Authored by Michael Kopp

With all the drama of a get-away chase, the Third Circuit recently brought to a screeching halt plaintiffs’ counsel’s elaborate maneuvers to end run repeated decertification of their FLSA actions, and held as a matter of first impression in Halle v. West Penn Allegheny Health System, Inc. that opt-in plaintiffs have no right to appeal decertification.
Continue Reading Opt Ins are Out (of Luck) Appealing Decertification

Authored by Rob Whitman

Seyfarth Synopsis: Unpaid interns for Hearst magazines have been rebuffed again in their effort to be declared eligible to receive wages under the FLSA and the New York Labor Law.

In an August 24, 2016 ruling, Judge J. Paul Oetken of the Southern District of New York held that six interns, who worked for Marie
Continue Reading In Final Exam, Court Rejects Hearst Interns’ Pay Claims

Co-authored by Rob Whitman, Adam Smiley, and Nadia Bandukda

A federal judge has sided with Gawker in the media company’s legal battle with a former unpaid intern who claimed that he should have been compensated as an employee. On March 29th, Judge Alison Nathan in the Southern District of New York granted Gawker’s motion for summary judgment and
Continue Reading Gawker Victory Against Unpaid Interns Provides Helpful Roadmap

internship blog image 8.jpgCo-authored by Robert Whitman and Adam Smiley

While most New Yorkers rode out last weekend’s blizzard by binge watching television or enjoying playoff football, three Second Circuit judges apparently spent their time more productively, as the court on Monday issued an amended decision in its landmark ruling from last summer on unpaid internships.

As we have previously reported, the
Continue Reading Second Circuit Leaves Interns in the Cold—Again

Co-authored by Robert S. Whitman and Howard M. Wexler

Expert witness fees are not recoverable under the FLSA. So held the Second Circuit in a decision that highlights a strategy we have previously discussed for employers to fend off class/collective actions.

In Gortat v. Capala Brothers, Inc., the plaintiffs alleged that they were denied wages, including overtime compensation, throughout
Continue Reading No Fees For You: Second Circuit Holds Expert Fees Are Not Recoverable Under FLSA

Co-authored by Catherine M. Dacre, Tamara Fisher, and Simon L. Yang

When an employer has a denial of class certification remanded by an appellate court, it has a reason to worry. And while the employer might breathe a sigh of relief when the district court on remand again denies class certification, nothing is certain when that decision also
Continue Reading Appellate Court Delivers for FedEx—Second Class Cert Denial Affirmed by Ninth Circuit

Authored by Michael W. Kopp

Ordonez v. RadioShack, Part II is the end-of-summer sequel you do not want to miss. It features our protagonist, the “uniform rest break policy,” a sinister cast of declarations of similar treatment, a harrowing finding of unlawfulness, a dramatic second run by plaintiff at class certification, and the court’s emphatic second opinion denying plaintiff’s
Continue Reading Uniform Break Policies Are Not Uniformly Suited for Class Treatment

Authored by Brian P. Long

A seemingly never ending wave of call center class actions has been leveled against employers in recent years.  The hallmark of these suits invariably includes allegations of purportedly homogenous “drones” working off-the-clock when they are not helping customers.  Companies are left with few options other than shout into the wind that their policies prohibit such
Continue Reading One of These Things Is Not Like the Others: Some Class Representatives Just Don’t Belong

Co-authored by Geoffrey Westbrook and Laura Maechtlen

With years in the making, the long-awaited decision of the California Supreme Court in Duran v. U.S. Bank has finally arrived and represents a significant victory for California employers. Duran is the first case to consider the now prevalent use of statistical evidence by class action plaintiffs to condense class certification briefing and/or
Continue Reading California Supreme Court Finds Plaintiffs’ Use of Statistical Evidence in Class Wage and Hour Litigation Doesn’t Add Up: Why California Employers Now Have a Higher Probability of Success After Duran v. U.S. Bank

By Kevin A. Fritz and Jennifer A. Riley

Merits-based (a/k/a “fail-safe”) classes have a long-settled reputation of being one of the best examples of the worst defined class.  Fail-safe classes are those defined in terms of the merits (e.g., all who were victims of defendant’s wrongdoing).  These classes are problematic because the class size varies depending on the
Continue Reading Double Fail!! Fail-Safe Class Fails To Gain Class Certification