On June 22, Jennifer Mesko moderated a panel entitled “One Class Action or 50? Choice of Law Considerations as Potential Impediment to Nationwide Class Action Settlements” at the American Bar Association’s 5th Annual Western Regional CLE Program on Class Actions and Mass Torts in San Francisco. The panel examined the Ninth Circuit’s decision in In re: Hyundai and Kia Fuel Economy Litigation and the challenges it poses to class and defense counsel in negotiating and obtaining court approval for a nationwide class action settlement. The panelists also explored strategies for counsel to employ in getting a nationwide settlement certified and identified factors the district courts are likely to consider in approving a nationwide class action settlement or certifying a nationwide class.

Other panels tackled class action and mass tort topics including ethics, opt-out litigation, and the impact emerging technologies have on class action litigation.