Earlier today, the Supreme Court denied certiorari in two highly anticipated appeals of decisions by the Sixth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeals to grant class certification over breach of warranty claims involving allegedly defective washing machines. The denial of cert in Butler v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., Nos. 11-8029, 12-8030 (7th Cir., Aug. 22, … Continue Reading
Editor’s Note: This blog post was originally published on ClassActionBlawg.com and is reprinted with permission. One of the key questions in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Comcast Corp. v. Behrend is the extent to which damages must be susceptible to classwide calculation in order to justify class certification. In particular, the question is … Continue Reading
In Butler v. Sears, Roebuck and Co., No. 11-8029 (7th Cir. Nov. 13, 2012), a decision authored by Judge Richard Posner, the Seventh Circuit ruled that the question of predominance in class actions “is a question of efficiency,” whether it’s more efficient to litigate issues on a class-wide basis or all issues in separate trials. While … Continue Reading
In Thorogood v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 2012 WL 1508226 (7th Cir. May 1, 2012), the Seventh Circuit considered the propriety of an All Writs Act injunction in the face of a copy-cat class action for a “near-frivolous” claim. After detailing the abuse of the class action device by the plaintiffs’ lawyers, the Court nevertheless … Continue Reading
Posted in Consumer Class Action
