Virginia is currently one of just two states, along with Mississippi, without state-court class actions. But in the most recent legislative session, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 259, which would create a class action mechanism in Virginia state courts. Under Virginia law, Governor Youngkin can sign the bill, veto it, do nothing (which permits it to become law)—or he can propose amendments to the bill, which would then be sent back to the General Assembly at the “veto session” in April.
Continue Reading The Legislation Enacting Virginia’s New Class Action Statute Should Be Amended to Protect Virginia Businesses From In Terrorem Statutory Damages

In recent years, consumers filed a spate of class actions claiming that retailers misrepresented the retail price on discounted goods to mislead consumers into thinking they were obtaining a bargain. Many of those cases settled or were dismissed for lack of injury because plaintiffs failed to allege that the purchased item was deficient in an objectively identifiable way.
Continue Reading Does Being “Left to Guess” Establish Standing for Injunctive Relief After TransUnion?

On February 10, 2023, an Illinois federal district court ordered the dismissal of a putative class action lawsuit alleging that an online tool that allowed users to virtually try on sunglasses violated the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act.
Continue Reading Court Rules that BIPA Health Care Exemption Applies to Sunglasses Virtual Try-On Tool

Plaintiff’s firms continue to file variations of state law wiretapping lawsuits over “session replay” software and “live chat” or “chatbot” applications in various jurisdictions. These filings typically allege that companies use such software tools to record users’ interactions with a website without first obtaining users’ consent, thereby violating the wiretapping, eavesdropping, or interception provisions of various state laws.
Continue Reading Class Action Lawsuits Continue Targeting Companies For Tracking Users’ Website Activity

On February 14, 2022, Noom Inc., a popular weight loss and fitness app, agreed to pay $56 million, and provide an additional $6 million in subscription credits to settle a putative class action in New York federal court. The class is seeking conditional certification and has urged the court to preliminarily approve the settlement.
Continue Reading Fitness App Agrees to Pay $56 Million to Settle Class Action Alleging Dark Pattern Practices

The Second Circuit just affirmed the dismissal of a data breach class action predicated on an alleged increased risk of identity theft on Article III standing grounds. 
Continue Reading Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Data Breach Class Action on Article III Standing Grounds, Citing Unanimity of Circuits on “Increased Risk” Claims

On October 15, 2020, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas granted conditional certification to a class of assistant managers in 550 wireless retail stores across the country. In Martinez v. Mobilelink, assistant store managers in the wireless retailers’ stores alleged that they were regularly required to work unpaid overtime. The employees sought to certify a class consisting of all current and former AMs employed by Mobilelink from March 2017 through the present.
Continue Reading Wireless Retailer Faces Conditionally Certified Nationwide Class of Workers with Overtime Claims Despite Official Company Policy Against Off-The-Clock Work

Two putative class actions recently filed in the Northern District of California preview a new theory of consumer claims relating to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Rather than rely on alleged omissions or representations about health risks, the plaintiffs claim that they relied on marketing statements that indicated the products they purchased were disposable and would completely degrade over time and that the presence of PFAS in the products means those marketing statements were false.
Continue Reading Is a Wave of PFAS Consumer Class Actions on the Horizon?