Jonathan D. Selbin

The chair of Lieff Cabraser’s Economic Injury Product Defect Practice Group and member of the firm’s Executive Committee, Jonathan D. Selbin litigates consumer protection and defective products class action lawsuits against many of the nation’s most prominent corporations. This work has led to countless victories and numerous accolades, including most recently a 2016 Distinguished Service Award from the American Association for Justice . He has argued and obtained favorable appellate opinions in multiple Courts of Appeal, including in the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits. In February 2020, Modern Counsel published “Jonathan Selbin Levels the Playing Field,” a profile of Jonathan highlighting his long legacy of fighting for equal rights. In May of 2020, Law360 named Jonathan a “Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar,” and his work on behalf of consumers was featured in a September 2014 Forbes article as well as a March 2016 National Law Journal article.

Jonathan argued and obtained a favorable appellate opinion in the Sixth Circuit in In re Whirlpool Corp. Front-Loading Washer Products Liab. Litig., 678 F.3d 409 (6th Cir. 2012), vacated sub nom., Whirlpool Corp. v. Glazer, 133 S. Ct. 1722 (2013), reinstated Glazer v. Whirlpool Corp. (In re Whirlpool Corp. Front-Loading Washer Prods. Liab. Litig.), 722 F.3d 838 (6th Cir. 2013), cert. den., 2014 U.S. LEXIS 1484 (2014), and obtained a favorable opinion as appellate counsel in the Seventh Circuit in Butler v. Sears, 702 F.3d 359 (7th Cir. 2012), vacated, Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. Butler, 133 S. Ct. 2768 (2013), reinstated, Butler v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 727 F.3d 796 (7th Cir. 2013), cert. den. 2014 U.S. LEXIS 1507 (2014). He also argued and obtained favorable appellate rulings in the Fifth Circuit in McManus v. Fleetwood Enters., 320 F.3d 545 (5th Cir. 2003), and in the Ninth Circuit in Omstead v. Dell, Inc., 594 F.3d 1081 (9th Cir. 2010).

Jonathan spearheaded a series of groundbreaking class actions under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) which have transformed the debt collection industry. Leading the Lieff Cabraser team, Jonathan developed and implemented the legal strategy responsible for the largest settlements in the history of the TCPA. In 2015, Lieff Cabraser and co-counsel achieved final approval for two of the largest settlements in the 25-year history of the TCPA: a $75,455,098.74 settlement with Capital One and several of its vendors (In re Capital One Telephone Consumer Protection Act Litigation, Master Docket No. 1:12-cv-10064 (N.D. Ill.)), and a $39,975,000 settlement with HSBC (Wilkins v. HSBC Bank Nev., N.A., Case No. 14-cv-190 (N.D. Ill.)). In 2015 alone, Lieff Cabraser’s settlements in TCPA cases collectively resulted in the recovery by consumers across America of over $130 million. By 2018, that number had risen to over $280 million . More importantly, Jonathan’s work on these cases has put a stop to millions of harassing calls by debt collectors. The practice changes secured by Jonathan, his team, and their co-counsel have ended harassing debt collection calls to tens of millions of customers and non-customers at many of the nation’s largest financial services providers.

Jonathan currently serves as Court-appointed interim lead counsel in In Re: Navistar Maxxforce Engines Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2590 (N.D. Ill.). He previously served as Court-appointed lead counsel in In re: Whirlpool Corp. Front-Loading Washer Litig., MDL No. 2001 (N.D. Ohio); Court-appointed co-lead counsel in In re: Capital One TCPA Litig., MDL No. 2416 (N.D. Ill.); Court-appointed co-lead counsel in In re: Imprelis Herbicide Litig., MDL No. 2281 (E.D. Pa.), which resulted in a nationwide settlement of property damage claims in an amount of almost $575 million; and as Court-appointed co-lead counsel in In re: Mercedes-Benz Tele Aid Contract Litig., MDL No. 1914 (D.N.J), where he obtained certification of a nationwide consumer protection litigation class, and twice successfully defended it in the Third Circuit.

With Professor Samuel Issacharoff, Jonathan was the primary author of the certiorari opposition papers in the Whirlpool and Sears cases in the United States Supreme Court, which ultimately resulted in a denial of certiorari.

Together, cases in which Jonathan has played a lead role have resulted in court-approved class action settlements with a combined total recovery for class members exceeding $3.0 billion in cash, plus other relief, such as extended and enhanced warranties.

Jonathan is a member of the inaugural Board of Counselors for Equal Justice Works . He is a 1993 magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, and he clerked for Honorable Marilyn Hall Patel in the Northern District of California from 1993-1995 prior to joining Lieff Cabraser.

In 2017, Jonathan and his family founded the Selbin Voting Rights Fellowship at Equal Justice Works, funding a two year fellow working to ensure fair access to voting in North Carolina.

Published Works

•Contributing Author, “Ninth Circuit Reshapes California Consumer-Protection Law,” American Bar Association, July 2012
•On Class Actions, 2009
•Contributing Author, California Class Actions Practice and Procedures (Elizabeth J. Cabraser, editor-in-chief), 2003
•“Bashers Beware: The Continuing Constitutionality of Hate Crimes Statutes After R.A.V.,” 72 Oregon Law Review 157, Spring 1993

Honors & Awards

•Selected for inclusion by peers in The Best Lawyers in America in field of Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs, 2013-2020
•“Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar,” Law360, 2020
•Super Lawyer for New York Metro, Super Lawyers, 2006-2019
•Distinguished Service Award, American Association for Justice, 2016
•New York Litigation Star, Benchmark Litigation, 2013-2016
•Lawdragon Finalist, Lawdragon, 2009

Past Employment Positions

•Judge Marilyn Hall Patel, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, Law Clerk, 1993 - 1995

In the News

•July 7, 2020
Plaintiffs Seek Release of DirecTV Customer Contact Info Sealed in Earlier Improper Texting Lawsuit
•June 2, 2020
Law360 Profiles “Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar” Jonathan Selbin
•May 26, 2020
Jonathan Selbin Named a “Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar” by Law360
•February 28, 2020
Lieff Cabraser Partner Jonathan Selbin Profiled in Modern Counsel
•January 30, 2020
Jonathan Selbin Talks to Consumer Reports About Forced Arbitration
•May 29, 2019
Jonathan Selbin Comments on DOJ Claims About Abusive Consumer Class Actions
•January 10, 2018
Equal Justice Works Names Jonathan Selbin to Board of Directors
•December 22, 2017
Jonathan Selbin on the Future of Class Actions in Bloomberg Law
•November 22, 2017
Jonathan Selbin Speaks at Federalist Society MDL Conference
•March 23, 2017
Lieff Cabraser Lawyers Featured at 1st Annual Class Action Money & Ethics Conference
•August 10, 2016
KOMO News: Whirlpool & LG Washer Mold Claim Periods Continue
•August 3, 2016
Jonathan Selbin Earns AAJ Board of Governors’ 2016 Distinguished Service Award
•September 3, 2015
Jonathan Selbin to Speak at ABA Conference on Class Actions