The Rise of COVID-19 Price Gouging Class Actions and the Economics of Class Certification

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, governors and mayors across the United States have made emergency declarations aimed to gain access to additional resources, coordinate the emergency response, and protect residents from the virus. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a state of emergency on March 4, 2020 to prepare the state for the spread of COVID-19. As part of declaration, there were provisions for “increased protections from price gouging.” The proclamation extended the California Penal Code 396 price protection window of no more than 10 percent for goods and services sold in California from 30 days as of the announcement to September 4, 2020.

In this Law360 article, Edgeworth Partners Dr. George Korenko and Matthew Milner provide a primer on the economics of class certification and discuss the application of economics to price gouging class actions.

Read the full article here.