California Rates 47 Out of 50 At Bottom of List, With West Virginia Being No. 50.
The U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, through a Harris Poll, has come out with its “2015 Lawsuit Climate Survey: Ranking the States,” based on a national sampling of 1,203 in-house general counsel, senior litigators or attorneys, or other senior executives at companies having at least $100 million in annual revenues and experience in litigation in the states being ranked. Here is a link to the entire report, because there very interesting results which a lot of you readers will find informative.
In terms of ranking “company friendly” states, Delaware was 1 and Vermont (home of self-described democratic socialist Bernie Sanders) was 2. California was in the bottom, coming in at a not so friendly 47, followed by Illinois (48), Louisiana (49), and West Virginia (50). Respondents also were provided a list of cities or counties that have a reputation of being problematic when it comes to contract and tort litigation and had the option of inserting a city or county not on the list. The worst jurisdiction was East Texas (26%); followed by Chicago or Cook County, Illinois (20%); Los Angeles, California (16%); Madison County, Illinois (16%); and New Orleans or Orleans Parish, Louisiana (15%).
Significantly, 75% of the respondents reported that a state’s litigation environment is likely to impact important decisions at a company such as where it locates or does business.
COMMENT: Wikipedia describes the Institute For Legal Reform: “The US Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) is an advocacy group founded in 1998 by the United States Chamber of Commerce, ‘representing the nation’s business community’ with a focus on what it calls ‘tort reform’ . . . . ILR takes a pro-defendant stance, condemning the influence that plaintiff trial lawyers have in expanding common law through tort and securities litigation. Accordingly, ILR promotes arbitration over litigation, increased attorney–client privilege, reduced discovery, and statutory caps on damage awards.” Thus, the 2015 Lawsuit Climate Survey is about company friendly states, not necessarily climate friendly states.