Class-Action Sanctions Against Lawyers Threaten Other Cases

Arkansas Business discusses a district judge's sanctions of 16 attorneys in an insurance class-action case with Center for Class Action Fairness's Ted Frank. 

The sanctions could also hurt the plaintiffs’ attorneys when they ask that their cases be certified as class actions by a judge, said Ted Frank, director of the CEI’s Center for Class Action Fairness in Washington.

“The defendant will argue that these guys aren’t going to represent the class under federal rules adequately, and you should deny the certification,” he said. “It’s possible that the judge might agree with that, which would adversely affect their class-action practice.”

Still, a number of questions remain as to what the impact of the sanctions will be, said Frank, of the Center for Class Action Fairness. “There’s a lot that’s uncharted here because most judges don’t scrutinize proceedings this closely,” he said. “And most judges don’t act to protect class members like this.”

Read the full article at Arkansas Business.