A selection of the need-to-know civil justice news for the week of January 13-17, 2014.
Here’s Who’s Behind The Huge Civil Lawsuit From The Chris Christie Bridge Scandal
Brett LoGiurato | Business Insider
Four-hour delays. Late for work. Lost wages. Late for crucial doctor’s appointments.
Some of these alleged hardships are at the heart of a proposed class-action complaint in the burgeoning George Washington Bridge scandal. The complaint was filed last Thursday, the day after new revelations tying the administration of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to the lane closures.
Chris Christie hires law firm to review administration’s role in ‘Bridgegate’
By Statehouse Bureau | Asbury Park Press
A former federal prosecutor will head up an internal review by the administration of Gov. Chris Christie of his staff’s involvement with the politically motivated lane closings on the George Washington Bridge in September 2013.
The administration this morning announced the hiring of the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher law firm and specifically Randy Mastro to assist both with the review and an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s office into the closings, which snarled traffic for four days in Fort Lee.
Bridge scandal: Chris Christie’s Nominees Delayed
By Jenna Portnoy | The Star-Ledger
The ongoing scandal over George Washington Bridge lane closures is having more ripple effects through Gov. Chris Christie’s administration.
The Republican governor has put on hold his plan to nominate John Hoffman, his acting attorney general, to the state Superior Court. The move comes as the nomination of Christie’s chief of staff, Kevin O’Dowd, is also in a holding pattern.
Judge Questions Whether $765 NFL Concussions Settlement is Enough
Cindy Boren | Washington Post
A federal judge in Philadelphia issued a preliminary rejection of a $765 million settlement of concussion claims by more than 4,500 former NFL players on Tuesday, ruling that the amount agreed upon may be insufficient to cover payouts, medical tests and treatments.
Will Consumer Class Actions vs. Target Survive?
By Alison Frankel | Reuters
Who doesn’t empathize with the 70 million Target customers whose private information was supposedly hacked?
No one likes to worry about identity theft and impaired credit ratings, the odds of which, according to Reuters, drastically increase for data breach victims. But that doesn’t mean Target customers have a cause of action in federal court.
Litigation Finance Firm Raises $260 Million for New Fund
By William Alden | New York Times DealBook
An upstart investment firm that bets on lawsuits has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for its second fund.
The firm, Gerchen Keller Capital, is expected to announce on Monday that it has amassed about $260 million for the fund, bringing its total investor commitments to $310 million. The fresh capital, coming less than a year after Gerchen Keller opened its doors, underscores investors’ confidence in an obscure corner of Wall Street that has gained adherents in recent years.
Litigation finance, as the business is known, often involves bankrolling plaintiffs in exchange for a slice of the lawsuit’s potential winnings.
Corporate Takeover? In 2013, a Lawsuit Almost Always Followed
By Steven M. Davidoff | New York Times DealBook
These days, you can be sure that when a company announces it is being acquired, it will also be sued by a bevy of plaintiffs’ lawyers.
N.J. Senate Confirms Robert Hanna as Superior Court Judge
By Alexi Friedman | Star-Ledger
As Gov. Chris Christie’s choice for state Supreme Court judge, Robert Hanna waited a year for a confirmation hearing that never came. Senate Democrats blocked his selection and another Christie nominee to fill a different seat on the high court, fearing they would cause partisan imbalance.
Ceremony for Newest N.J. Justice, Fernandez-Vina, Set for Friday
By Salvador Rizzo | The Star-Ledger
The newest associate justice on the state Supreme Court, Faustino Fernandez-Vina, will be sworn in Friday in a ceremony at Rutgers University in Camden, the court announced today.
Fernandez-Vina, a Republican who was appointed last year by Gov. Chris Christie, joined the court Nov. 19 and has been hearing cases already.
BP Appeal to Stop ‘Fictitious’ U.S. Oil Spill Claims Fails
By Reuters
One of BP’s attempts to curb payouts for what it says are “fictitious” and “absurd” claims related to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill has failed after a legal appeal was rejected by a U.S. court.
Bill Protecting Rescue Squads from Lawsuits Hits a Dead End with Change of Legislative Session
By MaryAnn Spoto | The Star-Ledger
A bill protecting rescue squads from civil lawsuits stopped dead in its tracks Tuesday after the legislative session ended without the state Senate voting on the measure.
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