Federal and state governments have enacted laws to protect consumers from improper advertising, marketing, and pricing practices, and from defective goods and dangerous products. When a large corporation violates a consumer protection law, frequently many consumers are taken advantage of or harmed in the same way.

Consumer class action lawsuits are among the most effective tools consumers have to protect themselves in the marketplace, because they enable all of those affected to act with one voice. A single lawsuit, instead of separate lawsuits scattered throughout the country, eases the load on our judicial system by reducing the amount of time and money spent addressing a harm suffered by many different consumers.

As a result of class action lawsuits, manufacturers have been forced to make dangerous products safer, to remove defective products from the market, and to stop engaging in deceptive marketing and pricing practices. Because consumers gain power when they act collectively, it should come as no surprise that various special interest groups work hard to discredit class action lawsuits and the lawyers who file them.

What is a Class Action?

A class action is a type of lawsuit in which one person, usually the “Lead Plaintiff,” represents everyone who suffered similar harm from the defendant’s unlawful conduct. Class action lawsuits often are filed when it would be impractical or prohibitively expensive for each person who was harmed to file an individual lawsuit. As a result of presenting their claims as a class, individual consumers are able to seek recovery from large corporations possessing much greater legal and financial resources.

What is the Class Period?

The Class Period is a specific time period during which the unlawful conduct is believed to have occurred. Although the initial complaint will specify a certain Class Period, that period may later be expanded to encompass a longer period of time.

What is a Lead Plaintiff?

Near the beginning of a class action case, the court appoints a Lead Plaintiff to pursue claims on behalf of the members of the Class. An individual, a group of individuals or even an entity can serve as Lead Plaintiff. The court frequently appoints as Lead Plaintiff the Class member with the largest financial interest in the recovery sought by the Class.

What is a Lead Counsel?

In addition to representing the Class, the Lead Plaintiff plays an important role in selecting the court-appointed Lead Counsel, and is encouraged to consult with Lead Counsel concerning the course of the litigation. By seeking Lead Plaintiff status, and choosing skilled, experienced counsel to represent the Class, an individual class member may significantly affect the likelihood of the lawsuit’s success and the size of any eventual recovery.

How do I sign up to be a potential Lead Plaintiff?

The requirement to participate as a potential Lead Plaintiff is simple: notify us. If we believe it is appropriate for you to serve as Lead Plaintiff, we will provide you with a certification form.

What are the costs and expenses for me?

Costs and expenses of the lawsuit are usually advanced by the law firms prosecuting on behalf of the Class. Our firm represents classes of consumers on a contingent fee basis. That means we will ask the court to grant us reimbursement of our out-of-pocket expenses and attorneys’ fees -- usually a percentage of the total recovery -- only if we are successful.