The ABCs of Class Action Settlement for Attorneys and Consultants

On March 23, 2020, the Section of Litigation’s Class Actions & Derivative Suits Committee and the Young Advocates Committee hosted a roundtable discussion on current issues in class action settlement, particularly in light of the Northern District of California’s 2018 settlement guidelines. Heather Lonian of Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann in New Orleans spoke from her experience on the defense side, Adam Polk of Girard Sharp in San Francisco spoke from his experience as plaintiffs’ counsel, and Frederick Pape of Ankura Consulting in Philadelphia spoke from his role as a settlement administration consultant. Here are four key takeaways from that discussion.