Legal advertising: class actions.

Existing law, the State Bar Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of attorneys by the State Bar of California (the Bar) , a public corporation. The State Bar Act also provides for the regulation of legal advertising, as defined, and, among other things, prohibits an advertisement from containing any false, misleading, or deceptive statement. This bill would require an advertisement soliciting plaintiffs for a class action to include a disclosure stating that a plaintiff in a class action may be financially liable for the attorney's fees of the defendant where the defendant is the prevailing party. The bill would require the Bar to impose a civil penalty of $2,000 for a violation of this provision by a member of the Bar.