No tolling for the wicked, at least when it comes to Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(f) petitions

In a move that surely caused money to change hands between law nerds gambling on federal rules interpretations through off-shore gambling sites, the United States Supreme Court held, in Nutraceutical Corp. v. Lambert (February 26, 2019), that Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(f) — the portion of Rule 23 that permits parties to request permission for interlocutory review of class certification decisions within 14 days of the issuance of the decision — is a mandatory, but nonjurisdictional, claim-processing rule, and therefore not subject to tolling or other exceptions for reasons of equity or fairness. The decision was unanimous.

In Lambert v. Nutraceutical Corp., the Ninth Circuit examines Rule 23(f) petitions

I won't diminish the expectant quality of your Friday by providing a blow-by-blow of the decision, but Lambert v. Nutraceutical Corp. (9th Cir. Sept. 15, 2017) takes a thorough look at the timing requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(f) petitions, concluding that the 14-day filing deadline of Rule 23(f) is not jurisdictional and can be extended or tolled for a variety of reasons.  The opinion also reversed the District Court's decertification order in the consumer class action, concluding that it erred in its treatment of the plaintiff's damage model.

Appellant was successfully represented by Gregory Weston (argued) and David Elliott, The Weston Firm, San Diego, California; and, Ronald A. Marron, The Law Offices of Ronald A. Marron APLC, San Diego, California.