On August 7, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued a Transfer Order centralizing three nationwide class actions that comprise In re Countrywide Financial Corp. Mortgage Lending Practices Litig., MDL No. 1974, in the Western District of Kentucky.  "All actions share factual questions relating to whether Countrywide engaged in discriminatory residential lending practices, including the imposition of discretionary fees/charges, which increased the cost of financing and resulted in higher loans for minority borrowers than similarly situated non-minority borrowers."  Transfer Order at 1.  The Chairman of the Panel, John G. Heyburn II, will preside over pretrial proceedings in Countrywide.  Chief Judge Heyburn took no part in the Panel’s consideration of the transfer motion.

The Transfer Order looks like the first one to come out of the Panel’s July 31st session.  Many will follow.

Btw, nobody asked for W.D. Ky.