RJ GAUDET & ASSOCIATES L.L.C.
"Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sweden
In Sweden, class actions are called grupptalan or “group actions,” in English, and they may be brought on the basis of any substantive Swedish national or E.U. law, including Articles 81 and 82 for competition law violations. There have not been any Article 81 or 82 class actions filed in Sweden, thus far, but this area is ripe for new cases to help direct purchasers recover compensation from competition law infringers. In Sweden, class actions may be brought by a single person or legal entity (sometimes set up for the sole purpose of class action litigation) to sue a defendant on behalf of people with similar grievances. The other people with grievances may write to the court to “opt-in” or affirmatively indicate that they wish to participate in the lawsuit. Once done, they will become class members, and they will share in any recovery obtained by the lead plaintiff; they will also have the right to be heard in court. Class actions have existed in Sweden since January 2003, and there have been a number of notable settlements for the benefit of class members.