59. General. Tel. Co. v. Falcon, 457 U.S. 147, 161 (1982). 60. See General Motors Corp. v. Bryant, 374 Ark. 38, 285 S.W.3d 634 (2008), cert. denied, 129 S. Ct. 901 (2009); Beverly Enters.-Arkansas, Inc. v. Thomas, 370 Ark. 310, 259 S.W.3d 445 (2007); Tay-Tay, Inc. v. Young, 349 Ark. 675, 80 S.W.3d 365 (2002); The Money Place, LLC v. Barnes, 349 Ark. 518, 78 S.W.3d 730 (2002); Mega Life & Health Ins. Co. v. Jacola, 330 Ark. 261, 954 S.W.2d 898 (1997). For criticism of the Arkansas approach, see Hartz, supra note 55. 61. Lenders Title Co. v. Chandler, 353 Ark. 339, 349, 107 S.W.3d 157, 162 (2003). 62. General Motors Corp. v. Bryant, 374 Ark. 38, 44-47, 285 S.W.3d 634, 639-41 (2008), cert. denied, 129 S. Ct. 901 (2009). 63. See Castano v. American Tobacco Co., 84 F.3d 734, 742 n.15 (5th Cir. 1996) (“We find it difficult to fathom how common issues could predominate in this case when variations in state law are thoroughly considered”); Georgine v. Amchem Prods., 83 F.3d 610, 618 (3d Cir. 1996), aff’d sub nom., Amchem Products, Inc. v. Windsor, 521 U.S. 591 (1997) (“the proliferation of disparate factual and legal issues is compounded exponentially” when law of multiple jurisdictions apply); Walsh v. Ford Motor Co., 807 F.2d 1000, 1017 (D.C.Cir. 1986) (Ruth Bader Ginsburg, J.), cert. denied, 482 U.S. 915 (1987) (plaintiffs in nationwide class action “must creditably demonstrate, through an ‘extensive analysis’ of
state law variances, “that class certification does not present insuperable obstacles’”). 64. E.g., Stirman v. Exxon Corp., 280 F.3d 554 (5th Cir. 2002); Spence v. Glock, Ges.m.b.H., 227 F.3d 308 (5th Cir. 2000); Hammett v. American Bankers Ins. Co., 203 F.R.D. 690 (S.D. Fla. 2001); Compaq Computer Corp. v. Lapray, 135 S.W.3d 657 (Tex. 2004); Fink v. Ricoh Corp., 365 N.J. Super. 520, 839 A.2d 942 (2003); Washington Mut. Bank, F.A. v. Superior Court, 24 Cal. 4th 906, 15 P.3d 1071, 103 Cal. Rptr. 2d 320 (2001); KMC Leasing, Inc. v. RockwellStandard Corp., 9 P.3d 683 (Okla. 2000). 65. E.g., In re Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., Tires Prods. Liab. Litig., 288 F.3d 1012 (7th Cir. 2002), cert. denied, 537 U.S. 1105 (2003); Andrews v. American Tel. & Tel. Co., 95 F.3d 1014 (11th Cir. 1996); In re Prempro Prods. Liab. Litig., 230 F.R.D. 555 (E.D. Ark. 2005); In re Paxil Litigation, 212 F.R.D. 539 (C.D. Cal. 2003); Beegal v. Park West Gallery, 394 N.J. Super. 98, 925 A.2d 684 (2007); Ysbrand v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 81 P.3d 618 (Okla. 2003). Unlike its federal counterpart, Ark. R. Civ. P. 23(b) is silent on manageability. Case law makes clear, however, that the trial court considers this issue in determining whether a class action is “superior” to other available methods for fairly and efficiently trying the case. E.g., Williamson v. Sanofi Winthrop Pharm., Inc., 347 Ark. 89, 101, 60 S.W.3d 428, 436 (2001); BNL Equity Corp. v. Pearson, 340 Ark. 351, 362, 10 S.W.3d 838, 845 (2000).
66. General Motors Corp. v. Bryant, 374 Ark. at 47, 285 S.W.3d at 641 (“were we to require the circuit court to conclude at this time precisely which law should be applied, such a decision could potentially stray into the merits of the action itself, which we have clearly stated shall not occur during the certification process”). Earlier in the opinion, the Court set out this rule in language that appears in a number of opinions: “neither the trial court nor the appellate court may delve into the merits of the underlying claim in determining whether the elements of Rule 23 have been satisfied.” Id. at 42, 285 S.W.3d at 638 (quoting Carquest of Hot Springs, Inc. v. General Parts, Inc., 367 Ark. 218, 223, 238 S.W.3d 916, 919-20 (2006)). 67. Farm Bureau Mutual Ins. Co. v. Farm Bureau Policy Holders, 323 Ark. 706, 709, 918 S.W.2d 129, 130 (1996) (internal quotation omitted). 68. 417 U.S. 156, 178 (1974). 69. E.g., Szabo v. Bridgeport Machines, Inc., 249 F.3d 672, 677-78 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 534 U.S. 951 (2001). 70. E.g., Blades v. Monsanto Co., 400 F.3d 563, 566 (8th Cir. 2005) (to determine whether common questions predominate, “a court must conduct a limited preliminary inquiry, looking behind the pleadings”); Love v. Turlington, 733 F.2d 1562, 1564 (11th Cir. 1984) (Eisen “should not be talismanically invoked” to limit a trial court in deciding “whether a plaintiff has met her burden of establishing each of the Rule 23 class action
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