Judicial Scrutiny of Class Action Settlements: New Standards and Ensuring Timely Release of Attorney's Fees
Recording of a 90-minute CLE webinar with Q&A
This CLE course will discuss recent trends in class action settlements at the preliminary approval, final approval, and this new post-final approval stage.
Outline
- Overview of history leading up to increased judicial scrutiny of class action settlements
- Discussion of actions judges are taking to track class action settlements after granting final approval
- Best practices for counsel to meet increased judicial scrutiny and ensure timely release of attorneys’ fees
Benefits
The panel will review these and other relevant topics:
- What are judges looking for at the preliminary approval stage?
- What are judges asking for at the final approval stage?
- Why are judges beginning to track class action settlements after granting final approval?
- What steps are judges taking during this “third phase” of settlement review?
- What impact is this trend having on the class action settlement process?
- What steps can counsel take to ensure compliance with increased judicial scrutiny?
Faculty
Wystan M. Ackerman
Partner
Robinson & Cole
Mr. Ackerman chairs the firm's Class Action Team and has a national class action defense practice. He has been... | Read More
Mr. Ackerman chairs the firm's Class Action Team and has a national class action defense practice. He has been involved in defending more than 60 class actions in numerous jurisdictions and in many of those cases prevailed on a dispositive motion. Mr. Ackerman has defended putative class action cases involving insurance and financial services, products liability, data breaches, healthcare, consumer contracts, and securities. Mr. Ackerman has chaired the Class Action Special Litigation Group of the Commercial Litigation Committee of the DRI, and is currently Vice Chair of the Class Action and Multidistrict Section of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel.
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James A. Francis
Co-Founder
Francis Mailman Soumilas
Since 1998, Mr. Francis has focused his practice in consumer protection litigation, with a particular concentration in... | Read More
Since 1998, Mr. Francis has focused his practice in consumer protection litigation, with a particular concentration in fair credit reporting, fair debt collection practices and consumer class actions. He has been certified to serve as class counsel in over 35 consumer class actions and has served as counsel the some of the largest FCRA settlements in history. Mr. Francis is a frequent speaker for consumer financial services litigation CLE programs.
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Gerald L. Maatman, Jr.
Partner
Seyfarth Shaw
Mr. Maatman has a primary emphasis in his practice on defending employers sued in employment discrimination class... | Read More
Mr. Maatman has a primary emphasis in his practice on defending employers sued in employment discrimination class actions, wage and hour collective actions, EEOC pattern or practice lawsuits, and civil rights/denial of access class actions brought in federal and state courts throughout the U.S. Mr. Maatman also pioneered the process of conducting employment practices audits to assist employers in structuring effective and practical personnel policies and protocols.
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Alfredo Torrijos
Partner
Arias Sanguinetti Wang Torrijos
Mr. Torrijos prosecutes both individual and class actions in state and federal court, focusing on complex litigation... | Read More
Mr. Torrijos prosecutes both individual and class actions in state and federal court, focusing on complex litigation matters in breach of contract, employment, consumer fraud, bad faith insurance, IP and technology law. He has handled class actions through trial and appeal and has successfully represented consumers in class actions against some of the biggest technology and insurance companies in the country.
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