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Michelle C. Doolin is a litigation partner and co-chair of the Firm's national Commercial Class Action practice. She joined the Firm in 1995 and is resident in the San Diego office. In 2009, Ms. Doolin was named one of the Top 100 Women Litigators in California by the Daily Journal and was recognized in the 2010 edition of San Diego Super Lawyers in the category of business litigation.
Ms. Doolin's practice focuses on class action litigation and counseling clients on a wide variety of consumer and privacy related laws to assist clients avoid class action lawsuits. She has represented numerous companies in various industries in a variety of nationwide and state-wide class actions, including:
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California consumer class actions under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (Civil Code § 1750 et seq.), Unfair Competition Law (Business & Professions Code § 17200 et seq.), False Advertising Law (Business & Profession Code § 17500 et seq.), and Civil Code section 1747.08 of the Song Beverly Credit Card Act (collection of personal information in a credit card transaction);
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Wage and hour collective and class actions under both federal and state law, including federal overtime collection, "off-the-clock," and exempt classification class actions and California overtime exemption, overtime calculation, meal and rest break period, vacation policy, unlawful deductions from wages, employment applications, state WARN Act, Private Attorney General Act, and Unfair Competition Law class actions; and
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Federal nationwide consumer class actions under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) for alleged violations of 15 U.S.C. § 1681c(g) of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) (truncation of electronically printed customer receipts) seeking damages under 15 U.S.C. § 1681n of the FCRA.
Ms. Doolin has experience coordinating California class actions before the Judicial Counsel of Coordination and experience practicing before the Federal Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL Panel), and has successfully moved to transfer and centralize a number of class cases. See, e.g., In re TJX Companies, Inc., 505 F.Supp.2d 1379 (J.P.M.L. 2007); In re Payless Shoesource, Inc., California Song Beverly Credit Card Act Litigation, 609 F.Supp.2d 1372 (J.P.M.L. 2009).
Ms. Doolin led the team that recently defeated class certification in a FACTA case that was one of the first FACTA cases filed against an online business and the first denial of class certification in a FACTA class action involving an online business. Vasquez-Torres v. StubHub, Inc., CV 07-1328, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22503 (C.D. Cal. Mar. 4, 2008).
Ms. Doolin also led the team that obtained a major victory for companies doing business in California with the first published appellate court decision in a class action under the Song-Beverly Credit Card Act related to return transactions. The court ruled that the statute did not apply to return transactions and had a one year limitations period. See, TJX Companies, Inc. v. Superior Court, 163 Cal.App.4th 80 (2008). In another class action under the Song-Beverly Credit Card Act, Ms. Doolin successfully led the team that obtained a federal court decision holding that plaintiffs are not entitled to a jury trial. See, In re Payless ShoeSource, Inc., No. 09-MD-2022 FCD GGH, 2009 WL 3233820 (E.D. Cal. Sept. 11, 2009).
She has also handled a number of public access cases under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and counseled clients on a number of ADA related issues.
Ms. Doolin received a J.D., magna cum laude, in 1995 from the University of San Diego School of Law where she was also elected to Order of the Coif. In law school, she was a member of the San Diego Law Review, and a recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Torts, Evidence, Trust and Estates, and Professional Responsibility. In 1991, Ms. Doolin received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance and a Minor in Economics, magna cum laude , from California State University, Long Beach, where she was a recipient of the Alumni Scholar Award and member of the Financial Management Association.
Prior to attending law school, Ms. Doolin worked as a Financial Analyst with Loral Aeronutronics.
Ms. Doolin is a member of the State Bar of California, and is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Southern, Central, Northern and Eastern Districts of California and the District of Colorado. She is also a member of the San Diego County Bar Association.
Education- University of San Diego School of Law
JD, 1995, magna cum laude - California State University, Long Beach
BS Finance, 1991, magna cum laude
Court Admissions
- All California State Courts
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
Admissions
Memberships
- San Diego County Bar Association
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