Practical Considerations for Class Action Settlements, from Negotiation to Final Court Approval
Litigating the disputes of large numbers of people simultaneously using the class action rules bring special challenges for all parties involved. Trying to resolve such class actions also brings its own special challenges. This program will examine the issues involved in the alternative dispute resolution of class action disputes. Our panelists – who have decades of experience litigating and settling class action cases from both the plaintiff and defense perspectives – will address the unique considerations in negotiating the resolution of class action cases, and specifically how such considerations differ from those in two-party (or even multi-party) litigation.
Topics to be addressed include:
- What are the key substantive and procedural differences between settling a class action and settling a typical two-party case?
- When in the life of a class action case should settlement discussions be held?
- What are the benefits of engaging an alternative dispute resolution professional in a class action case?
- How do you settle a class action when related cases are pending on the same subject?
- How does the involvement of insurance carriers affect class action settlement negotiation?
- How, when and with whom do parties negotiate the issue of plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees?
- What are the ethics issues unique to class actions involved with all of the above?