Barrett Law Group, P.A.

What does a lead plaintiff do in a class action lawsuit?

2026-09-30T16:31:25Z

Many people believe that lawyers run the entirety of class actions in Mississippi and nationwide. In reality, every case needs a lead plaintiff to step up and champion justice. Serving in this role is both a privilege and a responsibility that requires active involvement and a willingness to stand up against powerful entities. If you are thinking about pursuing this path, understanding what the role entails can help you make an informed decision.

The legal standards

In securities cases, the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA) typically provides class members with 60 days to seek appointment as lead plaintiff. The court generally selects the person or group with the largest financial stake. In consumer and antitrust class actions, Rule 23 requires a class representative to be adequate and typical of the class. Collectively, these provisions are meant to ensure that the parties most affected and motivated lead the litigation, rather than merely those who file first.

What does a lead plaintiff actually do?

A lead plaintiff does much more than simply file a lawsuit for their own benefit. In this role, you act on behalf of other people who have similar claims. Your responsibilities involve helping guide the case in a way that protects the whole class, including:

Counsel selection: Reviewing and hiring the law firm that will handle the case
Strategic oversight: Reading important filings and monitoring what is happening in the lawsuit
Discovery process: Gathering evidence and sitting for a deposition in some cases

If the case reaches a settlement stage, you also help decide whether the proposed settlement is fair and appropriate for everyone involved, not just for yourself.

The incentive award

In addition to their share of the settlement, lead plaintiffs may seek an incentive or service award to recognize the extra time, effort and risk involved in fulfilling that role. Courts often approve these payments because the tasks involve more than signing paperwork. Still, the value of serving as a lead plaintiff is not only financial. Many people take on the role because they want to help in holding a powerful organization accountable for wrongdoing.

Stepping up for the greater good

If you have been harmed by a corporation or other entity, you may have the opportunity to lead the charge for everyone else. Being the lead plaintiff is a difficult commitment, but it is one supported by legal experts and compensated by the court. The Barrett Law Group, P.A. team can help you see if your case is right for a class action.

The Great Barrett Family Tour – August 3, 2024

2024-11-28T20:02:01Z

The Great Barrett Family Tour – August 3, 2024

Family history can be found on the Barrett Law Group Youtube channel, at the following link https://youtu.be/ucn6ZCVhhwk

Effexor XR Settlement

2026-04-07T13:34:55Z

Effexor XR Settlement

CASE NUMBER: No. 3:11-cv-05479 CASE STATUS: Pending COURT: United States District Court for the District of New Jersey Barrett Law Group currently serves as a member of the Interim Class Counsel Executive Committee on behalf of a proposed class of direct purchasers of brand or generic versions of Effexor XR from Wyeth (Wyeth LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Wyeth-Whitehall Pharmaceuticals LLC, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Company) or Teva (Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd.) (Wyeth and Teva are collectively referred to as “Defendants”) in this antitrust class action alleging that Defendants unlawfully delayed the entry of less expensive generic Effexor XR (generic name: venlafaxine hydrochloride extended-release) through an unlawful “reverse payment” agreement. The case is currently pending in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and is captioned In re Effexor XR Antitrust Litigation, No. 3:11-cv-05479 (D.N.J.). On April 25, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Peter G. Sheridan of the District of New Jersey granted preliminary approval of a $39 million settlement between Wyeth (Wyeth LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Wyeth-Whitehall Pharmaceuticals LLC, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Company) and the settlement class of direct purchasers of brand or generic Effexor XR as set forth in the Order Granting Direct Purchaser Class Plaintiffs’ Unopposed Motion for Certification of a Settlement Class, Appointment of Lead Class Counsel, Appointment of Notice/Claims Administrator, Appointment of Escrow Agent, Preliminary Approval of the Proposed Settlement, Approval of the Form and Manner of Notice to the Class and Proposed Schedule for a Fairness Hearing. Judge Sheridan appointed Barrett Law Group (and other firms) Lead Class Counsel for purposes of the Settlement. The proposed settlement is with Wyeth only. Claims against Teva have not been released.

CASE NEWS AND IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

The Parties have reached a Settlement Agreement in In re Family Dollar, Inc., Pest Infestation Litigation, MDL 3032, Case No. 22-md-3032-SHL-TMP (W.D. Tenn.); to learn more about the settlement, please visit:

2024-11-28T19:59:58Z

The Parties have reached a Settlement Agreement in In re Family Dollar, Inc., Pest Infestation Litigation, MDL 3032, Case No. 22-md-3032-SHL-TMP (W.D. Tenn.); to learn more about the settlement, please visit:

https://fdwarehousesettlement.com/

Milton Lee Olive Day in Holmes County, Mississippi, July 4, 2017

2024-10-26T00:36:03Z

Milton Lee Olive Day in Holmes County, Mississippi, July 4, 2017

A Tribute to PFC Milton Lee Olive, III

MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT

Family Dollar

2026-04-07T13:48:26Z

Family Dollar

By Brandon Richard Published: Mar. 7, 2022 at 5:21 PM CST| https://www.actionnews5.com/2022/03/07/attorneys-pursue-class-action-lawsuits-against-family-dollar-multiple-states/ MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Attorneys in several states are pursuing class-action lawsuits against Family Dollar due to the rat infestation at the company’s West Memphis distribution center. Lawsuits have been filed in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Missouri. Those are the states where Family Dollar closed more than 400 stores amid a voluntary recall of products that may have been contaminated. Those products include human foods, pet foods, cosmetics, medical devices and over-the-counter medications. Family Dollar issued the voluntary recall the same day the Food and Drug Administration issued a public warning last month, alerting the public to possible dangers. Don Barrett, an attorney with the Barrett Law Group in Lexington, Mississippi, is one of the attorneys pursuing a class-action suit against Family Dollar. “I mean the conditions in that plant, according to the inspectors, the government inspectors, were so filthy, it almost made you sick to read it. I don’t know how they could stay in there,” said Barrett. Filed Complaint.

Billion Dollar Flooding Lawsuit Gets Off The Ground

2025-04-10T05:39:17Z

Billion Dollar Flooding Lawsuit Gets Off The Ground

By Wyatt Emmerich, > 26108 viewsOn Fri, 02/07/2020 – 10:14 AM Five hundred Mississippi landowners scored a big victory in Natchez recently in their quest to be reimbursed a billion dollars by the federal government for flooding their land. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers was asking federal claims court judge Elaine Kaplan to dismiss the suit. After an hour of hearing both sides, Kaplan ruled that the suit could go forward. Continue Reading…

Hospital Opioids Case Moves Forward in MDL

2026-04-07T13:40:42Z

Hospital Opioids Case Moves Forward in MDL

Don Barrett APRIL 23, 2020 America’s hospitals are heroes. Every day you hear new stories of bravery in our health care system’s fight against COVID-19 – heroic efforts from doctors and nurses to save lives, heal families, restore futures. If they seem like well-trained warriors, it’s because, our nation’s hospitals are not new to the frontlines of battle. For the past 20 years, hospitals have been fighting, and continue to fight, the nation’s opioid epidemic. Overdoses involving both prescription and illicit opioids claimed almost 450,000 lives from 1999-2018. I represent more than 650 hospitals in their lawsuits against opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies in both federal and state courts around the country, including hospitals in the opioid multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the Northern District of Ohio before Judge Dan Polster. Continue Reading…

Barrett Law Group, P.A. Extends its Ability To Help Clients Across the Country.

2025-04-10T05:22:35Z

Barrett Law Group, P.A. Extends its Ability To Help Clients Across the Country.

September 12, 2019 – Albany, New York. Barrett Law Group, P.A. has extended its reach to help clients across the country by admission into the New York State Bar. In a ceremony in the Third Appellate Division of the State of New York in Albany, New York and before the Honorable Justice Elizabeth A. Garry, BLG Partner, Richard Barrett, took his oath and was admitted into the New York Bar. This will allow Barrett Law Group, P.A. to represent clients who work or reside in the State of New York. Mr. Barrett is now admitted into all courts in Mississippi, The Southern District of Illinois Federal Court, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Court and the State of New York. If you have any legal needs, please call Barrett Law Group, P.A. at (662) 834-2488 in Lexington, Mississippi and (662) 380-5018 in Oxford, Mississippi. Our attorneys and staff will be glad to help. BLG Partner Richard R. Barrett is admitted into the New York State Bar.

Barrett Law Group, P.A. Attorneys named as the 2019 National Trial Lawyers of the Year by Public Justice.

2026-04-07T13:51:59Z

Barrett Law Group, P.A. Attorneys named as the 2019 National Trial Lawyers of the Year by Public Justice.

July 30, 2019 – Barrett Law Group, P.A.’s attorneys Richard Barrett and Don Barrett were named as National Trial Lawyers of the Year at last night’s Public Justice 2019 Gala and Awards Dinner at USS Midway in San Diego, California for their work as part of the plaintiff class counsel team in the Hale v. State Farm class action in the Southern District of Illinois Federal Court. The team that was comprised of some of the best plaintiff lawyers from across the country was able to secure a class of State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance policy holders a settlement of $250 million and to shed light on the use of “dark money” in judicial elections. Congratulations to Don Barrett and Richard Barrett and the rest of the team for the high recognition by Public Justice. Further information regarding the full team Public Justice’s Trial Lawyer of the Year can be found at https://www.publicjustice.net/2019-tloy-winner/. Plaintiffs’ Class Counsel Full Team: Don Barrett and Richard Barrett, Barrett Law Group, Lexington, MS; Robert Clifford and Kristofer Riddle, Clifford Law Firm, Chicago, Ill.; Elizabeth Cabraser, Robert Nelson, and Kevin Budner, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP, San Francisco, Calif.; Steve Blonder, Much Shelist, Chicago, Ill.; Tom Thrash, Thrash Law Firm, Little Rock, Ark; Gordon Ball, Ball Law Firm, Knoxville, Tennessee; Patrick Pendley, Pendley Baudin & Coffin, LLP, Plaquemine, LA; Erwin Chemerinsky, Berkeley Law School, Berkeley, CA.