Class Actions 101: Settlements

You have navigated the treacherous waters of class action litigation and finally negotiated a settlement after years of hard labor. So now the parties just have to sign off on the agreement and get it before the presiding judge for approval, correct? Well, it’s not quite that simple most of the time. Due in large part to the magnitude of the settlement affecting absent class members, there are several mileposts to surmount to obtaining final approval of the settlement. Below are some procedures and issues for you to consider when tackling a class action settlement. Like other Class Actions 101 articles, this isn’t meant to be a detailed treatise of class action settlements; it is a basic blueprint of what a plaintiff’s counsel might expect to see at the time of settlement.