| Employers regularly engage us to defend complex employment class actions. We have a substantial team of employment attorneys with class action experience. Our many successes include:
- Obtaining a defense verdict in a nationwide race discrimination class action. The case was recognized by The National Law Journal as one of the top 10 defense wins of 2005.
- Obtaining a defense verdict in a state court class action involving an alleged misclassification of insurance claims adjustors.
- Defeating class certification in numerous cases.
We have defended employers in a wide range of industries and types of claims, including: health care employers, energy companies, retailers, construction industry contractors, public employers, pension plans, financial institutions, and manufacturers.
We have defended class sizes ranging from 25 employees to more than 100,000 employees.
Our employment class action attorneys are not only experienced litigators, but also have substantive expertise in employment law matters including discrimination, wage/hour, OSHA, and independent contractor. Our attorneys are well-connected to experts and consultants to provide employers with testimony and support, including e-discovery. The many years we have invested in developing forms and resources ensure that we will defend employers efficiently, using the latest technologies, litigation strategies, and substantive legal developments.
Our attorneys are members of the national Wage & Hour Defense Institute, the Fair Labor Standards Legislation Committee of the American Bar Association, The American Employment Law Council, and numerous industry associations. |
Selected Experience Secured summary judgment on behalf of Volt Information Sciences in a class action suit involving allegations that the vesting provisions in the company's 401(k) plan violated ERISA. (2010) Defended Doyon Security Services in consolidated class action lawsuits alleging meal period violations, off-the-clock work, and pay stub violations. (Santa Barbara Cnty. (Cal.) Super. Ct. 2009) Achieved successful settlement on behalf of employer in related wage and hour class actions. (N.D. Cal. 2008) Defended a Seattle-area restaurant chain in a wage and hour class action lawsuit alleging failure to provide rest and meal breaks and pay overtime; case settled with individual plaintiff and negotiated resolution that avoided class certification. 08-2-06858-7 (King Cnty. (Wash.) Super. Ct. 2008) Represented Boeing to uphold district court's decision dismissing a class action alleging racial discrimination in compensation. The 9th Circuit affirmed the dismissal. 517 F.3d 1120 (9th Cir. 2008) Defeated plaintiff's motion for class certification against health care services company involving alleged violations of Washington and Oregon wage and hour laws (3,000-plus putative class members) for denied meal breaks and rest periods, unpaid overtime and unpaid wages; summary judgment dismissal of multiple claims brought by plaintiff. (W.D. Wash. 2007) Defeated multiple collective action certification motions under the Fair Labor Standards Act seeking certification of claims involving misclassification of certain job functions and time keeping practices. Court twice denied certification for both claims. (D. Or. 2007) Obtained defense verdict in trial of wage and hour class action lawsuit brought by current and former insurance claims adjusters claiming they had been misclassified as 'exempt' employees and were therefore entitled to overtime pay. 03-2-15301-0 SEA (Wash. App. 2007) Represented client in case asserting multiple wage violations. Court granted motion to strike all class allegation claims. (E.D. Wash. 2006) Represented defendant in a wage and hour class action with two different classes of store managers. Original two classes were certified for discovery. Following discovery we successfully moved to decertify classes. Case moved forward with individual claims and all were settled prior to trial. (Alaska Super. Ct. 2005) Successfully represented Port of Seattle, obtaining summary judgment dismissing all claims in wage and hour putative class action. (2003) Successfully resolved class action lawsuit by female jail guards by working with clients and class counsel to establish new intake protocols for inmates and procedures for corrections officers. 97-2-23951-6SEA (King Cnty. (Wash.) Super. Ct. 2001) Represented defendant in class action alleging misclassification seeking additional overtime and penalties after nationwide settlement between bank and Department of Labor. Summary judgment granted. (Multnomah Cnty. (Or.) Cir. Ct. 2000) Effective resolution of EEOC class action under ADA challenging certain Boeing pre-employment medical examination procedures. Defended an employer in the largest wage and hour class action in Washington history. 133 Wn. App. 1036 | | Search Experience | | | |  |
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