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

Summary

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation orders centralization of actions arising from the PowerSchool customer data security breach. The actions are transferred to the Southern District of California and assigned to Judge Roger T. Benitez for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings under 28 U.S.C. § 1407.

Holdings

1. Centralization was warranted because the actions involved common questions of fact arising from the same cybersecurity incident and presented substantially overlapping claims and discovery issues.
2. Informal coordination was not shown to be the most efficient method of resolving the litigation because no party had moved under § 1404 to transfer the actions to a common district and there was no assurance that such transfers would be uncontested.
3. The Southern District of California was an appropriate transferee district for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the actions involved common questions of fact warranting centralization under 28 U.S.C. § 1407.
2. Whether centralization would serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses and promote the just and efficient conduct of the litigation.
3. Which federal district should serve as the transferee district.

Disposition

other