The Supreme Court’s October term is underway, and the Court has before it several class-action cases. Frank v. Gaos concerns the permissibility of cy pres relief in class action settlements; Home Depot v. Jackson the ability of a defendant in the original action to remove the action under CAFA; and Nutraceutical Corp. v. Lambert the availability of equitable exceptions to…
Year: 2018
Disclosure of Additional Digits on a Credit Card Receipt Sufficient to Confer Article III Standing to Bring a FACTA Claim (Opinion Vacated, and Petition for Rehearing En Banc Granted, October 4, 2019)
On October 5, 2018, a panel of the Eleventh Circuit held that a plaintiff has standing to pursue a claim under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (“FACTA”) if a merchant discloses too many digits of a credit card number on a receipt, even without subsequent misuse of the plaintiff’s identity or credit card. …
Denial of Daubert Motion and Dismissal of Fraudulent Transfer Claim Affirmed
In O’Halloran v. Harris Corp. (In re Teltronics, Inc.), 2018 WL 4700578 (11th Cir. Oct. 2, 2018), the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court judgment affirming a bankruptcy court order dismissing a fraudulent conveyance claim. The alleged fraudulent conveyance was the debtor’s transfer of a “blocking right” and right of first refusal under a patent…
Split Panel Upholds Dismissal of Force-Placed Insurance Claims Under Filed-Rate Doctrine
Last week, a split panel of the Eleventh Circuit upheld the dismissal of a class action over “force-placed insurance” under the filed-rate doctrine. Patel v. Specialized Loan Servicing, LLC, 2018 WL 4559091 (11th Cir. Sept. 24, 2018). The “force-placed insurance” in question concerns the residential mortgage market. A typical mortgage contract requires the borrower to…
Court Upholds Injunction Against FINRA Arbitration of Claims Against Member’s Affiliate
The Eleventh Circuit recently upheld a permanent injunction against arbitration of claims by investors against a FINRA member and its overseas affiliates on the basis that the arbitration did not concern the affiliates’ relevant business activities. Pictet Overseas, Inc. v. Helvetia Trust, 2018 WL 4560685 (11th Cir. Sept. 24th, 2018). In Pictet, two trusts had…
Court Rejects ADA Exhaustion Argument for Closed Captions
The court held this week that the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, which creates an administrative procedure to address videos lacking closed captions before the FCC, does not create an administrative exhaustion requirement for bringing similar issues under the ADA. Sierra v. City of Hallandale Beach, Florida, (No. 18-10740 11th Cir….
Court Revives two Employment Discrimination Suits
The court this week published two employment discrimination opinions. In one, the court affirmed summary judgment for the Korean-owned defendant on the plaintiff’s claims that she had been discriminated against because she was a woman and an American, but revived her claim that she had been fired in retaliation for complaining. Gogel v. Kia Motors…
Supreme Court to hear Eleventh Circuit Tennessee Valley Authority Case
The Supreme Court granted certiorari over the Eleventh Circuit’s holding that the Tennessee Valley Authority enjoyed governmental immunity in a personal injury suit. Thacker v. Tenn. Valley Auth., 2018 WL 1091117 (U.S. Sept. 27, 2018). The Eleventh Circuit held that the TVA was immune from suit because it was engaged in a discretionary government function…
Availability of Class Arbitration Is a “Question of Arbitrability” to Be Decided by a Court Absent a “Clear and Unmistakable Intent” to Delegate Arbitrability Questions to an Arbitrator
For the second time in as many months, the Eleventh Circuit addressed the question of who—a court or an arbitrator—decides whether an arbitration agreement allows for class arbitration. The court faced this question just last month in Spirit Airlines, Inc. v. Maizes, 899 F.3d 1230 (11th Cir. 2018), but its more recent decision in JPay, Inc….
Supreme Court Grants Certiorari on Copyright Issue
The Supreme Court this morning granted certiorari on a circuit split involving the Eleventh Circuit. The Eleventh Circuit (along with the Eighth) has previously held that the fee provisions of the Copyright Act, which allow recovery of the “full costs” of attendance, do not displace general statutes that limit awards to taxable costs. Artisan Contractors Ass’n…