On July 11, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Townstone Financial, Inc. that the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (“ECOA”) protects prospective applicants and prohibits creditors from discouraging prospective applicants on the basis of sex, marital status, race, color, religion, national origin, or age. Lenders and other financial institutions should take note of Townstone, as it expands the ECOA to apply even before a credit transaction begins.Continue Reading Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Townstone Financial, Inc.
Titanium Dioxide: The Next Big Chemical Compound Driving Class Action Litigation?
A recent lawsuit alleges that Skittles consumers “are at heightened risk of a host of health effects” because Skittles uses titanium dioxide (TiO2). TiO2 is considered an inert and safe material, and for decades has been used in a range of consumer products including house paint, ceramics, paper, and printing inks. In fact, you can
Seventh Circuit Stresses the Distinction Between Article III Standing and Antitrust Standing
Last week, the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit issued an opinion clarifying the distinction between two distinct, but often closely related concepts: Article III standing and the more prudential doctrine known as “antitrust standing.”
Continue Reading Seventh Circuit Stresses the Distinction Between Article III Standing and Antitrust Standing
Re-Evaluating Bifurcated Discovery in Class Actions After a Recent Seventh Circuit Decision
A new Seventh Circuit decision – Santiago v. City of Chicago – bolsters the strategy among some class action defense lawyers to not bifurcate class certification and merits discovery.[i] This strategy instead contemplates that the opposition to Plaintiff’s class certification motion will be filed simultaneously with a motion for summary judgment. The Seventh Circuit’s
Georgia Supreme Court Ruling “in tension” with SCOTUS Precedent on Personal Jurisdiction
Many states have statutes establishing that, as a condition of registering to do business in a state, a foreign corporation consents to general personal jurisdiction in that state. Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Daimler AG v. Bauman, 571 U.S. 117 (2014) tightening the scope of the general personal jurisdiction doctrine, lower courts have
Ninth Circuit Stresses District Court’s Duty to Weigh Competing Expert Evidence at Class Certification
The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a decision recently in Olean Wholesale Grocery Cooperative, Inc. v. Bumble Bee Foods LLC (“Olean Wholesale”), confirming that district courts must rigorously examine competing expert evidence when determining whether the requirements of class certification have been satisfied.
In Olean Wholesale, litigation related
U.S. Supreme Court Adopts Narrow Autodialer Definition in 9-0 Defense Victory
On April 1, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its long-awaited opinion in Facebook v. Duguid, which resolved a circuit split regarding the meaning of “automatic telephone dialing system” (autodialer or ATDS) under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). In a decision authored by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the court adopted the narrow, pro-defendant definition of autodialer.
Continue Reading U.S. Supreme Court Adopts Narrow Autodialer Definition in 9-0 Defense Victory
Will No-Injury Class Actions Have Any Leg to Stand on? U.S. Supreme Court Hears Argument in TransUnion v. Ramirez
On March 30, 2021, the United States Supreme Court heard oral argument in Transunion LLC v. Ramirez, No. 20-297, a case that could have far-reaching implications on absent class member standing, particularly where the injuries of these absent class members would be impossible or difficult to establish. The Court agreed to address whether Article III or Rule 23 permits a damages class action where the vast majority of the class suffered no actual injury, let alone an injury like what the class representative suffered.
Continue Reading Will No-Injury Class Actions Have Any Leg to Stand on? U.S. Supreme Court Hears Argument in TransUnion v. Ramirez
Sixth Circuit Holds Class Certification Evidence Does Not Have to be Admissible
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals’ recent opinion in Lyngaas v. Curaden AG (“Lyngaas”), has important implications for federal class actions regarding personal jurisdiction and the use of non-admissible evidence to support class certification.
In Lyngaas, a plaintiff brought a class action against Curaden AG, a Swiss entity, and its U.S. subsidiary,
McGuireWoods Edits ABA Guide on Infectious Disease Litigation
McGuireWoods partners Davis Walsh and Samuel Tarry are editors of a timely new book providing practical guidance for handling infectious disease litigation, from COVID-19 pandemic disputes to localized outbreaks that require specialized knowledge. “Infectious Disease Litigation: Science, Law & Procedure” is published by the American Bar Association and becomes available Feb. 12.
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