Lawsuits accusing Target of failing to protect customers from data breach will be consolidated in retailer's home state of Minnesota, rules US Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation; so far, 33 suits have been filed in 18 districts

Cindy Allen

MINNEAPOLIS , April 4, 2014 (Thomson Reuters Corp.) – The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ordered that the many lawsuits that accuse Target Corp of failing to protect customers from a data breach will be consolidated in the retailer's home state Minnesota.

The order brings together 33 lawsuits across 18 districts, and potentially many more tag-along actions, before the U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson in Minnesota.

The centralization will eliminate duplicative discovery, prevent inconsistent pre-trial rulings, and conserve the resources of the parties and the judiciary, according to the transfer order.

Target, the third-largest U.S. retailer, faces several class-action lawsuits and action from banks that could seek reimbursement for millions of dollars in losses due to fraud and the cost of card replacements.

The case is in re: Target Corporation Customer Data Security Breach Litigation; case number 02522, U.S. District Court, Minnesota. (Reporting by Supriya Kurane in Bangalore; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.