Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal (“Fifth DCA”) upheld a denial of certification in a putative class action seeking refunds of fines paid under a red light camera ordinance, ruling that the application of the voluntary payment defense precluded findings of commonality, typicality, predominance, and superiority. At issue was the City of Orlando’s (“City”) issuance of fines pursuant to an ordinance that allowed for the use of cameras to record vehicles failing to ... Keep Reading »
Archives for June 2018
Must a Plaintiff Representing Unnamed Parties Under California’s Private Attorney General Act Comply with Rule 23’s Requirements?
Must a plaintiff who brings an action under California’s Private Attorney General Act (PAGA) comply with Rule 23’s requirements? Although the Ninth Circuit has not addressed the issue, one California federal district court recently weighed in, reiterating the California Supreme Court’s 2014 decision in Iskanian v. CLS Transp. Los Angeles, LLC that a PAGA action is different than a class action and more akin to a qui tam suit. Plaintiff, a Costco employee, filed suit ... Keep Reading »
District Court Denies Motion for Preliminary Approval of Class Action Settlement Citing Dearth of Information and Failure to Follow Court’s Settlement Guidelines
The District Court for the Northern District of California denied a motion for preliminary approval of a proposed settlement, citing the plaintiffs’ disregard of the court’s guidelines and various concerns as to whether the proposed settlement was “fair, reasonable, and adequate.” The matter involves claims stemming from allegedly defective touch screens and related software in Ford vehicles, and the proposed settlement provided for various forms of monetary relief and ... Keep Reading »
Put This in Your Pipe: Supreme Court Rules 9-0 That American Pipe Tolling Does Not Permit Filing of Serial Class Actions Beyond the Statute of Limitations
As we previously reported, last year the Ninth Circuit in Resh v. China Agritech, Inc., No. 15-55432, 2017 WL 2261024 (9th Cir. May 24, 2017), joined a circuit split when it held that the statute of limitations did not bar a third successive putative class action alleging securities fraud claims against a fertilizer manufacturer. The Ninth Circuit’s decision would have expanded the American Pipe equitable tolling rule to allow absent members of an uncertified class to ... Keep Reading »