Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Shutts

Holding that “the Due Process Clause of course requires that the named plaintiff at all times adequately represent the interests of the absent class members”

Lexecon Inc. v. Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes Lerach

Holding that, because the remand requirement is absolute, the transferee court may not invoke the change-of-venue statute to assign transferred cases to itself for trial

In re Patenaude

Holding transferee court only has authority to conduct "coordinated or consolidated" pretrial proceedings in actions comprising an MDL

In re Silica Products Liability Litigation

Finding egregious misjoinder of claims by plaintiffs who were exposed to silica in different jobs with different equipment

Steinberg v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co.

Holding that "[t]he mere existence of individualized factual questions with respect to the class representative's claim will not bar class certification"

Williams v. Gen. Elec. Capital Auto Lease

Holding that unnamed class members are not "parties" and, as such, cannot "deprive magistrate judge of jurisdiction" by withholding their consent

Alexis v. District of Columbia

Holding that a non-moving party must present "specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial," and "may not rely on mere allegations or denials to prevail" in order for the Court to deny a motion for summary judgment

Maywalt v. Parker & Parsley Petroleum Co.

Finding that the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has a "preference for class certification in securities cases"

In re Energy Sys. Equip. Leasing Sec. Lit.

Holding that an "enterprise composed of an association-in-fact, even if made up entirely of individual defendants deemed to be § 1961 ‘persons,’ is to be viewed for purposes of RICO claims as possessing a separate existence from its individual members" and thus finding that "the various defendants constitute persons under RICO, while the interaction and relationship between these defendants with regard to the alleged scheme ... comprises an association-in-fact enterprise separate and distinct from these individual persons"

In re Equity Funding Corp. of America Securities Litigation

Concluding that court was not precluded from considering amendments to pleadings once the actions had been transferred by the JPML

Rule 8 - General Rules of Pleading

Holding that "[e]very defense to a claim for relief in any pleading must be asserted in the responsive pleading. . . ."

Rule 23 - Class Actions

Holding that, to certify a class, the court must find that "questions of law or fact common to class members predominate over any questions affecting only individual members"

Section 12-P:2 - Establishment; Purpose