The Workplace Class Action Team wanted to take the time to wish all of our loyal blog readers a very Happy New Year. We will be taking the next few days to reflect on the year and recharge. We look forward to bringing you more interesting and though provoking content on workplace class action issues as we enter into 2018
Continue Reading 2018 – Best Wishes For A Happy New Year!

By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Thomas E. Ahlering

 Seyfarth Synopsis:  As the number of class action lawsuits alleging violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy (“BIPA”) has exploded in the last six months, defendants have been eagerly awaiting guidance from an Illinois appellate court regarding what a Plaintiff must allege in order to have a viable right of action
Continue Reading Illinois Appellate Court Turns The Tide In Favor Of Employers In Class Actions Brought Under The Illinois Biometric Privacy Act Alleging Mere Technical Violations

By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Alex W. Karasik

Seyfarth Synopsis: In a class action asserting claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and statutory fraud in regards to the sale of general-use, pre-paid gift cards, the Seventh Circuit affirmed the final approval of a settlement agreement whereby the attorneys’ fees and costs totaled $1.95 million, while the class members
Continue Reading Class Action Cash-In: 7th Circuit Allows Attorneys’ Fees To Exceed Plaintiffs’ Payout

By Christopher M. Cascino and Gerald L. Maatman, Jr.

Seyfarth Synopsis: In Ellis v. Google, Inc., No. CGC-17-561299 (Cal Sup. Ct. Dec. 4, 2017), Judge Mary Wiss of the Superior Court of California granted a motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit brought by Google employees who claimed that all female Google employees are paid less than their
Continue Reading Google Dodges Gender Discrimination Class Action For Now

By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr.

Seyfarth Synopsis: Each year the American Tort Reform Association (“ATRA”) publishes its “Judicial Hellholes Report” that focuses on litigation problems in state court systems and challenges for corporate defendants in the fair and unbiased administration of justice. The ATRA’s 2017 Report was recently published; a copy is here, as well as an executive summary
Continue Reading The 2017 Judicial Hellholes Report Is Out And Makes For An Interesting Read

By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Alex W. Karasik

Seyfarth Synopsis:  In an ADEA action brought by the EEOC alleging that the New Mexico Department of Corrections failed to promote correctional officers over the age of 40, a federal district court in New Mexico denied the employer’s motion to dismiss but ordered the EEOC to file a supplemental pleading identifying
Continue Reading Court Refuses To Release Correctional Facility Employer From Age Discrimination Suit, But Orders The EEOC To Identify Aggrieved Individuals

By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Alex W. Karasik

Seyfarth Synopsis:  In an ADA action alleging that a maker of train components discriminated against a group of applicants by regarding them as disabled, a federal district court in Illinois granted the EEOC’s partial motion for summary judgment, holding that the company’s decision to deny them work was based on improper
Continue Reading Ouch: EEOC Gets Summary Judgment Win Relative To Employer’s Medical Testing

Happy Holiday season to our loyal readers of the Workplace Class Action Blog!

Our elves are busy at work this holiday season in wrapping up our start-of-the-year kick-off publication – Seyfarth Shaw’s Annual Workplace Class Action Litigation Report.

We anticipate going to press in early January, and launching the 2018 Report to our readers from our Blog.

This will be
Continue Reading The 2018 Annual Workplace Class Action Litigation Report Is Coming Soon!

By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Thomas E. Ahlering

Seyfarth Synopsis:  As biometric technology has become more advanced and affordable, more companies and employers have begun implementing procedures and systems that rely on biometric data.  Given the serious repercussions of compromised biometric data, a number of states have proposed or passed laws regulating the collection and storage of biometric
Continue Reading The Second Circuit Weighs In On Tidal Wave Of Class Actions Under The Illinois Biometric Privacy Act

By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Michael L. DeMarino

Seyfarth Synopsis:  In E.E.O.C. v. Scott Medical Health Center, P.C. No. CV 16-225, 2017 WL 5493975, at *2 (W.D. Pa. Nov. 16, 2017), a default judgement of liability was entered against the defendant company for sex-based harassment, and the Court awarded the EEOC back pay, prejudgment interest, and compensatory and
Continue Reading District Court Awards Punitive Damages In Sex-Based Harassment EEOC Suit