What is required for a class action to be certified in New York?

For a class action to be certified in New York, it is essential to establish four key criteria: numerosity, commonality, typicality, and adequacy of representation.

Numerosity refers to the need for a sufficient number of individuals in the proposed class such that joining them individually would be impracticable. Commonality requires that there are questions of law or fact that are common to the class members, which means that the resolution of these common issues can yield benefits for the entire class. Typicality means that the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of those of the class, ensuring that the interests of the class are fairly represented. Finally, adequacy of representation assesses whether the representative parties will adequately protect the interests of the class.

This comprehensive framework ensures that class actions are certified only when they genuinely serve the interests of the parties involved. Options that omit any of these four requirements are therefore incomplete, as they do not provide the necessary foundation for justifying a class action.