testimony. When should a defense expert be retained, on what subjects, and how should they plan their support of the defense efforts to block class certification? The competing expert testimony typically centers on whether the claims can be proven with common evidence although they can be used for many other purposes (e.g., numerosity, feasibility of notice, merits issues, etc.). Daubert motions, which test the admissibility of expert testimony, are an essential part of almost every class certification battle, and the U.S. Supreme Court has focused on expert testimony in several of its recent class certification decisions. Does the court apply the same Daubert standard at class certification as it does before trial? Does the expert rely upon admissible evidence? Does the testimony “fit” the legal theory and claims? Would the testimony be admissible in an ordinary single plaintiff case? Should the plaintiff or defendant hire a consulting expert to assist in litigating the case? How can an expert use sampling to support claims of class-wide liability or impact? Finally, corporations must consider settlement from the very beginning of a class action and the desire for a final global resolution can drive decision-making in terms of overall defense strategies. Defendants may decide not to remove or compel arbitration; plaintiffs may avoid issuing press releases to avoid copycat cases. Settlement on a class-wide basis pose myriad strategic issues. When the defense has decided to settle, a corporation will normally want the most expansive class definition and the broadest release, even though it has vociferously opposed any certification earlier in the case. When the terms of a settlement are finally hammered out, the plaintiff’s lawyers and defense counsel share a common goal of obtaining approval and will then join forces to this end and against any objectors who oppose the accord. These crucial questions are inevitably posed by any class action litigation. By their very nature, class actions involve decisions on strategy at every turn. The positions of the parties are constantly changing and corporate defendants must always be looking ahead and anticipating issues during every phase of the litigation. We hope the Duane Morris Telephone Consumer Protection Act Review provides practical insights into complex potential strategies relevant to all aspects of class action litigation and other claims that can cost billions of dollars and require changed business practices in order to resolve.
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© Duane Morris LLP 2024
Duane Morris TCPA Class Action Review – 2024
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