Global Class and Collective Actions

Our Global Class and Collective Actions team defends the world’s leading companies in their most complex, high-stakes disputes with seamless coordination across jurisdictions and deep local and industry insight. We deliver effective strategies and achieve results because, wherever class actions arise, we’re the team businesses trust.

Class and collective actions are on the rise and spreading across industries and markets around the world. What has been an ever-present threat in the U.S. is now a global business risk, with claims surging across industries and borders. In the UK, EU, and beyond, claimant firms and funders are aggressively expanding their reach, turning many companies into targets. Our market-leading Global Class and Collective Actions team combines unmatched experience with deep regulatory insight and local expertise to protect clients across sectors — no matter the issue, no matter the market.

Our track record speaks for itself. In the U.S., we secure the most advantageous forums in proceedings before the Joint Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML), defeat class certification, and, on the rare occasion when class claims survive other challenges, defeat class claims at trial. In the UK and EU, we have decades of experience successfully defending clients from the largest product, consumer, ESG, and competition collective actions to have come before the courts. Our global team understands the important wider challenges class and collective actions bring and that they spread across borders. We design multijurisdictional strategies, combat adverse publicity, and achieve early dismissals.

Because we understand the key issues that commonly arise in major cases, we can minimize the burden of discovery and coordinate multijurisdictional class and collective actions. With our broad national and international footprint, you have access to a coordinated team to handle disputes seamlessly across multiple jurisdictions and forums. We counsel our clients on the latest legislative developments and help them prepare for emerging litigation risks, domestic and international issues.

Clients often turn to us for our international expertise to act as coordinated counsel for complex litigation with class and multi-party actions pending in several jurisdictions globally. We have the experience and we know your industry.

Our capabilities at a glance

150

experienced litigators

countries

Key contacts

Dr. Matthias M. Schweiger

Partner

Dr. Matthias M. Schweiger

Partner

Munich

Carolyn (Carrie) A. DeLone

Partner

Carolyn (Carrie) A. DeLone

Partner

Washington, D.C.

Meet the Global Class and Collective Actions team

Representative experience

Won a complete defense verdict for Elevance Health (formerly Anthem, Inc.) in a class action trial in connection with its US$1bn demutualization and IPO.

Securing the dismissal of a €10bn representative action brought by millions of consumers in the UK and Netherlands for damages arising from alleged breaches of data protection legislation arising from its ad-targeting technology.

Successfully represented a global technology client against one of the biggest French consumer associations in front of the Paris Judicial Court which declared the claims inadmissible.

Defeated class certification and obtained summary judgment in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) proceeding brought against WellPoint, Inc. for alleged underpayment for out-of-network healthcare services.

Acting for a cryptocurrency exchange in a £9b UK competition class action alleging collusion to delist a currency, causing loss to holders.

Defending a pharmaceutical company against product liability claims by health insurance bodies in the wake of compensation to 30,000 claimants in Germany.

Representing a major European bank in a collective action before the Amsterdam District Court regarding the alleged manipulation of London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR).

Defending a captive bank in a class action started by an association claiming damages allegedly suffered by consumers who entered into financing agreements as a result of the captive bank's cartel in Italy.

The Global Class Actions & Collective Actions State of Play

The Global Class Actions & Collective Actions State of Play is Hogan Lovells' annual flagship compendium tracking the collective redress landscape across jurisdictions, covering regime overviews, key developments from the past year, and projected risks for the year ahead. The 2026 edition continues the practice's tradition of giving multinationals a single, comparative resource on class action exposure across the U.S., UK, EU, and Americas — including the maturing Representative Actions Directive framework in Europe, evolving Group Litigation Orders and CAT regimes in the UK, and emerging risks in markets like Mexico.

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2023

The Global Class Actions Hub

The Global Class Actions Hub is the practice's interactive digital platform. This truly centralized, sector-focused resource gives our clients real-time visibility into class and collective action regimes and trends across jurisdictions. The Hub features a collaborative comparison tool that lets clients contrast regimes side-by-side and generate tailored reports, with sector-specific insights spanning Financial Institutions, Technology, Automotive, Life Sciences, and Consumer Goods, and deep dives into Antitrust & Competition, Data Privacy & Security, and Employment risk. It serves as the year-round digital companion to the practice's annual State of Play compendium, ensuring clients have both the comprehensive yearly benchmark and a continuously updated tool to stay ahead of emerging litigation risk wherever they operate.

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Other ways we can help you

Resources

Digital Client Solutions

Global Class Actions Hub

Our interactive hub delivers insights, tools, and updates on global class and collective action trends, enabling clients to anticipate risks, monitor regulatory shifts, and leverage Hogan Lovells’ litigation expertise across jurisdictions and industries.

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Insights & Analysis

A Matter of Law: Class Actions State of Play podcast episode

In this episode of A Matter of Law, litigators from the US, UK, and EU discuss timely analysis of emerging class action developments, key cases, legislation, and enforcement priorities, providing clients with strategic perspectives and practical guidance to navigate litigation challenges in today’s rapidly evolving global market.

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Insights & Analysis

Global Class and Collective Actions: State of Play Compendium

Our annual State of Play compendium answers the most frequently asked questions on global class action regimes. It offers clear, practical insights across jurisdictions. Look for our upcoming 2026 edition, launching this fall.

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Your questions answered

How does Hogan Lovells manage class and collective actions that span multiple jurisdictions?

Our team delivers a single, integrated strategy to address parallel proceedings across the US, UK, Mexico, APAC, and the EU, as well as emerging regimes. We align arguments, timelines, experts, and settlement approaches to ensure consistency and efficiency, while leveraging our strong regulatory relationships with authorities like the CMA, DG COMP, and State Attorneys General. With a global playbook, we minimize conflicting rulings, manage funder-driven claims, and position clients for the best possible outcome across borders.

What makes Hogan Lovells distinct in defending against class certification and collective claims?

We are recognized for our litigation-first approach, backed by unmatched technical and regulatory expertise. Our lawyers routinely dismantle commonality, predominance, and damages models with rigorous expert analysis, and we have a strong record of defeating class certification or narrowing claims early. With specialists in antitrust, securities, product liability, and consumer protection, we bring sector-specific expertise to every case, combining sophisticated legal strategies with practical, business-focused advice.

How do we help clients mitigate reputational and regulatory risks linked to mass claims?

We know that high-profile disputes extend well beyond the courtroom. Our team integrates litigation strategy with crisis communications, board-level guidance, and regulatory engagement to protect both legal and reputational interests. Whether coordinating with regulators to resolve parallel investigations, structuring settlements aligned with ESG and consumer expectations, or managing press-sensitive disputes, we provide comprehensive solutions that safeguard brand value while advancing the defense.

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