Seyfarth Synopsis: Happy Thanksgiving to our loyal readers of the Workplace Class Action Blog! Our team has been busy at work this Thanksgiving 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 2021 Report to our
Class Certification Denied In Bus Company Discrimination Suit
By Gerald L. Maatman and Michael L. DeMarino
Seyfarth Synopsis: The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, 564 U.S. 338 (2011), still lords over employment discrimination class actions nearly a decade later. Indeed, Nelson, et al. v. Pace Suburban Bus, et al., No. 17 C 7697, 2020 WL 6565241, at
California Federal Court Provides Insight On The Viability Of Class Waivers In The Era Of COVID-19
By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., Jennifer A. Riley, and Alex Oxyer
Seyfarth Synopsis: In a recent decision from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the Court examined the viability of class action waivers in the face of claims that the defendants’ negligence led to an outbreak of COVID-19. Ultimately holding that
Universities Prevail On Technicality In First Ruling Testing Viability Of COVID-19 Room And Board Refund Class Actions
By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Jennifer A. Riley
Seyfarth Synopsis: In the first ruling in response to the slew of room and board refund class actions filed in the wake of COVID-19, on July 29, 2020, in Rosenkrantz v. Arizona Board of Regents, No. 2:20-CV-01203 (D. Ariz.), Judge John Tuchi of the U.S.
Class Action Survival Guide – The Top Five Things That Employers Need To Defend Post-COVID-19 Litigation
By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Jennifer A. Riley
Seyfarth Synopsis: As employers embark on reopening their businesses and implementing return to work plans, they face a potential wave of workplace class action litigation. Such lawsuits have begun to roll in and courts have started to weave a patch-work quilt of responses. Early results show
California Court Of Appeal Denies Oracle’s Petition For A Writ Of Mandate Or A Writ Of Prohibition To Reverse Class Certification Order
By: Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., Michael L. DeMarino, and Andrew Welker
Seyfarth Synopsis: On April 30, 2020, the California Superior Court granted class certification against Oracle America Inc., allowing former employees to represent a class of over 4,100 women for claims of alleged discrimination in violation of California’s Equal Pay Act. Following
Acclaim For Seyfarth’s Annual Workplace Class Action Litigation Report
Seyfarth Synopsis: In its recent review of Seyfarth’s 2020 Annual Workplace Class Action Litigation Report, EPLiC called it the “must have” resource that corporate counsel “cannot afford to be without it…”
We are humbled and honored by the recent review of our 2020 Annual Workplace Class Action Litigation Report by Employment Practices Liability Consultant Magazine
The Coming Surge Of Workplace Class Actions In The Wake Of COVID-19
By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Jennifer A. Riley
Seyfarth Synopsis: As employers begin laying the groundwork for reopening and returning their businesses to “normal,” a large threat of a different form looms on the horizon. The Plaintiffs’ bar is poised for – and has been discussing preparation of – class actions over denied
Class Notice Interference On The Defense: Court Penalizes Defendants And Attorney
By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Alex W. Karasik
Seyfarth Synopsis: In a class action lawsuit alleging multiple fraud claims, a federal court in Illinois granted the plaintiff’s motion to sanction the defendants for interfering with the class notice process by encouraging class members to opt-out, and sanctioned their attorney for communicating directly with
Alabama Federal Court Finds That Severance Practices Could Support Discrimination Claims
By Gerald L. Maatman, Jr. and Alex S. Oxyer
Seyfarth Synopsis: In Johnson v. Airbus Defense & Space Inc., No. 5:17-CV-2150, 2020 WL 1675776 (N.D. Ala. Apr. 6, 2020), the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama recently granted an employer’s motion for summary judgment on claims brought by plaintiffs alleging they were