Sixth Annual Workplace Class Action Litigation Report

The sixth annual Workplace Class Action Litigation Report by Seyfarth Shaw LLP analyzes class action and collective action court rulings of 2009 involving claims against employers in federal and state courts. The key class action and collective action settlements over the past year are also analyzed, both in terms of gross settlement dollars in private plaintiff and government-initiated lawsuits, as well as injunctive relief provisions in consent decrees. The report analyzes 715 decisions in its comprehensive analysis of class action litigation rulings.

“Since we began publishing this annual report six years ago, both the number of cases filed and the financial exposure that they pose to companies has increased exponentially,” said J. Stephen Poor, Chair and Managing Partner of Seyfarth Shaw. “As plaintiffs’ attorneys bring increasingly sophisticated litigation against employers that combine claims under multiple statutes, the financial exposure is only going to become greater for businesses.”

The report is the sole compendium in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to workplace class action litigation. It represents the collective contributions of a significant number of attorneys at Seyfarth Shaw, overseen by the report’s General Editor, Gerald L. Maatman, Jr., Co-Chair, Complex Discrimination Litigation Practice Group.

“Seyfarth Shaw’s Workplace Class Action Litigation Report has become the trusted ‘go-to’ reference guide to explain the latest trends in complex employment litigation,” stated Maatman. “One certain conclusion drawn from this year’s report is that employment law class action and collective action litigation is becoming ever more sophisticated and will continue to be a source of significant financial exposure to employers well into the future. The plaintiffs' class action bar is a tight-knit group, and successful strategies utilized by plaintiffs morph and migrate quickly through other areas of workplace litigation.” Further, Maatman indicated that “given the enormous financial stakes, pro-active planning and legal compliance programs—to get ahead of class action risks—are critically important for businesses in 2010.”

View press release for more information.  View the 2010 Report's Introduction below for an overview of workplace class action trends.

The 2010 report is available to clients of the firm and interested corporate counsel. To request a free copy of the report, please click the button below.  For questions, please e-mail ClassActionReport@seyfarth.com.