Class Action and Multi-Party Litigation
The adverse impact that class actions have on businesses is well recognized by judges, legislators, and scholars. The mere certification of a class action amplifies the magnitude of potential damages, which can quickly turn a small dispute with a single plaintiff into bet-the-company litigation. Krieg DeVault’s litigators vigorously defend class action lawsuits in a broad range of industries, including financial services, health care, employment, securities, and products liability. This experience extends to aggressively defending employers against wage and hour collective actions brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act. We find strategic and creative solutions for beating back claims brought on behalf of putative classes, whether it be through compelling arbitration, defeating class certification, or prevailing on motions to dismiss or motions for summary judgment. We also work with our clients to secure favorable resolutions through mediation and settlement and to implement improvements to company operations and practices, so they can put the litigation behind them, focus on their business objectives, and minimize future exposure.
Krieg DeVault’s litigators are experienced in handling multi-district litigation (MDL) as well. In fact, our firm served as liaison counsel in one of the most high-profile products liability MDLs pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, in which we were actively involved in the defense of multiple class action claims and over eight hundred personal injury and wrongful death claims. As MDL liaison counsel, we worked closely with the district court to coordinate the activities of all local, regional, and national counsel.
In any large multi-party litigation like a class action or MDL, it is critical that counsel not only be knowledgeable regarding the unique procedures and case management requirements involved, but also be well-equipped to handle the volume of information that is often associated with these types of matters. Krieg DeVault has an E-Discovery and Data Management team to assist with managing all aspects of the discovery process, especially class-wide discovery in today’s electronic age. Our team includes a full-time discovery consultant from LOGICFORCE® who is dedicated to the firm, as well as lawyers and paralegals who are trained to assist clients in managing the e-discovery process. The dedicated in-house support of LOGICFORCE®, coupled with direct on-site access to software products like Relativity® and Legal Hold Pro®, enables us to provide our clients the innovative systems, efficiencies, and cost-savings they would otherwise only have access to through outside vendors. Our data storage capabilities also allow us to securely maintain our clients’ data – from preservation to production to the conclusion of the matter.
The adverse impact that class actions have on businesses is well recognized by judges, legislators, and scholars. The mere certification of a class action amplifies the magnitude of potential damages, which can quickly turn a small dispute with a single plaintiff into bet-the-company litigation. Krieg DeVault’s litigators vigorously defend class action lawsuits in a broad range of industries, including financial services, health care, employment, securities, and products liability. This experience extends to aggressively defending employers against wage and hour collective actions brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act. We find strategic and creative solutions for beating back claims brought on behalf of putative classes, whether it be through compelling arbitration, defeating class certification, or prevailing on motions to dismiss or motions for summary judgment. We also work with our clients to secure favorable resolutions through mediation and settlement and to implement improvements to company operations and practices, so they can put the litigation behind them, focus on their business objectives, and minimize future exposure.
Krieg DeVault’s litigators are experienced in handling multi-district litigation (MDL) as well. In fact, our firm served as liaison counsel in one of the most high-profile products liability MDLs pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, in which we were actively involved in the defense of multiple class action claims and over eight hundred personal injury and wrongful death claims. As MDL liaison counsel, we worked closely with the district court to coordinate the activities of all local, regional, and national counsel.
In any large multi-party litigation like a class action or MDL, it is critical that counsel not only be knowledgeable regarding the unique procedures and case management requirements involved, but also be well-equipped to handle the volume of information that is often associated with these types of matters. Krieg DeVault has an E-Discovery and Data Management team to assist with managing all aspects of the discovery process, especially class-wide discovery in today’s electronic age. Our team includes a full-time discovery consultant from LOGICFORCE® who is dedicated to the firm, as well as lawyers and paralegals who are trained to assist clients in managing the e-discovery process. The dedicated in-house support of LOGICFORCE®, coupled with direct on-site access to software products like Relativity® and Legal Hold Pro®, enables us to provide our clients the innovative systems, efficiencies, and cost-savings they would otherwise only have access to through outside vendors. Our data storage capabilities also allow us to securely maintain our clients’ data – from preservation to production to the conclusion of the matter.
