Cybersecurity in Multidistrict Litigation
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ALM
Cybersecurity in Multidistrict Litigation
June 17, 2024
By Daniel B. Garrie, Michael Mann and Leo M. Gordon
MDLs can pose unique challenges for cybersecurity litigators as MDLs often involve large volumes of data that may be consolidated from disparate sources. This article examines some key cybersecurity considerations for attorneys that are part of an MDL.
Cybersecurity is becoming more important for the legal industry as more and more lawsuits involve large volumes of sensitive data. This is particularly true for multidistrict litigations (MDLs), which have become increasingly common in recent years. It is estimated that there are approximately 457,000 civil actions pending on MDL dockets, which represents approximately 67% of all pending civil litigation, throughout the United States, as of Dec. 31, 2023 (this information was computed from statistical reports from Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation and U.S. District Courts—Civil Statistics Tables for the Federal Judiciary).
MDLs can pose unique challenges for cybersecurity litigators as MDLs often involve large volumes of data that may be consolidated from disparate sources. This article examines some key cybersecurity considerations for attorneys that are part of an MDL.
What Makes MDLs Unique
MDLs are litigations in which multiple lawsuits filed in various jurisdictions are consolidated into a single case. MDLs are meant to streamline the litigation process for multiple cases arising from the same or similar events. MDLs commonly involve cases in which a single large-scale entity’s actions affect many people located in various parts of the country. This is commonly seen in cases related to things like defective products, unsafe drugs, intellectual property infringement, oil spills, employment practices and securities fraud.
The decision to consolidate or coordinate pre-trial proceedings in disparate cases in a MDL is made by a national panel known as the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. Once a MDL is created, steering committees are established for the parties (plaintiffs or defendants) to the litigation, and lead counsel is chosen for each group of parties. Cases are referred for consolidation or coordination in a MDL for the purposes of pre-trial proceedings, such as discovery, case management, including often deciding Daubert and nondispositive and dispositive motions, and possibly settlement discussions.