Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. is among the nation’s most successful firms in both prosecuting and defending class actions. Few forms of legal action are as potentially powerful a means of leveling the playing field for those suing, or as potentially difficult for those being sued, as class actions. A class action is sometimes the most promising way, and sometimes the only economically viable way, to remedy widespread or systemic injustices. Because of the risk, the expense, and the legal complexity, relatively few firms are willing or able to prosecute class actions. Despite the complexity of these cases, we keep our costs down by staffing matters carefully and structuring fee arrangements that meet the objectives of our clients.

On the plaintiffs side, we have been involved in class actions on behalf of minorities, workers, consumers, investors, students, teachers, tenants, property owners, and voters - - among others. We have used class actions to defeat racial and gender discrimination in workplace policies and practices, to fight municipal authorities on the illegal seizure and towing of vehicles, to curb politically-motivated surveillance and harassment by national and local governments, to curb law enforcement abuses, to ensure educational opportunities for students of all races, to ban the continued use of punch-card ballots in Illinois, to fight fraud in financial markets, to enforce wage and hour laws, and to oppose housing discrimination.

At the same time, and in large part as a result of our reputation for successfully prosecuting class actions, we are also hired to defend clients facing class actions. With equal means, tenacity, and experience we have defended (and defeated) class claims on behalf of both private and governmental entities.

The following is a small sampling of the successes of our attorneys in class action litigation:

Hispanics United of DuPage County v. Village of Addison, 94 C 6075, 95 C 3926 (N.D. Ill.). A class action on behalf of Latino residents of a suburban municipality to enforce their rights under the Fair Housing Act and the United States Constitution. Our representation resulted in the largest recovery under the Fair Housing Act in the nation’s history, including a consent decree that prevented the discriminatory targeting of Latino neighborhoods for redevelopment, provided millions of dollars in compensation for property loss and relocation funds, and provided the opportunity for displaced families to relocate to comparable residences.

In re Mexico Money Transfer Litigation, 98 C 2407, 98 C 2408 (N.D. Ill.). A national class action challenging the fraudulent practices in the international wire transfer industry, resulting in a settlement providing injunctive relief and approximately 400 million dollars in benefits to the mostly Mexican migrant class members.

del Valle v. McGuffage, 01 C 208, 01 C 796 (N.D. Ill.). Class action voting rights suit challenging voting procedures, including the use of punch card ballots, in Chicago, suburban Cook County and elsewhere in Illinois, under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fourteenth Amendment. Pursuant to a settlement in this case, the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners implemented a new, modernized voting system and increased the availability of language assistance to meet the needs of Spanish- and Chinese-speaking voters.

People Who Care v. Rockford Board of Education School Dist. No. 205, 89 C 20168 (N.D. Ill). A class action school desegregation case brought on behalf of Hispanic and African-American students against the second largest school district in Illinois. We won a judgment following a bench trial, which resulted in the most detailed liability findings in the history of school desegregation litigation.

Bell v. Woodward Governor Co., 03 C 50190, 06 C 50178 (N.D. Ill.). An employment class action alleging discrimination in compensation and promotions, resulting in a settlement with multi-million dollar monetary relief plus company-wide, injunctive relief.

In re Federal Bank and Trust Company, MDL 537 (D. Or.). A class action challenge to international securities fraud in the sale of investments allegedly involving arbitrage between Treasury bills and precious metals futures. The case resulted in the largest RICO recovery in the nation at that time.