Representing multiple plaintiffs

• Author: Cathy Ventrell-Monsees
• Pages: 479-514

REPRESENTING

MULTIPLE PLAINTIFFS

9-1

CHAPTER 9

REPRESENTING MULTIPLE PLAINTIFFS

I. GOVERNING PRINCIPLES

§9:10 Introduction to ADEA Collective Actions

§9:10.10 Governing Statutory Provision — FLSA 216(b)

§9:10.20 Most Courts Reject Applying Wal-Mart v. Dukes to Collective Actions

§9:20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiple Representation

§9:20.10 Advantages

§9:20.20 Disadvantages

§9:20.30 Limiting Representation to Administrative Stage

§9:20.40 Associating With Co-Counsel

§9:30 Identifying Potential Plaintiffs

§9:30.10 Consider the Impact of Releases

§9:30.20 OWBPA Eligible and Ineligible Employee List

§9:30.30 OWBPA as Tool to Challenge Releases

§9:40 Cases Combining ADEA and Other Claims

§9:50 Statute of Limitations Issues

II. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS

§9:60 Introduction

§9:70 Contents of Charge

§9:70.10 Class-Wide Claims

§9:80 Who Should File EEOC Charge?

§9:80.10 Named Plaintiffs

§9:80.20 Opt-In Plaintiffs: Single Filing Rule

§9:80.20.10 Piggybacking Allowed

§9:80.20.20 Piggybacking Not Allowed

§9:80.20.30 Opt-In’s Claim Must Fall Within Time Period

§9:80.20.40 Charge Must Give Notice of Potential Class Claims

§9:90 Effect of EEOC Treatment of Charge

III. COMPLAINT

§9:100 Designating Named Plaintiffs

§9:100.10 Named Plaintiffs Need Not File Separate or Additional Consent Forms

§9:110 Def‌ining the Class

§9:110.10 Opt-In Plaintiffs

REPRESENTING

MULTIPLE PLAINTIFFS

AGE DISCRIMINATION LITIGATION 92

IV. CERTIFICATION, NOTICE AND OPTIN PROCEDURE

§9:120 Two-Stage Procedure

§9:130 Stage 1: Lenient Standard of “Similarly Situated” for Notice and Conditional Certif‌ication

§9:140 Stage 2: More Demanding Standard to Establish “Similarly Situated” After Discovery on Defendant’s

Motion to Decertify the Class

§9:140.10 Centralization of the Defendant’s Activities

§9:140.20 Similarities of the Potential Plaintiffs

§9:140.30 Common Claims and Defenses

§9:150 Court-Approved Notice

§9:150.10 Contents of Notice

§9:150.20 Contents of Consent Form

V. DISCOVERY IN ADEA REPRESENTATIVE OR COLLECTIVE ACTIONS

§9:160 Discovery of Plaintiffs

§9:160.10 Named Plaintiffs

§9:160.20 Opt-In Plaintiffs

§9:160.30 Individual Damages

§9:170 Discovery of Defendants

§9:180 Electronic Information

§9:190 Consultants Used to Design a Reduction-in-Force or Work Force Restructuring

VI. DEALING WITH COMPANION LITIGATION BY EEOC

§9:200 Introduction

§9:210 Working With EEOC to Avoid Cutting Off Opt-Ins’ Rights

§9:220 Discovery Expenses

§9:230 Attorney’s Fees

VII. PROVING DISCRIMINATION IN AN ADEA CLASS ACTION

§9:240 Theories of Proof

§9:240.10 Disparate Treatment — Pattern and Practice Claims

§9:240.20 Disparate Impact

§9:250 Statistical Evidence

§9:250.10 Controlling for the Employment Practice

§9:250.20 Representative Sample

§9:250.30 Adequate Sample Size

§9:250.40 Suff‌icient Disparity

§9:250.50 Bolster Statistics With Other Evidence

VIII. FORMS

Motion Forms

Form 503 Plaintiff-Appellant’s Brief f‌iled with 2d Circuit (re OWBPA waiver requirements, collective action) [Estle v. IBM]

Multiple Plaintiffs Forms

Form 600 Memorandum to Certify a Collective Action

Form 601 Order Granting Notice, Notice & Consent Form

REPRESENTING

MULTIPLE PLAINTIFFS

93 REPRESENTING MULTIPLE PLAINTIFFS §9:10

I. GOVERNING PRINCIPLES

§9:10 Introduction to ADEA Collective Actions





    



Because the ADEA follows the procedures of Section 16(b) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as



Genesis Healthcare

Corp. v. SymczykCampbell v. City of Los Angeles,



    

Campbell

  

   

-

  





 

See Lewis v. Wells Fargo & Co., 

  



PRACTICE POINT:

Enlist experienced co-counsel

Litigating a collective action is complicated. We highly recommend joining forces with experienced col-

lective or class action counsel. This chapter is intended to provide an overview of some of the common issues

counsel face in litigating an ADEA collective action.

§9:10.10 Governing Statutory Provision – FLSA 216(b)



See Sperling v. Homan-La

Roche, Inc., 

-



   

public agency) in a Federal or State court of competent jurisdiction by any one or more employees for

   

party to any such action unless he gives his consent in writing to become such a party and such consent



  

   

Comer v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.



   

O’Brien v. Ed Donnelly Ent., Inc.abrogated on other

grounds by Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez  Thiessen v. General Elec. CapitalCorp.,