Chambers 2026 Shortlist: U.S. Commercial Litigation Boutique of the Year, U.S. White Collar Boutique of the Year

How to Craft a Successful Class Action Defense

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More about Hueston Hennigan’s Class Action Defense Practice

Hueston Hennigan attorneys have defended companies against the largest and most significant class action cases. We often have terminated these cases through early motions practice or by defeating a motion for class certification. But we also obtain extraordinary results when we are asked to take over after class certification. We do so by bringing trial lawyer training and credibility to class action defense, often dramatically narrowing the scope of damages and shifting the downside trial risk to the plaintiffs.

Representative matters have included:

  • Securing decertification of a consumer class action alleging violations of California’s false advertising and consumer protection laws, on behalf of a publicly traded manufacturer of natural health products and nutritional supplements.
  • Representing Waste Management in a putative consumer class action seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages against Waste Management and others relating to garbage collection operations in Los Angeles, California. The complaint was dismissed on a demurrer.
  • Substituting in to represent a Corelogic subsidiary after a national class was certified with alleged damages exceeding $150 million. After a successful series of motions, obtained settlement for less than $10 million, including an attorneys’ fees award providing less than 20% of plaintiffs’ actual attorneys’ fees. Obtaining a dismissal with prejudice of consolidated federal shareholder litigation arising from a $600 million settlement with the USDOJ for alleged off-label promotional activities related to Botox.
  • Obtaining a dismissal with prejudice of a false advertising class action against Nutraceutical subsidiary, NaturalCare, Inc.
  • Obtaining a settlement after trial for less than 10% of alleged damages in national class action against Fortune 500 company.

Rising Stars: Five Hueston Hennigan Attorneys Named to 2015 List

The selection of these attorneys is all the more noteworthy as each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are chosen to receive this honor. Super Lawyers rates outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained significant peer recognition and professional achievement.

Each of the Hueston Hennigan lawyers selected has a strong civil litigation, white collar and trial practice. Mr. Kaba also was named to Super Lawyers Up and Coming 100 list.

“Our greatest asset at Hueston Hennigan is our deep bench of talented young lawyers,” said founding partner Brian Hennigan. “They are involved in our most important matters and work at every stage of a case, giving them significant responsibility, and providing our clients young lawyers of tremendous ability.”

According to Super Lawyers: the annual selections are made using a process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area.

The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country.

Daily Journal Names Alison Plessman to Top 100

Ms. Plessman is a founding partner of Hueston Hennigan LLP, and her practice encompasses a wide range of high-stakes litigation matters and practice areas, including securities and entertainment litigation, health care fraud and privacy matters, and white collar defense. The Daily Journal recognized Ms. Plessman for her roles in aggressively prosecuting high profile lawsuits on behalf of such varied clients as T-Mobile, State Compensation Insurance Fund, Universal Music Group, and Pacific Select Fund, while simultaneously defending other notable clients facing regulatory or criminal exposure. The Daily Journal’s acknowledgement is the latest in a series of recognitions awarded to Ms. Plessman. In 2013, she was selected by The Recorder as one of only 50 “California Lawyers on the Fast Track.” She was also named a Southern California “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers magazine in 2013 and 2014.