Partners Matt Hellman and Lindsay Harrison Named Litigator of the Week Runners-Up

Jenner & Block Partners Matt Hellman and Lindsay Harrison were named Litigator of the Week Runners-Up by The American Lawyer for their precedent-setting appellate ruling from the Fourth Circuit on behalf of Marriott International Inc., in a matter that has wide-reaching implications for class action law. 

The decision vacates the order certifying what is believed to be the largest data-incident classes that any court has ever certified and prevents district courts from certifying classes where plaintiffs have previously waived their rights for class action litigation. 

The Fourth Circuit noted, “no court has had occasion to expressly hold” that “the time to address a contractual class waiver is before, not after, a class is certified.” As a result of this decision, class waivers are likely to become a critical component to courts’ decisions on class certification and can no longer be deferred to a later point in litigation at which time they may be obsolete because the defendant has been compelled to settle.

Partner Matt Hellman argued the case in the Fourth Circuit.

Read more on the case here

Related Locations

© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

Partners Matt Hellman and Lindsay Harrison Named Litigator of the Week Runners-Up

Jenner & Block Partners Matt Hellman and Lindsay Harrison were named Litigator of the Week Runners-Up by The American Lawyer for their precedent-setting appellate ruling from the Fourth Circuit on behalf of Marriott International Inc., in a matter that has wide-reaching implications for class action law. 

The decision vacates the order certifying what is believed to be the largest data-incident classes that any court has ever certified and prevents district courts from certifying classes where plaintiffs have previously waived their rights for class action litigation. 

The Fourth Circuit noted, “no court has had occasion to expressly hold” that “the time to address a contractual class waiver is before, not after, a class is certified.” As a result of this decision, class waivers are likely to become a critical component to courts’ decisions on class certification and can no longer be deferred to a later point in litigation at which time they may be obsolete because the defendant has been compelled to settle.

Partner Matt Hellman argued the case in the Fourth Circuit.

Read more on the case here

Related Locations

© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

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