Lone Pine Orders in Class Action, Mass Tort and Products Liability Litigation

Description

Lone Pine orders are a critical case management tool to identify and dismiss claims in mass tort and class action litigation. The orders require plaintiffs to produce evidence to support a prima facie claim early in the litigation, specifically on the issues of exposure, causation, and damages.

Plaintiffs assert Lone Pine orders are appropriate only in limited circumstances where a certain amount of discovery has been conducted and there is concrete evidence of meritless claims. Failing to comply with a Lone Pine order can be fatal to the continued viability of the case.

The benefits of Lone Pine orders in terms of cost savings and control over discovery make entry of these orders a critical pre-discovery strategy for defendants — and a potentially devastating prospect for plaintiffs.

Listen as our authoritative panel of plaintiff and defense litigators discusses effective strategies for bringing and defending against motions for Lone Pine orders.

Outline

1. Overview of Lone Pine Orders
   1. Source of court’s authority
   2. Elements
   3. Factors that prompt its use
   4. Use of Lone Pine Orders by the court
   5. Cases suited for Lone Pine Orders
      1. Mass torts
      2. Environmental and toxic torts
      3. Chemical exposure
      4. Products liability
2. Defense perspective
   1. Advantages
   2. Strategic considerations for seeking a Lone Pine Order
   3. Arguments to support a motion for an order
   4. Case law supporting Lone Pine Orders
3. Plaintiffs perspective
   1. Disadvantages
   2. Arguments against a Lone Pine Order
   3. Case law limiting use of Lone Pine Orders
   4. Using Lone Pine Orders to your advantage

Benefits

The panel will review these and other key questions:

• For what types of complex litigation are Lone Pine orders best suited?
• What factors must defendants consider before and when seeking Lone Pine orders?
• How can plaintiffs use Lone Pine orders to their advantage?
• When are Lone Pine orders appropriate and effective for single injury cases?

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.

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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