Consumer Finance Class Actions: FCRA and FACTA

Leveraging New Developments in Certification, Damages and Preemption

Recording of a 90-minute CLE webinar/teleconference with Q&A


Conducted on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Recorded event now available


This CLE webinar will provide class action counsel with an overview of developments in FCRA and FACTA class action litigation, with a focus on the issues of proportionality of damages at the certification stage and state law preemption. The panel will provide litigation approaches for plaintiff and defense counsel.

Description

Class suits based on the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) are extremely risky for companies as statutory penalties of $100 to $1000 per violation can far exceed the actual harm caused by the disclosure of credit card information.

The 9th Circuit’s 2010 Bateman v. American Multi-Cinema decision held that liability vastly disproportionate to harm suffered is not sufficient to deny certification in FACTA actions. This case and a similar 7th Circuit ruling may pressure businesses into unduly large settlements for de minimus violations.

Counsel handling FCRA class action claims must be prepared for issues such as proof of damages, willfulness of the violations, notice and remediation of violations, and FCRA preemption of state laws.

Listen as our our authoritative panel of class action litigators analyzes recent developments in FCRA/FACTA litigation, including the issue of whether the disproportionality of damages can be used to defeat class certification. The panel will offer litigation strategies for plaintiff and defense counsel.

Outline

  1. Recent trends and case law development in FCRA class suits
    1. Lawsuit allegations and theories
    2. Location of lawsuits
    3. Class certification activity
    4. Settlement activity
    5. State law preemption
  2. Disproportionate or bankrupting liability as factor in class certification
    1. Cases rejecting disproportionate liability to deny class certification
    2. Cases supporting disproportionate liability to deny class certification
    3. Bankrupting liability
  3. Litigating FCRA/FACTA suits
    1. Class certification
    2. Damages
    3. Notice and remediation of violation
    4. Willfulness of violation

Benefits

The panel will review these and other key questions:

  • How have courts interpreted the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2007 decision in Safeco Ins. Co. v. Burr to include both knowing and reckless violations of FCRA within the “willfulness” standard for statutory damages?
  • What arguments and case law support the contention that courts should consider the disproportionality of damages in class certification and should bankrupting liability be a factor for the court to consider in deciding whether to certify the class?
  • How have courts applied the often-confusing preemption provisions in FCRA to state law claims?
  • Will courts expand the scope of FACTA to include electronically-transmitted receipts?

Faculty

Barry Goheen, Partner
King & Spalding, Atlanta

He has served as lead or co-counsel in over 50 class actions in all areas of the law, including antitrust, securities fraud, consumer protection, privacy/data breach, product liability and general commercial disputes in state and federal courts representing such clients as The Coca-Cola Company, SunTrust Banks, Countrywide, Equifax, General Motors Corporation, Humana, and Bank of America.

Donna L. Wilson, Partner
Buckley Sandler, Santa Monica, Calif.

She represents financial services providers, including banks, mortgage companies, national retailers, franchisors, telecommunications and media companies in a variety of privacy and information security, fair credit and state unfair and deceptive trade practice matters. She writes and lectures extensively on class action litigation, privacy and data breach issues, and insurance coverage.

James A. Francis, Atty
Francis & Mailman, Philadelphia

He focuses his practice in consumer protection litigation, with a particular concentration in fair credit reporting, fair debt collection practices and consumer class actions. He has been certified to serve as class counsel by numerous courts in Pennsylvania and other states. He is a frequent speaker for consumer financial services litigation CLE programs.

Ordering

Online CLE - Audio Recording

Includes audio streaming of full program plus handouts (available 24 hours after live seminar).

CLE: Pre-approved for participatory or non-traditional/alternate format credit in: CA, HI*, NY*, WV*. Pre-approved for self-study credit in: AK, AZ, MO, MT, TX, VT, WA.
Upon request, also available in: CO, CT*, FL, GA, ID, KY, LA*, ME, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, OR*, SC, TN, UT, WI, WY. If you are applying for credit in one of these states, make sure to select those states when placing your order.
(*Indicates that Strafford must report attendance.)

Online CLE Audio $297.00
Available 24 hours after the live event

How does this work?


Recorded Event

Includes full event recording plus handouts (available after live seminar).

CLE: Pre-approved for self-study credit in: AK, AZ, CA, CT, HI, MO, MT, NY, TX, VT, WA, WV. Upon request, self-study credit is also available in: CO, FL, GA, ID, KY, ME, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, OR, UT, WI, WY. If you are applying for self-study credit in one of these states, contact Strafford CLE at 1-800-926-7926 ext. 35 or CLE@straffordpub.com.

Webinar Download (Slide Presentation with Audio) $297.00
Available three business days after the live event

How does this work?

DVD (Slide Presentation with Audio) $297.00 plus $9.45 S&H
Available ten business days after the live event

MP3 Download (Audio with Slide PDFs) $297.00
Available 24 hours after the live event

How does this work?

CD (Audio with Slide PDFs) $297.00 plus $9.45 S&H
Available ten business days after the live event

Webinar/Teleconference

Strafford webinars/teleconferences offer several options for participation: online viewing of speaker-controlled PowerPoint presentations with audio via computer speakers or via phone; or audio only via telephone (download speaker handouts prior to the program).  Please note that our webinars do not feature videos of the presenters.

Program Materials

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Program Materials

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CLE Credit

Strafford's live seminars qualify for CLE in every state that accredits webinars. They offer you a high quality, cost effective, and convenient CLE option, with no lost travel time or expenses.

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Customer Reviews

The seminar covered an important subject with major policy implications and the speakers addressed it completely with professionalism and thorough knowledge.

Allyn Z. Lite

Lite DePalma Greenberg, LLC

I liked that the speakers had great knowledge of the topic and presented it with ease without making it overly complicated or rushing through the material.

Laura S. Brooks

Law Office of Laura S. Brooks

The speakers were tops in their industry.

Peter Danias

Kaye Scholer

The speakers prepared good outlines and followed them during their presentations.

John Wm Ringer

Ringer Law Office

Very concise - provided what was needed, yet also included many examples, thoughts and ideas.

Ron Keith

Skilled Care

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Class Action Law Advisory Board

Thomas Allen

Partner

Reed Smith

Steve Berman

Partner

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro

Brian Boyle

Partner

O'Melveny & Myers

H. Douglas Hinson

Partner

Alston & Bird

Daniel R. Karon

Partner

Goldman Scarlato & Karon

Robert S. Kitchenoff

Partner

Weinstein Kitchenoff & Asher

Neal R. Marder

Partner

Winston & Strawn

Michael McCluggage

Partner

Edwards Wildman Palmer

W. Ray Persons

Partner

King & Spalding

William B. Rubenstein

Professor

Harvard Law School

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