Environmental Class Actions

Secrest Wardle has recognized that each class action involves issues of law and fact. We, therefore, have developed a number of strategies for defending our clients at each stage of the litigation. A defense strategy is first designed to defeat class certification. As a result of these strategies, several federal and state courts have denied certification of class actions that could have resulted in damage awards in the millions of dollars. While we are addressing class certification, we are also strategically attacking plaintiffs’ legal theories of liability. We have defeated class actions on both substantive and procedural motions to dismiss.

Our approach to discovery in class actions is to substantially limit discovery at the initial stages of the litigation to minimize our client’s time and expense and efficiently manage electronic discovery.

Sometimes the best defense is a strategic settlement of complex class actions. Our attorneys have successfully structured numerous settlements that limit our client’s payments while at the same time minimizing our client’s involvement in the process.