Welcome to Class Dismissed

Morrison Foerster’s Class Dismissed blog provides insights and reports on the latest news, developments, and trends that affect consumer-facing companies. Subscribe to receive the latest updates by attorneys from our nationally recognized Consumer Class Action and Product Liability practices.

April 08, 2021 - Class Certification, Trials, Class Action
Second Circuit Affirms Class Decertification Based on Inadequate Representation
By: Jessica Kaufman and Adam J. Hunt
Class certification is often discussed as a “stage” of litigation, but the Second Circuit’s recent decision in Jin v. Shanghai Original, Inc. et al [1] is a good reminder that, even after a class is certified, class treatment must remain appropriate throughout the litigation.
... ›
April 08, 2021 - Appellate & Supreme Court, Class Action, FCRA
Relief for the Unharmed: Supreme Court Considers Whether Article III & Rule 23 Permit Certification Where Most Class Members are Uninjured (Ramirez v. TransUnion)
By: Penelope A. Preovolos, Claudia M. Vetesi and Lena Gankin
The United States Supreme Court has repeatedly declined to resolve a question that has sharply divided the Circuits: whether a class may be certified even though it contains uninjured members. See e.g. , Tyson Foods, Inc. v. Bouaphakeo et.al. , 136 S. Ct. 1036,
... ›
April 05, 2021 - Privacy, Appellate & Supreme Court, TCPA, Consumer Products, Class Action, Retail, Mass Torts
Much-Anticipated Supreme Court Ruling Limits the TCPA’s Definition of an Autodialer
By: Tiffany Cheung and Julie O'Neill
The Supreme Court has issued its much-anticipated ruling in Facebook v. Duguid , impacting many pending TCPA cases nationwide and providing guidance to the many businesses that engage in calling and texting campaigns. The TCPA generally requires an individual’s prior consent to use an
... ›
March 26, 2021 - Product Liability, Trials, Class Action, Mass Torts
Close Enough: Horseshoes, Hand Grenades, and Specific Personal Jurisdiction
By: Brian R. Matsui
How close a connection does there need to be between a lawsuit and the defendant’s in-state activities for specific personal jurisdiction to apply? The Supreme Court issued a decision on that issue today in Ford Motor Co. v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court and
... ›
March 03, 2021 - Product Liability, Consumer Products, CPSC
Consumer Product Safety Enforcement To Heat Up Under Biden Administration
By: Erin M. Bosman and Julie Y. Park
More aggressive enforcement actions and increased regulatory activities under the Biden Administration are here. In President Biden’s first weeks, he is making good on his promise to reverse course from the previous administration’s product safety agenda. So far, we witnessed rare civil penalties against
... ›
February 24, 2021 - Coronavirus (COVID-19), Product Liability
Ex-Tyson Employees’ COVID-19 Suit to Be Litigated in Federal Court
By: Erin M. Bosman, Julie Y. Park and Matt Robinson
Court Rules the Federal Officer Removal Statute May Provide “Critical Infrastructure” Companies Additional Pathway to Litigate COVID-19 Claims in Federal Court The Eastern District of Texas ruled last week that Tyson, a “critical infrastructure” company, properly removed a COVID-19-related case to federal court under
... ›
February 10, 2021 - Privacy, Product Liability
Deepfake Litigation Risks: The Collision of AI’s Machine Learning and Manipulation
By: Erin M. Bosman
AI and machine-learning advances have made it possible to produce fake videos and photos that seem real, commonly known as “deepfakes.” Deepfake content is exploding in popularity. In this article, we explore deepfake technology and the legal risks it presents to companies while providing practical
... ›
January 19, 2021 - Privacy, TCPA, Class Action
Privacy Litigation 2020 Year in Review: TCPA Litigation
In the final installment of our four-part Privacy Litigation Year in Review series, we focus on important developments in TCPA litigation. The Supreme Court struck down the TCPA’s government-backed debt exemption, leaving district courts to address five years of enforcement and liability under the
... ›
January 13, 2021 - Privacy, Class Action
Privacy Litigation 2020 Year in Review: BIPA Litigation
By: Tiffany Cheung and Camille Framroze
Third in our Privacy Litigation Year in Review series is an overview of cases under the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). 2020 was a busy year for BIPA litigants. Defendants in the flood of BIPA cases ranged from technology companies developing novel biometric products
... ›
January 07, 2021 - Coronavirus (COVID-19), Autonomous Vehicles & Robotics, Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act), Product Liability, MDL, Consumer Products, Class Action, Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), CPSC
How 2020 Changed Product Liability — And What's Next
By: Erin M. Bosman, Julie Y. Park and Alexandra Preece Barlow
Erin Bosman, Julie Park, and Alexandra Preece authored an article for Law360 discussing how product liability regulation and litigation changed in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as upcoming trends. “In a year dominated by the pandemic and political
... ›