The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez on October 14, 2015, an important case presenting the question of whether a defendant can defeat a class action by offering complete individual relief...more
We have understood for many years that early assessment and action can help resolve claims by current and former employees. The Supreme Court recently provided employers with additional ammunition with which to derail, or...more
Procedural rules that govern lawsuits in federal court permit defendants to make an “offer of judgment,” which is a mechanism allowing a defendant to offer to settle a lawsuit....more
Welcome to the first installment of our bi-monthly employment newsletter. Every two weeks we will highlight recent court decisions and upcoming legislation that impact California employers. We hope you will find the content...more
In its recent decision in Genesis Healthcare Corp. v. Symczyk, the U.S. Supreme Court aided employer efforts to "pick off" named plaintiffs in collective actions for unpaid wages brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act...more
Kenneth Hatai sued his employer (CalTrans) and his supervisor (Sameer Haddadeen), alleging discrimination based on his Japanese ancestry and the fact that he was not of Arab ancestry like Haddadeen. The case was tried to a...more
Earlier this month in Genesis Healthcare Corp. v. Symczyk, 133 S. Ct. 1523 (2013), the U.S. Supreme Court held that it is permissible for defendants to “pick off” plaintiffs in FLSA collective actions. In jurisdictions that...more
In its April decision in Genesis Healthcare Corp. v. Symczyk, the U.S. Supreme Court buttressed employers’ efforts to “pick off” named plaintiffs in collective actions for unpaid wages brought under the Fair Labor Standards...more
Last week, the United States Supreme Court confirmed what we informed readers of in our Employment Class Action Blog on February 21, 2011, "A timely and properly worded offer of judgment may moot a collective action and...more
Some good news for employers. In a recent 5-4 opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court held that collective-action claims brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are moot when the named plaintiff has no continuing personal...more
On April 16, 2012, in Genesis Healthcare Corp. v. Symczyk, No. 11-1059, the Supreme Court held that when a FLSA plaintiff's claim becomes moot prior to a conditional certification of a collective action, the entire action...more
Today the United States Supreme Court delivered an unexpected present to employers facing FLSA collective actions and held that a defendant may moot such a case by making a Rule 68 offer of judgment to the named plaintiff....more
On April 16, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded, in a 5-4 decision, that when the individual plaintiff in a "collective action" under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) resolves her own claims before certification, the...more
Does a “make whole” offer of judgment to the lead plaintiff in a wage and hour collective action put an end to the case? According to the US Supreme Court, the answer is “yes”- at least on the specific facts of the case...more
In a decision that has broad implications beyond its labor law context, the U.S. Supreme Court held on April 16, 2013, that an employee plaintiff in a collective action whose individual claim was mooted by her employer’s...more
In a major victory for employers, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion today confirming employers' ability to make an "offer of judgment" to named plaintiffs who are pursuing collective actions under the Fair Labor...more
In a 5-4 decision issued on April 16, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and held that an unaccepted Rule 68 offer of full relief to a named plaintiff extinguished a putative...more
The U.S. Supreme Court held yesterday in Genesis Healthcare Corp. v. Symczyk that if a sole plaintiff's putative Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective action claim is mooted, the entire case must be dismissed....more
On April 16, 2013, the Supreme Court issued a decision that makes it easier for employers to limit the scope of wage and hour "collective actions." In Genesis Healthcare Corp. v. Symczyk (Apr. 16, 2013), the Court held that...more
On April 16, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Genesis Healthcare Corp. et al. v. Symczyk that a collective action brought by a worker under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was properly dismissed because the worker’s...more
On April 16, 2013, with Justice Clarence Thomas writing for a 5-4 majority, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a collective action brought by a worker under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was properly dismissed because...more
On April 16, 2013 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the concept that a wage and hour collective action brought pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), can be dismissed for lack of subject matter jurisdiction when the...more
A sharply divided Supreme Court held today in Genesis HealthCare Corp. v. Symczyk that if an unaccepted offer of judgment does indeed moot an individual claim (a question the Court expressly declined to reach) then the...more
The FLSA establishes federal minimum-wage, maximum hour, and overtime guarantees that cannot be modified by contract. Section 16(b) of the FLSA gives employees the right to bring a private cause of action on their own behalf...more