Class Action Insider

The nature of a class action requires defendants to think beyond the story or situation posed by one single plaintiff. When facing a lawsuit that potentially challenges a large-scale business practice or procedure, counsel often must focus on big-picture systemic issues that may affect hundreds or thousands of people. Yet sometimes, the deposition of a single person—the proposed class representative, commonly referred to as the “named plaintiff”—can elicit facts that tear the entire class action apart.