2008 Fulbright Litigation Trends Survey Confirms the Reality of the Situation.
Fulbright & Jaworski has come out with its 2008 Litigation Trends Survey.
This survey shows that companies having at least one lawsuit filed against them in 2008 fell to 79%, as compared to 83% in 2007. Likewise, companies bringing at least one legal action tallied only 56% of surveyed companies, a large drop from the 88% number that did so in 2004. The survey also showed that there was an increase in 2008 multi-plaintiff suits involving wage-hour claims. (27% of the surveyed companies had more than 20 new lawsuits commenced against them in 2008, while 18% had more than 50 new lawsuits to defend.)
Interestingly enough, even with the downturn in cases being prosecuted or defended by companies, the litigation costs have not stemmed. Rather, 45% of American companies are spending at least $1 million annually on litigation in 2008, up 1% from 2007.
For more statistics from this survey, see “Corporations at the Courthouse,” a synopsis contained in the August 2009 edition of California Lawyer (at page 11).