Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer has a team of lawyers specializing in the prosecution of complex class actions. Wilentz has pursued a wide variety of class action matters focused on consumer fraud, employment discrimination, securities fraud, and corporate misconduct. The attorneys at Wilentz have prosecuted a number of cases nationwide and have obtained millions of dollars for consumers.

Utilizing the tool of a class action lawsuit, the lawyers here at Wilentz can represent the rights of a large group of individuals who have been harmed. Class actions are typically considered the superior method of litigating cases where numerous individuals have been injured for a relatively small amount of money in comparison to what it would cost the individual to litigate the case on their own. Class actions are filed by "named representatives" who are individuals, unions or small businesses, who have the same problem or have been injured in the same manner as the rest of the proposed class. These named representatives "represent" the rights of all the individuals in the class thereby allowing an entire group of people to recover through their efforts.

Initially, it is up to the court to decide whether a case may proceed as a class action. If the court decides that a class action is inappropriate and should not be allowed, the cases may be prosecuted individually.

If the court does "certify" the action as a class, all individuals, whether named in the suit or not, will be protected and bound by the results of the lawsuit. Hence, though the efforts of the attorneys here at Wilentz and the named representatives, any individual who has been economically injured as a result of the litigated conduct can stand to receive an award if the case is successful without the need to participate in the litigation.

Once a class action is resolved or settled, all potential members of the class will be called up, through advertisements and perhaps direct mailings, to fill out a claim form in order to receive any compensation they may be entitled to gain as a result of the suit.

Wilentz has represented classes comprised of consumers, investors, unions, employees and other individuals and entities against a number of large commercial defendants. We have been involved in class actions in both federal and state courts nationwide. To find out more about Wilentz Goldman & Spitzer's class action practice, please contact one of our class action attorneys as soon as possible.