of a holistic planning approach, taking into account: (1) the client and its brand; (2) the company's internal goals, processes and relationships; (3) the potential effect of the litigation on the client's industry; (4) the products, services or processes at issue; and (5) the applicable legal practices.
Our attorneys also are skilled at representing businesses in the government investigations that often occur as a result of class action litigation. We have long demonstrated our ability to efficiently manage the work associated with class action litigation as well as a related government investigation without developing a prejudice that would impair our ability to succeed in either matter. We also stay abreast of pertinent emerging trends such as recent decisions regarding class action waiver and arbitration provisions, allowing us to consistently provide clients with uncompromised legal counsel.
Class Action Litigation Discovery
LeClairRyan possesses the experience and depth necessary to help businesses involved in class action litigation navigate all aspects of modern discovery. We offer clients a strategically leveraged combination of skilled professionals, secure processes and cutting-edge technologies.
Our discovery professionals are skilled at collecting and reviewing voluminous amounts of electronic and paper documents that are often associated with class action litigation. In addition, we routinely help clients organize their business and record-keeping processes, enabling them to better align with the legal and regulatory requirements that come to bear during litigation.
Understanding that every business operates differently, we approach each project with a client-centric process. By utilizing project teams to offer cost-effective, tailored approaches to each client, our discovery professionals create world-class, custom solutions for projects of all sizes.
Representative engagements:
- Successfully represented company in a class action involving hundreds of plaintiffs claiming exposure to a chloride compound that was found in a water table.
- Successfully defended and resolved hundreds of asbestos claims filed in New York and New Jersey that stemmed from pipe, boiler and electrical work.
- Represent a major consumer product manufacturer in a subrogation action filed in New Jersey involving similar warranty/product liability claims.
- Represent a major consumer product manufacturer in California in a class action case against related to retail installment sales contracts and the certification of used products.
- Represent a pharmaceutical manufacturer in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania against hundreds of claims.
- Defended an 8,000-member fax blasting class action against a Fortune 500 company. Prevailed on a motion for summary judgment. Case then settled through mediation.
- Defended an 800-member insurance bad faith class action against a global health service company. Prevailed on a motion to de-certify the class. Case then settled through mediation.
- Represented employment screening services provider in a class action lawsuit alleging failure to provide proper notice to consumers when reporting public record information for employment purposes. After limited, informal discovery, the suit was dismissed.
- Represented marine and land survey company board chairman, who filed for bankruptcy in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (Houston Division), in a derivative shareholder action. Class and derivative action settled.
- Represented a former insurance officer in a consolidated class action suit filed in United States District Court of Maryland.
- Served as lead counsel to insurance company in claims valued in excess of $2 billion. Settlement reached by developing, negotiating and implementing an alternative dispute resolution program for affected policyholders.
- Defended several Title VII and Section 1981 race discrimination claims against large electronics company in the Fourth Circuit. Class certification was successfully contested, leaving the cases to be tried as multiple plaintiff cases.
- Represented a law firm in Fair Debt Collection Practice Act (FDCPA) case involving approximately 18,000 class members in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Settled favorably.
- Successfully moved to dismiss a putative class action FDCPA case on behalf of a debt collection agency.
- Defended a large New York City landlord-tenant law firm in an FDCPA class action lawsuit.
- Successfully represented a real estate company in a Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act class action case in a federal court in Maryland.
- Successfully defeated class certification in suit alleging that a state and its regents for higher education had discriminated against students in awarding scholarships to institutions of higher learning. Case settled shortly thereafter on favorable terms.
- Represented Austrian funicular train manufacturer in several class action lawsuits arising out of a fire on a funicular train in Kaprun, Austria.
- Represented employment background screening services provider in a third-party action resulting from a Fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA) class action lawsuit against a debt collector. Settlement obtained prior to class certification or significant discovery.
- Defended regional supermarket in a FRCA suit. Case was favorably resolved prior to briefing as a result of class action discovery.
- Represented a residential property manager against allegations of violations of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act due to alleged failure to comply with the adverse action requirements set forth in the statute. Suit dismissed.
- Settled a consumer class action case in Washington, D.C. regarding cell phone rebates prior to class certification.
- Successfully defended and resolved hundreds of asbestos claims filed in New York and New Jersey that stemmed from pipe, boiler and electrical work.
- Represent a major consumer product manufacturer in a subrogation action filed in New Jersey involving similar warranty/product liability claims.
- Represent a major consumer product manufacturer in California in a class action case against related to retail installment sales contracts and the certification of used products.
- Successfully resisted class certification in several FDCPA suits involving banking and financial institutions and their collection agents.
- Defended a securities fraud class action brought against multimedia industry merger. Defeated class certification and successfully moved to dismiss.