The 2017 Carlton Fields Class Action Survey has just
been released, and the findings reveal some unexpected trends in
class action litigation, based on insights provided by 387 general
counsels and chief legal officers at major corporations in more
than 25 industries.
Among the key findings in this year's survey:
Class Action Litigation Spending Continues to Rise
Class action spending is up for the second consecutive year,
marking the reversal of a downward trend that occurred between 2011
and 2014.
Across industries, companies spent $2.17 billion on class action
lawsuits in 2016. While the percentage of companies managing at
least one active class action declined, from a high of 60.6 percent
in 2015 to 53.8 percent in 2016, companies perceive that the
magnitude of their potential exposure and risk has increased. For
companies managing class actions, volume has remained virtually
unchanged from 2015, with most respondents reporting approximately
six
