Class Actions

Class actions are often brought against corporations -- some are legitimate, many are not. They are often brought against product manufacturers, or against a company or its officers on behalf of a class of shareholders.

Class actions demand knowledge of the specialized procedures and experience with the unique risks of this type of litigation. Frost Brown Todd brings this knowledge and experience to bear across the spectrum of commercial, tort, insurance, and labor litigation. We have a long history of successful results in class actions, multi-district litigation, serial litigation and other forms of mass litigation.

Experience

  • Product Liability: We have extensive experience litigating class actions and serial litigation involving pharmaceuticals (Rezulin, Phen-Fen, Oxycontin, Propulsid, Omniflox, Tylenol, DES, Baycol, Halcion), medical devices (breast implants, orthopedic bone screws, mechanical heart valves, latex gloves), consumer products (halogen lamps, lead paint, synthetic stucco), food and tobacco.
  • Mass Disasters: We have long been active in defending class actions that involving fires (Rhode Island Station Club, San Juan Dupont Plaza Hotel, Happy Land Social Club, MGM Grand Hotel, Beverly Hills Supper Club, Younkers Department Store, 6th Avenue Telephone Exchange, One Meridian Plaza), explosions (Oklahoma City bombing, Louisville Sewer Explosion), and airplane crashes (Air Canada Flight 797, 2006 Comair crash in Lexington, Kentucky).
  • Other Torts: Our class action experience includes other tort actions as well, such as employer intentional torts, invasion of privacy claims, toxic torts, and environmental claims.
  • Securities: We have defended accounting firms in many class actions involving alleged violations of Rule 10(b)-5 and other securities laws. We have defended companies in securities law class action involving alleged material misstatements and omissions, share offerings, tender offers, and minority shareholders. We have also prosecuted securities law claims on behalf of plaintiff classes, including a Ponzi scheme.
  • Antitrust and RICO: We have defended HMOs, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and financial institutions in class actions alleging unlawful agreements among competitors.
  • Business and Banking: We have represented financial institutions and other businesses in class action cases involving, among other areas, health care benefits and consumer financing.
  • Insurance: We have defended insurers against class actions alleging bad faith, unfair denial of coverage, vanishing premiums and churning, and inadequate dividends.
  • Labor/Employment: We have represented employers in class actions alleging gender and race discrimination, employer intentional torts, violations of ERISA, and violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act.  We also have experience in defending collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Equal Pay Act, and Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

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Legal Spotlight

FBT success in Class Action suits

Frost Brown Todd’s class action attorneys have often defeated certification of proposed classes. Here are just a few of our success stories.

Click here to read more.