About CAFA Law Blog
McGlinchey Stafford PLLC publishes the CAFA Law Blog, an interactive web site. The CAFA Law Blog is the leading online resource for information, case analyses, and insights regarding the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, better known as “CAFA.”
CAFA’s enactment in February, 2005 revolutionized existing class action law, practice and strategies. Today’s rapidly evolving CAFA class action landscape is now virtually unrecognizable to many class action practitioners, parties and courts. Countless ambiguities and uncertainties in class action law and jurisprudence following CAFA’s passage pose immediate opportunities for attorneys and litigants who timely learn how to safely maneuver across this foreign terrain, and dangerous traps for those who do not. These ambiguities and uncertainties will exist for many years to come. One of the goals of the CAFA Law Blog is to provide guideposts along the path through this new landscape.
About CAFA Law Blog’s Interactive Features
The CAFA Law Blog is designed to be interactive, and to allow you to respond immediately and easily to our posts with questions or comments, through the “Post A Comment/Question” buttons at the bottom of each post. The CAFA Law Blog further invites you to “Contact Us,” through the button found on the top tool bar, with questions or comments, or to submit articles, which you believe may be of interest to CAFA Law Blog or its readers. The “Word Search” button found in the right hand column menu list, allows you to search CAFA Law Blog’s contents and hundreds of posts through word searches.
You can electronically receive new articles on CAFA Law Blog immediately when they are posted, without the need for you to check for new posts on the site itself. The CAFA Law Blog’s email notification system, available through the “Subscribe By Email” feature found in the right hand column menu list, allows you to subscribe to the CAFA Law Blog and receive immediate notice of new posts – sent to your email address – containing one?click links directly to those new posts. New CAFA Law Blog posts may also be syndicated or “pushed” to you through an RSS “news-feed” reader on your computer, available through the “Subscribe By RSS” feature found in the right hand column menu list.
About McGlinchey Stafford PLLC
McGlinchey Stafford is a national full-service commercial and defense law firm with approximately 180 attorneys in eight locations in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio and New York. The firm is recognized nationwide for its extensive practice in the field of class action defense, and has represented Fortune 500 companies across the country in hundreds of consumer class actions in state, federal and bankruptcy courts, arbitration proceedings, and Multi-District Litigation. McGlinchey Stafford’s class action defense group attorneys have represented clients in a wide variety of class action matters across a wide array of fields, including class actions involving consumer financial services, banking, labor and employment, consumer fraud and deceptive trade practices, advertising, product liability, insurance, telecommunications, environmental, mass tort, health care, and public utilities claims and issues.
About CAFA Law Blog’s Editorial Staff
Anthony Rollo is Editor in Chief of the CAFA Law Blog and a Member of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in its New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana offices. Anthony heads McGlinchey Stafford’s nationally recognized class action defense group. Anthony has defended clients, primarily in the consumer financial services and insurance industries, in over 125 class actions in state, federal and bankruptcy courts, arbitration proceedings, and Multi-District proceedings, filed in approximately 25 states. Anthony has been a speaker at numerous national conferences on CAFA topics and class action practice. In addition to regularly writing posts for CAFA Law Blog on cutting edge CAFA cases and issues, Anthony has coauthored a number of published articles about CAFA, including: “A Move in the Right Direction – The Tide is Turning for Removal by Counterclaim Defendants Under CAFA,” BNA, Inc. Class Action Litigation Report, Vol. 10, No. 22 (November 27, 2009); “Requested en banc rehearing petition to 4th Circuit in Palisades could breath new life into CAFA removal provision,” Consumer Financial Services Law Report, Vol. 12, Issue 14 (January 21, 2009); H. Hunter Twiford, III, Anthony Rollo & John T. Rouse, CAFA’s New “Minimal Diversity” Standard For Interstate Class Actions Creates A Presumption That Jurisdiction Exists, With The Burden of Proof Assigned To The Party Opposing Jurisdiction, 25 Miss. C.L. Rev. 7 (2005); “CAFA enunciates a new burden of proof standard for federal jurisdiction,” Consumer Financial Services Law Report, Vol. 10, Issue 5 (August 9, 2006) by H. Hunter Twiford, III, Anthony Rollo and John T. Rouse; “Resorting to CAFA’s legislative history resolves some ambiguities,” Consumer Financial Services Law Report, Vol. 9, Issue 10 (November 2, 2005) by Anthony Rollo, Hunter Twiford and Gabriel Crowson; “Practitioners review ‘abstention’ procedure under Sections 1332(d)(3) and (4),” Consumer Financial Services Law Report, Vol. 9, Issue 2 (June 15, 2005) by Anthony Rollo, Hunter Twiford, and Gabriel Crowson; “Mapping the New Class Action Frontier – A Primer on the Class Action Fairness Act and Amended Federal Rule 23,” Consumer Finance Law Quarterly Report, Vol. 59, Nos. 1-2 (Spring-Summer 2005) by Anthony Rollo and Gabriel Crowson; “The Newly Enacted Class Action Fairness Act (Part 2 of 2),” Consumer Financial Services Law Report, Vol. 8, Issue 18 (Mar. 23, 2005) by Anthony Rollo and Gabriel Crowson; “The Newly Enacted Class Action Fairness Act (Part 1 of 2),” Consumer Financial Services Law Report, Vol. 8, Issue 17 (Mar. 9, 2005) by Anthony Rollo and Gabriel Crowson.
Hunter Twiford is Editor in Chief of the CAFA Law Blog and a Member of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in and the Managing Partner of its Jackson, Mississippi office. Hunter practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s class action defense group, and heads the firm’s commercial litigation practice in Mississippi. Hunter has over thirty years experience in a wide range of litigation, and has tried over one hundred jury cases to verdict. Hunter speaks regularly at national conferences on CAFA topics and class action practice. In addition to regularly writing posts for CAFA Law Blog on cutting edge CAFA cases and issues, Hunter has coauthored a number of published articles relating to CAFA, including: H. Hunter Twiford, III, Anthony Rollo & John T. Rouse, CAFA’s New “Minimal Diversity” Standard For Interstate Class Actions Creates A Presumption That Jurisdiction Exists, With The Burden of Proof Assigned To The Party Opposing Jurisdiction, 25 Miss. C.L. Rev. 7 (2005); “CAFA enunciates a new burden of proof standard for federal jurisdiction,” Consumer Financial Services Law Report, Vol. 10, Issue 5 (August 9, 2006) by H. Hunter Twiford, III, Anthony Rollo and John T. Rouse; “Resorting to CAFA’s legislative history resolves some ambiguities,” Consumer Financial Services Law Report, Vol. 9, Issue 10 (November 2, 2005) by Anthony Rollo, Hunter Twiford and Gabriel Crowson; “Practitioners review ‘abstention’ procedure under Sections 1332(d)(3) and (4),” Consumer Financial Services Law Report, Vol. 9, Issue 2 (June 15, 2005) by Anthony Rollo, Hunter Twiford, and Gabriel Crowson. Hunter also lectures and writes in other cutting edge litigation areas, including electronic discovery, and recently authored "Navigating the Uncharted Waters of Electronic Discovery," The MDLA Quarterly, Volume 30, Number 1, Spring 2006 (co-authored with Adam H. Gates).
Michael Ferachi is Senior Editor of the CAFA Law Blog and a Member of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in and the Managing Partner of its Baton Rouge, Louisiana office. Michael practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s class action defense group. Michael regularly speaks on CAFA topics and class action practice. He writes for the CAFA Law Blog, and he edits all of the CAFA case analyses and other posts for the CAFA Law Blog.
Moreover, Michael is brilliant about many things, unquestionably good looking, and kind to strangers. Then again, he maintains the blog, so he is charge of managing these biographies.
Jay O’Brien is Managing Editor of the CAFA Law Blog and a Member of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in its Baton Rouge, Louisiana office. Jay practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s class action defense group and appellate group, teaches at LSU Law School, and writes case analyses and other posts for CAFA Law Blog.
Despite this picture, Jay is actually a happy guy. This picture was taken shortly after his triplets were born.
John Rouse is Assistant Editor of the CAFA Law Blog and an Associate of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in its Jackson, Mississippi office. John practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s class action defense group, and writes case analyses and other posts for CAFA Law Blog. In addition, John has co-authored a number of published articles related to CAFA, including: H. Hunter Twiford, III, Anthony Rollo & John T. Rouse, CAFA’s New “Minimal Diversity” Standard For Interstate Class Actions Creates A Presumption That Jurisdiction Exists, With The Burden of Proof Assigned To The Party Opposing Jurisdiction, 25 Miss. C.L. Rev. 7 (2005), and “CAFA enunciates a new burden of proof standard for federal jurisdiction,” Consumer Financial Services Law Report, Vol. 10, Issue 5 (August 9, 2006) by H. Hunter Twiford, III, Anthony Rollo and John T. Rouse.
Lisa Munyon is a Case Analyst for the CAFA Law Blog and a Member of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in its New Orleans, Louisiana office. Lisa practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s class action defense group, and writes case analyses for CAFA Law Blog.
StephanieJohn is a Case Analyst for the CAFA Law Blog, and a Member of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in its Houston, Texas office. Stephanie practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s Labor and Employment Group, and writes case analyses for CAFA Law Blog, primarily involving matters in the labor and employment fields.
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Stephanie Tolson is a Market Place Editor for the CAFA Law Blog, and is Of Counsel with McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in its Houston, Texas office. Stephanie practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s class action defense group, and writes case analyses for CAFA Law Blog.
Jonathan Wilbourn is a Case Analyst for the CAFA Law Blog and a Member of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in its Baton Rouge, Louisiana office. Jonathan practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s class action defense group, and writes case analyses for CAFA Law Blog.
In his spare time he sells insurance and he is Bob Par's boss, a/k/a Mr. Incredible.
James D. Seymour, Jr. a/k/a DJ Jamie Rock
His name is Jamie. He likes to dance. He’s also a Case Analyst for the CAFA Law Blog and an Associate of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in its Baton Rouge, Louisiana office.
James practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s class action defense group, and writes case analyses for CAFA Law Blog. At least when he’s not busy rocking Gabba Land with his magic boom box or dropping the beat of the day. Go, go, go, go, Jamie. Do the Jamie! Go Jamie. Do the Jamie!
Kyle Ferachi is a Case Analyst, Head Twerp and Member of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in its Baton Rouge, Louisiana office. The designation of Head Twerp signifies Kyle's mastery of all things Twitter as CAFA Law Blog's official Twitter expert. In addition to spending countless hours on Twitter, Kyle practices in McGlinchey Stafford's Labor and Employment Law group and focuses on employment related collective and class actions. He continues to be Michael Ferachi's father (yet a much younger and better looking father).
Heather LaSalle is a Case Analyst for the CAFA Law Blog and an Associate of McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in its New Orleans, Louisiana office. Heather practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s class action defense group, and writes case analyses for CAFA Law Blog.
Rose Marie Fiore is a Case Analyst for the CAFA Law Blog and Of Counsel with McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in its Cleveland, Ohio office. Rose Marie practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s class action defense group, and writes case analyses for CAFA Law Blog.
Candy Burnette is a Case Analyst for the CAFA Law Blog and an associate with McGlinchey Stafford PLLC, resident in its Jackson, Mississippi office. Candi practices in McGlinchey Stafford’s class action defense group, and writes case analyses for CAFA Law Blog.
Linda Simpson provides the CAFA Log Blog with fantastic administrative and marketing support. Linda handles all of the administrative details that the rest of us are too stupid to handle. Without her, the CAFA Law Blog would be messy, full of typographical errors, and no fun to read. Linda is based in McGlinchey Stafford's New Orleans office.
John Martin provides CAFA Log Blog with technical and marketing support. A member of the McGlinchey Stafford's Information Technology Services group and based in McGlinchey Stafford's Houston office, John has more than twenty-five years experience working with law firms and technology companies.