On Thursday, November 10, 2022 in the Social Media Multi-District Litigation (“MDL”), U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers of the Northern District of California issued Case Management Order No. 1 which included the selection of Leadership for Plaintiffs.
The following three attorneys were appointed to serve as plaintiffs’ co-lead counsel: Chris Seeger, Lexi Hazam and Previn Warren.
Jennie Anderson was appointed as Plaintiffs’ Liaison Counsel.
Judge Rogers appointed seven attorneys to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee Leadership (“PSCL”): Emily Jeffcoat, Joseph VanZandt, Jayne Conroy, Andre Mura, Matthew Bergman, Alexandra Walsh and Michael Weinkowitz.
She appointed 11 attorneys to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee Membership (“PSCM”): Ron Austin, James Bilsborrow, Paige Boldt, Carrie Goldberg, Sin-Ting Mary Liu, Emmie Paulos, Roland Tellis, Diandra “Fu” Debrosse Zimmermann, James Marsh, Hillary Nappi and Ruth Rizkalla.
In October 2022, the JPML ordered the consolidation of suits related to social media platforms’ failure to warn underage users and their parents about the risks of addiction and possible cause of injuries including but not limited to suicide, anxiety and depression, and self-harm.
Nearly 100 cases have been filed against social media companies over addiction claims. The suits allege that addictive algorithms were designed to target adolescents causing physical and mental harm. Defendants include Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Snap, TikTok and YouTube.
The case is In re Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, case number 4:22-md-03047, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Counsel Financial provides working capital credit lines exclusively for the plaintiffs' bar in all states except California, where credit lines are issued by California Attorney Lending. This article is for informational purposes only. Counsel Financial is a business and not a law firm engaged in the practice of law and, as such, cannot provide legal advise.