A special episode of the Class Re-Action podcast to close out the year

Episode 8 of the Class Re-Action Podcast is now live, and it is a special one.  For the final show of the year we have assembled a mediator trifecta that would be hard for anyone to top.  We are proud to bring you the Hon. Peter D. Lichtman (Ret.) of JAMS, Mark Rudy of Rudy, Exelrod, Zieff & Lowe, LLP, and Jeffrey Krivis of First Mediation Corporation.  Mediate that!

We are honored to have such a distinguished panel as the bookend to our inaugural year.  Schedules permitting, the Class Re-Action podcast will be back in January 2014.

Finally getting back to blogging and the Class Re-Action podcast

I've been slammed the past month, but this Sunday is the beginning of my effort to dig out.  My co-host and I will have a special guest on to record the Class Re-Action podcast.  Paul Bland, of Public Justice, is as well versed in the twists of class arbitration law as anyone you could find.  I should have the episode finalized and available by Sunday night. 

Happy 5th Birthday to The Complex Litigator!

To celebrate surviving 5 years (holy smokes!) of blogging here at The Complex Litigator, I have rolled out a new look and feel to this site (now live), put the pipes in place to offer MCLE credit for the Class Re-Action Podcast, ​and generally tinkered quite a bit behind the scenes.

The second episode of Class Re-Action will be recording March 24th and available some time that evening for direct download, for streaming, and through the iTunes and XBox stores.​  I will get the MCLE store up and running shortly.  The podcast will remain free; you will have the option of purchasing MCLE credit for a show that you have listened to at your discretion.  The sales are intended to offset the substantial cost of getting the Class Re-Action podcast off the ground with recording equipment and the ongoing costs of providing guests with higher quality (recording quality) microphones for better sound control.  I think it will be more like a tip jar than a commercially viable endeavor.  I just want to come close to break-even.

Comment on the 4th Annual Class Action Symposium by Consumer Attorneys of San Diego

After returning from a week of travel for work, I wanted to post a quick comment about the 4th Annual Class Action Symposium presented by Consumer Attorneys of San Diego.  After speaking at the Symposium, I can now say quite confidently that it contains top-tier material for class action practitioners.  Almost any class action practitioner will benefit in some way.  I regret that I could not attend the second day of the Symposium because of my travel schedule.  Make a mental note to attend the Symposium next year.   You will be glad you attended this Symposium, and not one targeted at a more basic level of experience.

Register for the Golden State Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Institute

The 21st Annual Golden State Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Institute is now open for registration.  This informative MCLE program is sponsored by the State Bar of California, Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Section.  The full day Institute (followed by the Antitrust Lawyer of the Year Award Dinner) will take place on Thursday, October 27, 2011 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco.

View the complete program here.

View a printable brochure here.

Register here.

I attended this program last year as a speaker, and I can tell you from personal experience that the panels are heavy-duty stuff.

Consumer Attorneys of San Diego present the 4th Annual Class Action Symposium

A combination of being buried at work and precious few appellate decisions filled with class action gold have made things a little slow around here.  But now I've got something for you.   The Consumer Attorneys of San Diego are presenting their 4th Annual Class Action Symposium on Friday, October 14, 2011 and Saturday, October 15, 2011, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, 1 Park Blvd.

The Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel is the newest waterfront hotel located directly adjacent to the Padre Stadium and a short walk from downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter and East Village.

Good for 10.0 General Credits and 1.0 Ethics MCLE Credit, the Symposium will include an impressive lineup of speakers.  The panel speakers will address topics such as: Class Arbitration, Dukes, Ticketmaster, and Damages and Equitable Relief, just to name a few.  Featured speakers include: Arthur Bryant of Public Justice, the nation's leading lawyer on the issue of class wide arbitration, Judge Vaughn Walker (Ret.), whose creative legal mind will help navigate emerging complex cases and activist Harvey Rosenfield, founder of Consumer Watchdog, to put it all in perspective.  I will be speaking there too, but you should sign up anyhow.

Not too late to register for Bridgeport's Mid Year Wage & Hour Litigation Conference

Bridgeport is holding its Mid Year Wage & Hour Litigation Conference on June 3, 2011, in San Diego, California, at the Westin San Diego Hotel.  I will be speaking with Julie Trotter, of Call & Jensen, about the impact of Concepcion on the employment law practice area.  View the full program agenda here.

20th Annual Golden State Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Institute

On October 21, 2010, the Antitrust section of the State Bar will hold the 20th Annual Golden State Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law Institute.  The full day program will offer concurrent tracks for UCL and Antitrust topics.  I will be moderating the last panel of the day, on UCL Remedies and Defenses.  Anyone not already asleep by then should consume less coffee.  For more information, visit the Golden State Institute page of the State Bar website.

Video available from Federalist Society program on Business & Professions Code section 17200

On May 19, 2010, I participated in a panel discussion presented by the Federalist Society.  The theme of the panel discussion was "California's 17200 -- Its Use and Abuse."  The panelists were:

• Jeremy B. Rosen, partner, Horvitz & Levy
• William L. Stern, partner, Morrison Foerster
• Shaun Martin, Shaun Martin, Professor, University of San Diego School of Law, and,
• me

The Hon Michael Orfield (Ret.), served as the panel moderator.

Video of the panel discussion is now available on youtube here.

It was an entertaining discussion.  There was some irony in the fact that the defense-oriented panelists argued for more government enforcement and the plaintiff-oriented panelists argued for less government enforcement and more private-sector regulatory enforcement.  Fun times.

CLE: The Thirtieth Annual Labor and Employment Law Symposium

On March 31, 2010, the Labor & Employment Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association will present the Thirtieth Annual Labor and Employment Law Symposium:

The 2010 Labor and Employment Law Symposium provides practical advice and cutting-edge panel discussions on labor and employment law issues of critical importance to attorneys, judges, neutrals, government practitioners, union representatives, in-house counsel, and human resource professionals. The Symposium provides a unique intellectual experience allowing the panelists, all of whom are recognized experts in their fields, to share new perspectives, ideas and information. Each panel discussion covers opposing viewpoints, interpretations and strategies, and will encourage audience questions and participation.

The location details:

Biltmore Hotel
506 South Grand Ave. 
Los Angeles, California

I will be speaking on the panel entitled "20 Tips for Successful Navigation of e-Discovery Requirements," with Moderator Angela Robledo, Hon. Carl J. West, and Heather Morgan.