No. 24-86

Career Counseling, Inc., dba Snelling Staffing Services v. Amerifactors Financial Group, LLC

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2024-07-26
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3)
Tags: administrative-feasibility circuit-split class-certification fax-machine fax-machine-definition rule-23 rule-23(b)(3) telephone-consumer-protection-act
Key Terms:
AdministrativeLaw Securities Privacy ClassAction
Latest Conference: 2025-06-26 (distributed 3 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether there is an implied 'administrative feasibility' prerequisite for class certification

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of class certification in this action under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) based on two pure legal propositions that have divided the circuit courts: (1) that there is an implied “administrative feasibility” prerequisite for class certification under Rule 23(b)(3), a requirement rejected by six other circuits, see Cherry v. Dometic Corp., 986 F.3d 1296, 1302 (11th Cir. 2021); and (2) that the TCPA’s definition of “telephone facsimile machine” in 47 U.S.C. § 227(a)(3) is limited to “stand-alone” fax machines, a limitation rejected by the Sixth Circuit in Lyngaas v. Curaden AG, 992 F.3d 412, 426 (6th Cir. 2021). There are two questions presented: 1.Whether there is an implied “administrative feasibility” prerequisite for class certification, as held by the First, Third, and Fourth Circuits, or whether administrative feasibility is merely a factor to be weighed in determining whether class certification is “superior” to the alternatives under Rule 23(b)(3), as held by the Second, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits. See Cherry, 986 F.3d at 1302; Briseno v. ConAgra Foods, Inc., 844 F.3d 1121, 1133 (9th Cir. 2017); In re Petrobras Sec., 862 F.3d 250, 267 (2d Cir. 2017); Sandusky Wellness Ctr., LLC v. Medtox Sci., Inc., 821 F.3d 992, 996 (8th Cir. 2016); Rikos v. Procter & Gamble Co., 799 F.3d 497, 525 (6th Cir. 2015); Mullins v. Direct Digital, LLC, 795 F.3d 654, 662 (7th Cir. 2015). 2.Whether the TCPA’s definintion of “telephone facsimile machine” is limited to traditional “standalone” fax machines, as the Fourth Circuit held in this case, or whether the “plain language” of the definition -l1“encompasses more than traditional fax machines that automatically print a fax received over a telephone line,” as the Sixth Circuit held in Lyngaas, 992 F.3d at 426.

Docket Entries

2025-06-30
Petition DENIED.
2025-06-24
Supplemental brief of respondent AmeriFactors Financial Group, LLC filed. (Distributed)
2025-06-24
Supplemental Brief of AmeriFactors Financial Group, LLC submitted.
2025-06-23
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/26/2025.
2024-12-04
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/10/2025.
2024-12-02
2024-11-18
Brief of respondent AmeriFactors Financial Group, LLC in opposition filed.
2024-10-30
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including November 18, 2024.
2024-10-29
Motion to extend the time to file a response from November 4, 2024 to November 18, 2024, submitted to The Clerk.
2024-09-25
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including November 4, 2024.
2024-09-24
Motion to extend the time to file a response from October 3, 2024 to November 4, 2024, submitted to The Clerk.
2024-09-03
Response Requested. (Due October 3, 2024)
2024-08-07
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/30/2024.
2024-08-01
Waiver of right of respondent AmeriFactors Financial Group, LLC to respond filed.
2024-08-01
Waiver of AmeriFactors Financial Group, LLC of right to respond submitted.
2024-07-19
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due August 26, 2024)
2024-05-06
Application (23A982) granted by The Chief Justice extending the time to file until July 19, 2024.
2024-05-01
Application (23A982) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from May 20, 2024 to July 19, 2024, submitted to The Chief Justice.

Attorneys

AmeriFactors Financial Group, LLC
Lauri Anne MazzuchettiKelley Drye & Warren LLP, Respondent
Lisa Schiavo BlattWilliams & Connolly LLP, Respondent
Career Counseling, Inc.
Glenn L. HaraAnderson + Wanca, Petitioner