By: Christina Jaremus and Noah Finkel
Seyfarth Synopsis: FLSA practitioners long have been aware that most courts hold that purely private releases of FLSA claims are void, and that a release of an FLSA claim is valid only if approved by the Department of Labor or a court. A few courts have gone a step further and prohibited parties from
Continue Reading Another Court Rejects The Approval Requirement For Individual FLSA Settlements
Seyfarth Synopsis: The New York Court of Appeals holds that the state’s class action rules require notice of settlements to be sent to putative class members – even though no class has been certified.
In a decision sure to send shivers up the spines of wage and hour practitioners in New York, the State’s highest court has held that notice
Continue Reading New York’s Highest Court: Pre-Certification Settlements Require Classwide Notice
Co-authored by Robert S. Whitman and Howard M. Wexler
Seyfarth Synopsis: The majority of courts have held that releases of FLSA rights require approval by a court or the US Department of Labor. A recent case in the Southern District of New York highlights a dilemma employers face when seeking “finality” through DOL-approved settlements.
In Wai Hung Chan v. A
Continue Reading Money for Nothing! Court Allows Employees to Pursue Lawsuit Despite DOL Settlement
Co-authored by Brett C. Bartlett and Samuel Sverdlov
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Southern District of New York recently held that parties may not settle FLSA claims without court approval through an offer of judgment pursuant to Rule 68 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Background: Rule 68
Under Rule 68, a party defending a claim can make an “offer of
Continue Reading SDNY Pancakes Parties’ Attempt to Bypass Cheeks: Requires Approval of Rule 68 Settlement
Authored by Robert S. Whitman and Howard M. Wexler
Seyfarth Synopsis: The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York recently announced that cases filed under the FLSA and assigned to Judges Abrams, Briccetti, Carter, Daniels, Ramos, Seibel, and Woods will be ordered directly to mediation, before the initial Rule 16 conference, with limited pre-mediation disclosures. If successful,
Continue Reading SDNY Adopts Pilot Mandatory Mediation Program for FLSA Cases
Co-authored by Robert S. Whitman, Howard M. Wexler, and Meredith A. Berger
Seyfarth Synopsis: A district court judge within the Second Circuit held that, in light of Cheeks v. Freeport Pancake House, court or DOL approval is required for a valid dismissal of FLSA claims with prejudice pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1)(A).
Settling FLSA
Continue Reading District Court Turns the Other “Cheeks” on Parties’ Proposed Stipulation of Dismissal
Authored by Noah Finkel
As noted by this blog on several occasions, including most recently here, the U.S. Supreme Court and several appellate courts have grappled with the question of whether and to what extent a defendant facing a class or collective action can moot a case by offering a plaintiff complete relief under Rule 68 or in a
Continue Reading Reports of the Death of the Mootness Maneuver Are Greatly Exaggerated
Authored by Alex Passantino
‘Twas the week before Christmas, 2-0-1-5
When the poetry elves on the blog came alive.
Crafting their rhymes with a purpose so clear:
Presenting the wage-hour gems of the year.
In January, for new regs in this year our breath bated.
Then for six painful months, we speculated and waited.
And just as
Continue Reading I’m Dreaming of a White Collar: 2015 Year in Review
Co-authored by Robert S. Whitman and Howard M. Wexler
As we have noted in previous posts (most recently, here), courts have been paying increasingly close attention to the terms of FLSA settlements and, on occasion, refusing to approve agreements. Some parties have responded to this trend by entering into private settlements and filing a simple stipulation of dismissal with
Continue Reading Show & Tell: Second Circuit Holds FLSA Bars Private Settlements
Co-authored by John L. Collins and Brian Wadsworth
If I settle my employment lawsuit and release “all claims,” does that include wage-hour claims if the subject never came up? Last week, in Bodle, et al. v. TXL Mortgage Corporation, the Fifth Circuit said no.
As wage-hour practitioners know, the law in most circuits makes settlement of wage-hour claims a
Continue Reading General Release May Not Preclude FLSA Claims Says Fifth Circuit