About the Committee

Mission

The Class Actions and Derivative Suits Committee consists of practitioners, corporate counsel, and academicians interested in class actions and stockholder derivative suits. Its leadership of top practitioners works to keep members abreast of issues in the class actions area. Membership in this vibrant committee is open to all members of the American Bar Association's Section of Litigation and offers the following benefits, among others:

• CADS newsletter, a quarterly publication
• the renowned annual National Class Action Institute  
• the informative annual Regional CLE Program on Class Actions and Mass Torts
• Roundtable webinars
• Sound Advice for practitioners
• The Law of Class Action: Fifty-State Survey
• A Comprehensive Handbook on the Class Action Fairness Act
• networking opportunities with leading practitioners
• discounted CLE programs
• opportunities to write for committee publications, speak on committee panels, and participate in the activities of our subcommittees

Whether you want to receive our newsletter, learn from and network with top litigators, or contribute to our programs and publications, or all of the above, join us. Litigation Section members may join up to three committees at no charge.

To join, you must first be a member of the ABA and also a member of the ABA Litigation Section.

Message from the Chairs

The Class Actions & Derivative Suits Committee remains the resource for keeping abreast of developments in the rapidly changing class actions and derivative suits practice areas.  The CADS Committee provides easily digested information on recent court decisions, circuit splits, and new developments. It also offers resources for enhancing one’s legal practice, including practice pointers, state-by-state legal surveys, business development tips, and virtual seminars. It covers all substantive areas of class actions and derivative suits, including consumer, employment, securities, antitrust, pharmaceuticals and health law, international, and mass torts. With over 1,600 plaintiff and defense bar practitioners, judges, corporate counsel, and academicians focused on class actions and shareholder derivative suits, the committee boasts an intellectually stimulating climate for discussion, innovation, and networking in this multi-faceted practice area.

The CADS Committee also offers opportunities for professional exposure, like writing newsletter articles, practice tips, or book chapters, creating Sound Advice podcasts, or speaking at seminars and roundtables.

The CADS Committee is open to all members of the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section. If you are already a member of the Section, joining our committee is simple and easy (and free). If you are not a Section member, we encourage you to join and become an active part of CADS.

David Singh
Jason Kellogg
Ian Fisher
Chairs, Class Actions & Derivative Suits Committee

Subcommittees

Our active subcommittees include:

• Antitrust Law
• Consumer Law
• Derivative Suits
• Employment Law
• International Class Actions
• Mass Torts
• Membership
• Newsletter
• Pharmaceutical & Health Law
• Programs
• Rule 23
• Securities Law
• State Law
• Website Editors

Subcommittee Roster