Class Action News

Last week we described a multi-pronged attack by a gaggle of banks and the Mortgage Electronic Registry System on a proposed class action brought by an Ohio county. The Geauga County prosecutor, represented by Bernstein Liebhard, accused MERS and the banks of improperly recording thousands of loans in their zeal to fuel the mortgage securitization boom, bilking the counties out of fees in the process. The defendants struck back with motions to block class certification and to dismiss the case, arguing that they hadn't broken any laws and that the prosecutor had no standing to represent other counties, especially after bringing in outside counsel.

The Kentucky Supreme Court will hear an appeal from a group of people sickened by the diet-drug fen-phen who say that a $42 million judgment awarded to them from their one-time attorneys should be reinstated.

On May 8, 2012, the California Assembly Judiciary Committee defeated A.B. 1878 (Beth Gaines-R) by a clean party-line vote of 3-7.  This bill would have provided businesses much needed relief from frivolous ADA lawsuits.

While Mississippi's cap on non-economic challenges is still seeking the approval tort reformers were looking for, a state judge has ruled the cap is unconstitutional.