Wake Up Call: Covid Boosts Class Action Costs, Report Says

In today’s column, FINRA hired Lowenstein Sandler to do an independent probe of its handling of a controversial Wells Fargo case; Yale Law School announced a scholarship that “erases tuition” for students with great financial need; Orrick, Sheppard Mullin, and Squire Patton Boggs announced partner promotions rounds.

• Leading off, Covid-19-related labor and employment claims helped push up U.S. companies’ spending on class action defense by a record 16% in 2021, topping $3 billion for the first time, according to a report by Carlton Fields. The annual report, based on a survey of corporate counsel at over 400 large companies, said ...