Our Class Action Practice Group has been on the cutting edge of issues relating to multiparty and multidistrict cases and taken lead roles in matters involving a wide array of claims, such as product liability, environmental, consumer fraud, aviation, securities fraud, antitrust, employment, financial services, and insurance.
Our team’s perspectives allow us to see issues from all sides, giving our clients a strategic advantage before, during, and after trial.
An effective defense against a class action lawsuit requires early strategic evaluation of the claims and defenses to minimize the client’s exposure to risk. Our team has repeatedly and successfully litigated the propriety of class certification and resolved class actions early in the litigation, saving our clients time and money.
In addition to a strong defense team, we have an exceptional group of attorneys experienced in pursuing class action claims on behalf of our clients. Our attorneys understand the strategic choices plaintiffs’ counsel make in important situations. We evaluate potential opportunities to maximize recovery and counsel clients on whether they should opt out of the class and file a separate action or remain part of the class and, if there is a settlement or recovery, how to respond.
In class actions, clients rely on Schnader’s extensive trial experience, as well as our excellent brief writing and negotiation skills. Ever mindful of our client’s business objectives and resources, we prepare every case with the goal of winning at trial. Our experience on both sides of the class action bar enables us to make smarter decisions and advocate most effectively on behalf of all of our clients.
Specific examples of class action cases include the following:
- Schnader represented three railroads in class actions filed on behalf of residents and businesses in Gloucester County, New Jersey. The plaintiffs allegedly suffered economic loss after a train passing over a bridge derailed and released vinyl chloride vapor into the atmosphere. After removal to federal district court, Schnader was successful in defeating motions for class certification. Schnader then worked with co-counsel to defend and mediate the individual cases.
- Schnader served as counsel to a defendant in a class action brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The case was ultimately settled on an individual basis after expert discovery.
- Schnader represented the defendant in Bloodworth v. TBF Financial, Inc., a class action complaint asserting that defendant’s efforts to collect credit card debt did not comply with the requirements of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. We filed a motion to dismiss. Before the motion was decided, the parties attended a scheduled mediation at which the case settled for a nominal amount.
- Schnader serves as class counsel for individuals incarcerated presently or in the future at Allegheny County Jail and who have a serious mental health condition. The litigation alleges that Allegheny County fails to provide constitutionally adequate mental health care and violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and other constitutional and statutory requirements.
- Schnader represented a class of pilots in the lawsuit against their union, arising from American Airline’s 2001 acquisition of TWA. The pilots alleged that the union breached its duty of fair representation in connection with the transaction, resulting in unfair seniority integration. After a six-week jury trial in federal court, Schnader lawyers obtained a jury verdict against the union on liability and causation and ultimately a substantial class-wide settlement.
- Schnader attorneys served as co-lead counsel in multidistrict antitrust litigation alleging price fixing and international market allocation in the pressure-sensitive label stock industry. Schnader attorneys coordinated discovery from multiple parties, involving millions of pages of documents and worked closely with economists to develop models to assess damages arising from the alleged conduct. As a result of these efforts, our clients obtained settlement payments representing a substantial portion of their potential damages.
- Schnader attorneys served as liaison counsel to the lead plaintiff in a securities class action against Healthcare Services Corp., which settled class-wide for $16.8 million.
- Schnader represents a medical records provider in class action lawsuits challenging its pricing for medical records.
- Schnader attorneys represented Pennsylvania car owners in class actions against auto insurers alleging that the insurers failed to provide drivers with a mandatory discount for antitheft devices. These cases all resulted in settlements with the defendants.
Our Attorneys
Related Practices
News & Publications
- Good Intentions Do Not Suffice: The Third Circuit Insists That a Mass Tort Debtor Seeking Chapter 11 Protection Be in Immediate Financial Distress
- Statute of Limitations in Legal Malpractice Claims – Continuous Relationship versus Continuous Representation
- Schnader a Tier One Firm in “Best Law Firms” Rankings
- PA Supreme Court Holds Online Defamation Cases Can Be Brought Almost Anywhere In Pennsylvania
- Karen Baillie, Jonathan Skowron and Keith Whitson Certified as “Ally-Ready” by Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition
- Third Circuit Takes Broad View of Rule 23(c)(4) Issue-Class Certification
- Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America
- New Local Rule Allows Disclosure of Litigation Funding in NJ’s Federal Courts
- It’s a New Game: Pennsylvania Statute Adopted on College Athlete Compensation for Name, Image and Likeness
- Supreme Court Protects First Amendment Rights for Students’ Off-Campus Speech
- Jonathan Skowron Publishes Article in 2020 Professional Liability Defense Survey of Law
- Lisa Rodriguez Named to NJ Super Lawyers 2021
- Theresa Loscalzo Re-elected to Schnader’s Executive Committee
- Is a Neutral Party-Appointed Arbitrator an Oxymoron?
- Pa. High Court Rejects ‘Continuous Representation Rule’ for Legal Malpractice Actions
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court Expands Right-to-Know Requesters’ Ability to Seek Attorneys’ Fees for Bad Faith Denials
- New Jersey Executive Order Sets Health and Safety Standards for Employers
- Schnader Sponsors the Virtual Fall Event of CeaseFirePA
- Philly Has Two Weeks Left for the Census and Crucial Federal Funding It Provides
- Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America
- Theresa Loscalzo Elected to the Board of Directors of The Forum of Executive Women
- Jurisdictional Issues that Can Cost Your Businesses: What In-house Counsel Need to Know
- Third Circuit Expands First Amendment Speech Protection for Students’ Off-Campus Speech
- Retail Security Policies And The Risk Of Discrimination
- PA Super Lawyers Named
- DOJ and FTC Allow Collaborative Action Between Competitors In the Age of COVID-19
- Product Liability and Tort Law Implications of the COVID-19 Crisis
- Jonathan Skowron Named Publications Chair of DRI’s Pretrial Practice and Procedure Specialized Litigation Group
- Sea Change in Class Action Settlement Process: A Year Under Revised Rule 23(e)
- U.S. Supreme Court Affirms Third Circuit’s En Banc Ruling Regarding FDCPA’s Statute of Limitations
- U.S. Supreme Court Holds Discovery Rule Not Applicable to Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Cases
- 2019 Harrison Awards for Pro Bono and Community Service
- Practical Digital Security Tips for Young Lawyers
- Schnader’s Aviation Group Recognized in Who’s Who Legal: Transport 2020
- Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2020
- Ted Hecht Named Managing Partner of New York Office
- Schnader Lawyers Named to PA Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- Alice Sacks Johnston Selected as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America
- 2018 Harrison Awards for Pro Bono and Community Service
- New Anti-Hazing Law Requires PA Colleges & Universities to Post Semi-Annual Reports, with Initial Reports Due Jan. 15, 2019
- Dissent In Sikkelee Ruling Offers Preemption Road Map
- Opposing Counsel CC’d Her Client; May I “Reply All”?
- Ralph Wellington Featured in Legal Intelligencer’s Coverage of Philadelphia Diversity Law Group Symposium
- U.S. Supreme Court Signals Less Scrutiny for Businesses in Two-sided Markets
- Schnader a Tier One Firm in 2019 “Best Law Firms” Rankings
- Theresa E. Loscalzo Receives Philadelphia Business Journal’s 2018 Woman of Distinction Award
- “The Supreme Court is about to make civility among lawyers mandatory and not aspirational”
- Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2019
- Third Circuit Sets Precedent on FDCPA Statute of Limitations
- Ralph Wellington Honored as a 2018 Inquirer Influencer of Law
- Edward Sholinsky and Jonathan Skowron Published “Viewpoint” Case Analysis in Pittsburgh Business Times
- All companies registered to do business in Pennsylvania are subject to the courts’ general jurisdiction
- David Smith Named Board President of AJC Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey
- Jonathan Skowron Published “Protect Yourself: Limiting Your Potential Liability with a Solid Engagement Letter”
- SCOTUS Holds that Class Action Waivers in Employment Contracts Must be Enforced
- Many Schnader Lawyers Named to PA Super Lawyers
- Theresa Loscalzo Presents “Success Begets Success: The Importance of Women Supporting Women”
- Carl Schaerf and Tracy Weinstein Publish “New Strategies for Winning Dismissal of a Failure to Warn Claim”
- Theresa Loscalzo Elected to Schnader’s Executive Committee
- Jonathan Skowron and Stephanie Short Featured in Article in Lawyers Journal about CLE Program
- Alice Sacks Johnston Featured in Tribune-Review for Local Girl Scout Project
- Lisa Rodriguez Named to Super Lawyers 2018
- Jo Bennett and Samantha Banks Analyze Landmark Labor Case on Resolving Disputes through Arbitration
- 2nd Circuit Reinforces Standard of Proof to Rebut Class Certification
- Carl Schaerf Analyze Challenges for the Government Contractor’s Defense under the New Presidential Administration
- Julie Randolph Publishes “A Primer on Private Entities’ Rights to Outer Space Resources”
- Schnader a Tier One Firm in 2018 “Best Law Firms” Rankings
- Arlene Fickler a Guest Lecturer at Swarthmore College
- Schnader Attorneys Named to Super Lawyers 2017
- Arlene Fickler Honored by Temple Beth Zion – Beth Israel
- David Smith Honored by Jewish Learning Venture
- Schnader a Tier One Firm in 2017 “Best Law Firms” Rankings
- Many Schnader Attorneys Named to Super Lawyers 2016
- Lisa Rodriguez Quoted in Runner’s World
- The Supreme Court Forecloses Some, but not all, Strategies to Moot a Named Plaintiff’s Putative Class Action
- The Third Circuit Gives the Green Light to RICO Plaintiffs Seeking to Recover Payments for Prescription Drugs
- The CFPB Takes Aim at Arbitration Clauses in Contracts for Consumer Financial Products
- Stephen Fogdall Named Chair of Schnader’s Pro Bono Committee
- Theresa E. Loscalzo Received 2015 Most Powerful & Influential Woman Award
- Bruce Kelson joins Schnader’s San Francisco Office
- Third Circuit Weighs in on Application of Daubert at Class Certification Stage
- American Arbitration Association Panel Distinguishes Third Circuit’s Holding in Opalinski
- Lisa J. Rodriguez Named the 2014 Professional Lawyer of the Year by AFBNJ and NJCPL
- Schnader Names Lisa Rodriguez Cherry Hill Managing Partner
- Affirmative Business Litigation in the United States and in Other Countries
- Super Lawyers Recognizes Many Schnader Attorneys in 2014
- Four South Jersey Partners Recognized as “Best Attorneys in Business”
- Reading the Tea Leaves: The Supreme Court Seems Likely to Eliminate the ERISA Presumption of Prudence
- Seventh Circuit Addresses When Offer of Settlement Can Moot Class Representative’s Interest; Holds That Dunning Letter Offering to “Settle” an Unenforceable Debt Violates FDCPA
- Despite Delay, Failure to Plead, and Participation in Litigation, Federal Court Enforces Arbitration Clause
- “Is the United States Supreme Court Poised to Overrule or Modify Basic Inc. v. Levinson?” – part 2
- Third Circuit Enforces Strict Deadline to Petition for Permission to Appeal Class Certification Ruling
- Third Circuit Remands Marcellus Shale Case Based on the Class Action Fairness Act’s Local Controversy Exception
- Is the U.S. Supreme Court Poised to Eviscerate the Fraud-on-the Market Theory?
- Is the United States Supreme Court Poised to Overrule or Modify Basic Inc. v. Levinson? – part 1
- The Latest Decision on Expert Testimony at the Class Certification Stage
- The Seventh Circuit Suggests that Cy Pres Still Has a Place in Class Actions When Potential Individual Awards Seem Too Small to Justify Class Treatment
- “The “Effective Vindication” Doctrine is a Dead Letter After American Express Co. v. Italian Colors Restaurant”
- The Enhanced Scrutiny of Class Definitions Under the Ascertainability Requirement: An Additional Hurdle for Plaintiffs or an Increased Burden for Defendants?
- The Enhanced Scrutiny of Class Definitions Under the Ascertainability Requirement: An Additional Hurdle for Plaintiffs or an Increased Burden for Defendants?
- Attorneys from Trujillo Rodriguez & Richards Join Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis
- Supreme Court Holds That Solicitation of Clients is Not a Permitted Use Under the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act
- The “Effective Vindication” Doctrine is a Virtual Dead Letter After American Express Co. v. Italian Colors Restaurant
- “Removal Under the Class Action Fairness Act: Proving Jurisdictional Amount-in-Controversy in Light of Standard Fire Insurance v. Knowles”
- “Expert Testimony at the Certification Stage: The Impact of Comcast v. Behrend”
- Federal Court Dismisses Class Action Complaint Based on Pre-Complaint Offer of Settlement
- Behrend and Amgen: The Supreme Court Sends Mixed Signals About Reaching the Merits at the Class Certification Stage
- Another Court Holds Daubert Analysis Required When Critical to Class Certification
- Schnader Attorneys Thanked for Supreme Court Amicus Brief
- “Limiting Duplicate Class Action Litigation After Smith v. Bayer: How Much Weight Can ‘Comity’ Bear?”
- Schnader Attorneys Recognized as Members of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania’s Pro Bono Roll of Honor
- Class Action Waivers After Concepcion: The Emergence of a Circuit Split Over the Decision’s Impact on Federal Claims Makes a Return to the Supreme Court Likely
- Schnader Adds Ten New Attorneys
- Sixty-Five Schnader Attorneys Rated AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbell®
- Firm Obtains a Significant Victory in Gates v. Rohm & Haas
- Thirty-Two Schnader Attorneys Recognized as “Best Lawyers in America” for 2011
- Schnader Receives Frederick Douglass Human Rights Award
Related Events
- Trial Preparation, Motions, Trial in Each Part, Judge vs. Jury, and Settlement Concerns
- Arbitration Practice in Allegheny and Surrounding Counties
- UDAP, UDAAP and the MAP Rule Compliance Basics
- Homeowners Protection Act Fundamentals
- Practical Approaches to Ensure the Neutrality of Party-Appointed Arbitrators
- Product Liability and Tort Law Implications of the COVID-19 Crisis
- Class Action Litigation in 2020: What You Need to Know
- UDAP, UDAAP & the Map Rule Compliance Basics
- Class Actions: Perspectives on Key Issues
- Schnader Sponsors and Hosts the CPR Regional Meeting in Philadelphia on April 30
- Putting on the Brakes or Stepping on the Gas? The Future of Automotive Asbestos Litigation
- Ira Richards Discussed Mindfulness in Law at Villanova Law School
- Jonathan Skowron Moderated a Mediation CLE on Effective and Ethical Dispute Resolution
- 2018 PDLG Symposium: Diversity in the First Chair: Symposium on Women and Diverse Lawyers in the Courtroom and Boardroom
- “Proposed Rule of Professional Conduct 8.4(g) and Discrimination As An Ethical Violation”
- Stephen Fogdall Presented on TILA & RESPA at MBA’s Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Conference
- Stephanie Short and Jonathan Skowron Spoke on Ethical Considerations and Practical Tips for a Paperless Office
- Alice Sacks Johnston Presented at ABA Conference on “The Future of Automotive Asbestos Litigation”
- Ira Neil Richards Presented about Mindfulness in Law
- Alice Sacks Johnston Gave “Product Liability Update” at CLE Program
- Ralph Wellington Spoke about Lawyering in the Fine Arts at University of Pennsylvania Law School
- Deena Jo Schneider Presented CLE on “Embedded Appellate Counsel at the Trial Level”
- Stephen Fogdall Spoke at Regulatory Compliance Conference
- Partner Stephen Fogdall Explored “The CFPB Guidance on Private Mortgage Insurance Cancellation and Termination: Is Your Firm Compliant?”
- Ira Richards Discussed “Defining or Challenging Class Membership: Evaluating Ascertainability, Overbreadth and Failsafe Class Issues”
- Schnader Partners Spoke at Construction Super Conference
- Lisa Rodriguez Spoke at New Jersey State Bar CLE on Federal Rules and Procedure
- Lisa Rodriguez Presented at the ABA’s National Institute on Class Actions
- Ira Neil Richards Spoke at HarrisMartin’s Antitrust Pay-for-Delay Litigation Conference
- Lisa Rodriguez Spoke at “The Art of the Deposition”
- Ira Richards Spoke at the 22nd National Conference on Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation
- Lisa Rodriguez Discussed “Ethics and Professionalism Issues in Federal Court Practice”
- Ralph Wellington Presented at the Higher Education Real Estate Lawyers 12th Annual Conference
- Scott Wenner Presented at the NYU 67th Annual Conference on Labor Law
- Lisa Rodriguez Presented “Handling the High-Profile Case” at the New Jersey State Bar Association’s 2014 Annual Meeting and Convention
- Stephen Fogdall Presented the CLE Webinar “Attorney-Client Privilege Between Affiliated Entities: Who Owns the Privilege When Interests Diverge?”
- Lisa Rodriguez Joined “Is There a Right Time to Settle?” Panel Presented by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey
- Stephen Fogdall Presented on Commercial Class Actions at IADC’s 2013 Mid-Year Meeting