A feature article that ran in both N.C. Lawyers Weekly and S.C. Lawyers Weekly quoted Jim Werner and Katie Iams on an increase in class action lawsuits across the Carolinas. 

“To some extent I really believe what you’re seeing is lawyers who get clients and want to roll the dice in Vegas on a class action suit that could pay off big," Jim said in explaining the trend. “It certainly creates more work and on the discovery side, it raises the stakes of what needs to be done and what it will cost to deal with it. Clients fret about it more and take it more cautiously. They’re pouring more resources into the cases.”

“Businesses across a variety of sectors are having to handle time-consuming, expensive litigation to a greater degree than before,” Katie added. She also noted the N.C. legislature passed a 2017 law to address class actions in state courts, allowing an immediate appeal to the state Supreme Court of class certifications. "That’s a real advantage – to allow for immediate appellate review by the highest court, it speeds up the process that can normally take many years and drive expenses up." 

Subscribers can read the full article here. N.C. & S.C. Lawyers Weekly are top sources for legal news in the Carolinas. 

You can find additional perspective from Parker Poe on the major developments over the past year in business litigation in the Carolinas here.