Williams Mullen's COVID-19 Comeback Plan: China-related Duty Savings and Refunds
VIDEO: Using the COVID-19 Shutdown to Enhance the University Brand
Four years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, tuition refund class actions against universities have not slowed down. This Holland & Knight alert considers two recent court cases that will impact litigation strategy...more
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, hundreds of lawsuits (many styled as class actions) have been filed by college and university students seeking tuition and fee refunds due to campus closures during the Spring 2020 semester....more
We recently highlighted two Boston-based COVID-19 tuition refund class action suits, against Brandeis University and Boston College, and the impact of a provision in the Commonwealth’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget that grants...more
Massachusetts colleges and universities received some good news recently as Gov. Maura Healey signed a bill that limits their liability for certain tuition and fee refund claims arising from the COVID-19 pandemic....more
Part 1: Introduction and Overview - Earlier this month, Boston University prevailed in one of the few surviving Boston-based COVID-19 tuition refund class action suits. The U.S. District Court in Boston granted BU’s...more
College life was just one of the many things affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools around the country were forced to close academic buildings, residence halls, and other campus facilities and to pivot to online...more
In previous posts, we reported on several of the many lawsuits across the country in which students have sued their colleges and universities for tuition reimbursement as a result of not receiving certain services during (in...more
Since March 2020, hundreds of class-action lawsuits have been filed by students and parents of students seeking reimbursement of tuition and fees from higher education institutions, stemming from the transition from in-person...more
Welcome back to the Class Action & MDL Roundup! Our winter edition covers notable class actions from the fourth quarter of 2020. In this edition, we find a common theme among COVID-19 class actions, the Tampa 2 defends...more
There is a current wave of class action lawsuits against institutions of higher education. Over 150 class action suits have been filed. Students are seeking reimbursement of their tuition, room and board, and fees...more
2020 has been a tumultuous year, but it has taught us to better prepare for the future and how to better enable schools to maintain their operations in the face of these unprecedented challenges. As schools faced shutdown...more
This 27th edition of Unprecedented, our weekly update on COVID-19-related litigation, sees us start with a discussion of a trend toward class actions, with later discussions on two key areas -- insurance coverage disputes and...more
This 17th edition of Unprecedented, our weekly update on COVID-19-related litigation, discusses everything from insurance coverage disputes to statewide shutdown orders. Despite an uphill climb towards liability, businesses...more
In an effort to balance safety with education amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges and universities have transitioned from in-person classes to online formats. ...more
An Auburn University student claims he did not get what he bargained for in being relegated to distance learning instead of having an in-person educational experience. On June 30, 2020, Steven Bailey filed a federal court...more
In this episode, Akin Gump litigation partner Hyongsoon Kim and counsel Molly Whitman discuss class actions against colleges and universities that have moved to remote teaching due to the pandemic. Among the topics...more
Thinking back to college days may conjure up memories of large lecture halls, hands-on labs, late nights in the library, dorm parties, and tailgating. Attending college is not just about what is learned in class. It is about...more
In just two months, more than 110 class action lawsuits have been filed against colleges and universities. These complaints arise out of the COVID-19 pandemic that forced higher education institutions to close their campuses...more
ANALYSIS - Strategies to Defend Tuition Refund Class Actions - The recent spate of class actions seeking refunds for tuition and other fees paid for in spring 2020 likely heralds an even greater deluge in the coming...more
In navigating the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, higher education institutions should be aware of a recent wave of refund class actions, antitrust considerations in communication with other institutions, claims for business...more
Before 2020, most people only associated the term Corona with a beer. Now, Corona will be at the heart of the American judicial system for years to come. Legal experts anticipate a significant increase in the number of class...more
At last count, there are more than twenty-seven class-action lawsuits against various universities and university systems. Unlike the earliest lawsuits which were limited to the refund of room, board, and fees, the majority...more
Class action lawsuits seeking tuition refunds are being filed nationwide against colleges and universities, which are already dealing with revenue loss from closing down their campuses during the coronavirus (COVID-19)...more
In response to governmental recommendations, stay-at-home orders, and shelter-in-place orders, colleges and universities transitioned to distance learning to keep their students, staff, visitors, and communities safe and...more
Nowhere is the COVID-19 virus mutating more quickly than in the cozy confines of class action litigation. From business interruption, to gym memberships, to disappointed Airbnb hosts, more and more Americans are turning to...more