Home Class Actions in the United States and Israel: A Comparative Approach
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Class Actions in the United States and Israel: A Comparative Approach

  • Alon Klement and Robert Klonoff
Published/Copyright: February 13, 2018
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill

Abstract

Unlike most countries, the United States and Israel have employed the class action procedure for decades. This Article compares the two countries’ class action regimes and examines how the device has evolved in those countries. It examines the current procedures, as well as proposed reforms. It also compares class action statistics in the two countries relating to filings and outcomes. We demonstrate the many common features between the United States and Israeli class action procedures. As we illustrate, these common features have led to robust class action practices in both countries. At the same time, there are profound differences between the types of class actions filed and their outcomes. Thus, while Israel has many more class actions than the United States on a per capita basis, the cases are much less consequential from a monetary and subject matter perspective. We explore possible explanations for these observations. Furthermore, this study identifies features — utilized by the United States and Israel — that can serve as models for other countries that are adopting or amending their own class action regimes.


* Buchmann Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv University. Professor Klement wishes to thank Lihi Rabinowicz and Rosa Lisnyansky for excellent research assistance.

** Jordan D. Schnitzer Professor of Law, Lewis & Clark Law School; Dean of Lewis & Clark Law School, 2007-2014. Professor Klonoff served as a member of the U.S. Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules from 2011 to 2017. He previously served as an Associate Reporter for the American Law Institute’s project, Principles of the Law of Aggregate Litigation (West 2010). He writes only in his personal capacity and not as a member of the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules. Professor Klonoff wishes to thank his research assistants, Evan Christopher and Daniel Walker, for their able assistance. The authors thank Shay N. Lavie, Ruth Ronen, and the conference participants for their valuable comments.


Published Online: 2018-2-13

© 2018 by Theoretical Inquiries in Law

Downloaded on 26.11.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/til-2018-0006/html
Scroll to top button