In re: PowerSchool Holdings, Inc., and PowerSchool Group, LLC Customer Data Security Breach Litigation

Summary

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered centralization of 32 actions involving the PowerSchool customer data security breach, along with related actions, in the Southern District of California. The Panel assigned the coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings to Judge Roger T. Benitez, finding common factual questions and that centralization would promote efficiency and avoid inconsistent rulings.

Holdings

1. The actions involve common questions of fact, and centralization under § 1407 is warranted to serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses and promote the just and efficient conduct of the litigation.
2. The Southern District of California is an appropriate transferee district for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings.
3. Informal coordination was not the most efficient means of resolving the litigation because the parties had not provided assurances that potential § 1404 transfers would be uncontested.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the related actions involve common questions of fact warranting centralization under 28 U.S.C. § 1407.
2. Whether centralization in the Southern District of California would serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses and promote the just and efficient conduct of the litigation.
3. Whether informal coordination or transfer under 28 U.S.C. § 1404 would be preferable to multidistrict centralization.

Disposition

other