Suits against Target coming to Minnesota

More than 100 lawsuits have been filed against Target Corp. in connection with its data security breach, and it looks like the Minneapolis-based retailer will fight most of them on its home turf.

The stream of complaints, filed by financial institutions and shoppers in federal courts across the country, are being consolidated in Minnesota before U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson in St. Paul. The cases, some seeking class-action status and some not, accuse Target of not adequately protecting customer payment and personal information from hackers.

According to the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, about 20 of the 107 suits filed to date were originally filed in Minnesota. On April 2, the panel determined that a batch of 32 suits filed elsewhere by consumers will head to Minnesota. Centralizing the cases will make the litigation more efficient and convenient for people, the transfer order said, and Magnuson has "extensive experience with multidistrict litigation."

Magnuson's history of complex litigation includes Lutheran Brotherhood life insurance policyholders and the "tri-state water rights" fight between Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

Target's attorneys supported centralizing cases in Minnesota at a hearing last month, but the company declined to comment on Wednesday.

About 50 remaining Target breach cases are pending for transfer if no objections are filed, a judicial panel representative said.