At last week’s annual meeting of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association, TCPA Blog’s Michael Daly participated in a panel discussion that examined how the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins is affecting class action litigation under the TCPA, the FCRA, and other recurring “gotcha” statutes. The panel explored a number of interesting issues with which courts have been grappling in TCPA cases, for example whether a plaintiff has a “concrete” harm for purposes of Article III if she received a fax without an opt-out notice, received a solitary call or text, or received calls or texts on phones that she had purchased for the specific purpose of receiving errant calls and texts to recycled numbers—all of which are all too common in TCPA litigation. The panel also examined how the decision will affect not only jurisdiction but also certification, specifically whether courts should certify classes if any harm involved is inherently individualized. The panel was moderated by Katherine Armstrong, who worked at the FTC for more than thirty years on FCRA initiatives and other consumer protection issues.
Category - "Standing"
Supreme Court Holds That Plaintiffs Need Concrete Harm In Order To Seek Statutory Damages
Yesterday the Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, in which it was asked whether plaintiffs have Article III standing if they allege a bare violation of a statute (i.e., an injury in law) but no concrete harm (i.e., an injury in fact). Six of the eight sitting Justices agreed that an injury in law alone is insufficient and that plaintiffs must plead and prove concrete harm in order to satisfy Article III. Continue reading “Supreme Court Holds That Plaintiffs Need Concrete Harm In Order To Seek Statutory Damages”
Supreme Court Issues Decision in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins
This morning the Supreme Court issued its highly anticipated decision in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, which vacates the Ninth Circuit’s decision and remands for further proceedings. We are reviewing the majority opinion from Justice Alito (in which Justices Roberts, Thomas, Breyer, and Kagan joined), the concurring opinion from Justice Thomas, and the dissenting opinion from Justice Ginsburg (in which Justice Sotomayor joined), and will report back shortly.
Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument in Tyson Foods, Inc. v. Bouaphakeo
On Tuesday the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Tyson Foods, Inc. v. Bouaphakeo, which concerns (among other things) whether courts can certify classes that are defined in a way that would include people who do not have Article III standing. For those who were unable to attend the argument, a transcription of the argument is available here.
Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins
Earlier this week the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, which concerns whether Congress can confer Article III standing on a plaintiff who alleges a violation of a statute (i.e., an injury in law) but no resulting harm (i.e., an injury in fact). For those who were unable to attend the argument, recordings and transcriptions of the argument are available here and here.
Why Everyone Is Upset About The Third Circuit’s Recent TCPA Decisions … And A Few Reasons Why They Shouldn’t Be
Defendants’ discussions of the Third Circuit’s recent decisions in Leyse v. Bank of America and Dominguez v. Yahoo have been all doom and gloom. Some of that disappointment is understandable, as the Third Circuit vacated notable defense rulings and expanded the scope of consumers who have statutory standing to file suit under the TCPA. On closer examination, however, both of the decisions offer not only a sword to plaintiffs but a shield to defendants. This is the first of two posts that will dissect those decisions and discuss their implications for the ever-growing number of defendants that are facing TCPA claims.
1st Circuit weighs in on Rule 68 Mootness Issue; Laments that “Uncertainty will Reign” until Supreme Court provides Guidance on Class Action Pick-Offs
We’ve been watching closely as the various Circuit Courts of Appeals grapple with whether a Rule 68 offer of judgment to the named plaintiff in a putative class action can render the case moot even if the plaintiff rejects the offer and wants to keep litigating. As we noted in a previous post, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to resolve the issue soon.