The Fifth Circuit recently became the first federal court of appeals to hold that employees who signed arbitration agreements should not receive notice of collective actions. This case of first impression among the courts of appeal could serve as a powerful tool for employers combatting collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Accordingly, we think the decision is deserving of more detailed analysis than a mere summary. A Splintered Approach In ... Keep Reading »
Equal Pay and Class Action Implications
After winning the World Cup on Sunday with a thrilling 2-0 victory over the Netherlands, the U.S. women’s national soccer team laid claim to being the best women’s soccer team in history. They celebrated their victory at the trophy presentation to the deafening sounds of stadium chants. Not “USA, USA,” but “Equal pay, Equal pay.” The U.S. players had already sued their national federation, the U.S. Soccer Federation, for a pay increase, asserting that the men’s team ... Keep Reading »
Objectors to Class Settlement Concerning Alleged Misrepresentations of Fuel Efficiency Run out of Gas in Ninth Circuit by Waiving Arguments
The Ninth Circuit recently addressed the propriety of applying California law to a nationwide settlement class. The Central District of California had hosted a consolidated multidistrict litigation of individuals who bought Hyundai and Kia automobiles and claimed to have been misled by the companies' allegedly inaccurate fuel efficiency estimates. The trial court originally denied certification of a litigation class, citing "material differences" in state law. ... Keep Reading »
Supreme Court Declines to Remove Loophole in CAFA
On May 28, 2019, Justice Clarence Thomas — joined by unlikely allies Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan — wrote the 5-4 majority opinion holding that third-party counterclaim defendants in class actions do not have the authority to remove claims to federal court under either the general removal statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1441(a), or § 1453(b) of the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA). In this pro-consumer ruling, Justice Thomas declined to close an emerging ... Keep Reading »
Florida Supreme Court Refuses to Approve Amendment to Class Action Rule to Encourage Cy Pres Distribution of Residual Settlement Funds
Cy pres distribution of residual settlement funds has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. Perhaps for this reason, the Florida Supreme Court on May 16, 2019, refused to approve an amendment to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.220, the state class action rule, that would have encouraged settling parties to distribute residual funds to The Florida Bar Foundation or another nonprofit legal services organization. The court, however, declined to provide any ... Keep Reading »
Third Circuit Finds Class Members’ Cash Advance Agreements May Fall Short of a True Assignment
On April 26, 2019, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals reversed in part and affirmed in part a district court order purporting to void cash advance agreements entered into by and between class members and litigation funding companies in In re National Football League Players' Concussion Injury Litigation. Following settlement of the underlying litigation, hundreds of class members entered into cash advance agreements with various litigation funding companies, including ... Keep Reading »
A Unicorn Sighting? Fourth Circuit Affirms Certification of Defendant Class
Bell v. Brockett is an unusual case in several respects. Most notably, the Fourth Circuit affirmed certification of a defendant class, despite acknowledging that defendant class actions are "so rare they have been compared to unicorns." The court not only acknowledged the rarity of defendant class actions but also commented on their "inherent risks." Indeed, in a delightful footnote the court explained that although both unicorns and defendant class actions are rare, the ... Keep Reading »
Opt-Out Arbitration Program Binds Employees in Wage and Hour Class Action
A recent decision by a Wisconsin district court illustrates the impact of an arbitration agreement on class actions. The plaintiffs alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state wage and overtime laws, claiming that employees were not compensated for 15 minutes of activity at the start of every workday and that actual pay was understated for purposes of calculating overtime. The defendants moved to compel arbitration on an individual basis. The ... Keep Reading »
Lights Out on Classwide Arbitration: The Supreme Court Rules in Lamps Plus That Ambiguity in Agreements Is Not Enough to Permit Classwide Arbitration
Recently, the Supreme Court extended its prior rulings looking skeptically at the idea of classwide arbitration, holding that even when an agreement is “ambiguous” about the availability of classwide arbitration, such arbitration is still barred. Nine years ago, in Stolt-Nielsen S.A. v. AnimalFeeds International Corp., 559 U.S. 662 (2010), the Court had ruled that classwide arbitration may not be compelled when an agreement is “silent” on the availability of such ... Keep Reading »
Question of Consent Turns Putative TCPA Fax Class Action Into Junk
A recent decision by a Connecticut district court reiterates that the issue of consent may foreclose class certification in Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) junk fax cases. The action was one of several putative class actions brought by Gorss Motels Inc. against suppliers to Wyndham hotels and its various franchisees. Gorss was a former corporate owner of a Wyndham franchise hotel. Defendant Otis Elevator Co. had a contract with a subsidiary of Wyndham as an ... Keep Reading »
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 41
- Next Page »