JEFF WHITE, ROBINSON + COLE: Plaintiff’s bar will become even more sophisticated
Next we approached Jeff White, a partner at Robinson + Cole.
FNU: Is the number of lawsuits over natural claims rising, falling or leveling off?
White: There has been a lot written recently about the decline in filings in 2013-2014 of ‘all natural’ lawsuits both in California and nationally.
If I were an in-house counsel at a food manufacturer, however, I would be cautious about drawing any grand conclusions at this point. For instance, since July, several settlements have been reached or approved involving companies such as Ghiradelli, Nutella and Trader Joe’s in which significant attorney’s fees have been awarded.
Over the next year, I anticipate that while there may be fewer lawsuits filed, the plaintiff’s bar will become even more sophisticated on how to bring these class actions to resolution in a more expedited manner.
Read more from Jeff White at the manufacturing law blog.