Emerging Issues in Workplace Class Action Litigation

Jennifer Riley is a partner in the Chicago office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, the leading national employment and labor law firm. Ms. Riley practices in the employment litigation area, with a primary emphasis on defending employers from collective and class action lawsuits brought in federal and state courts throughout the U.S. She regularly represents employers facing employment discrimination class actions, wage & hour collective actions, pattern or practice lawsuits, and systemic investigations involving hundreds to thousands of employees. Ms. Riley also counsels employers regarding a range of issues, including hiring practices, investigations, and wage & hour compliance. Ms. Riley obtained her B.A. from Vanderbilt University and obtained her J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall). Ms. Riley is a regular contributor to Seyfarth Shaw’s Workplace Class Action Blog, www.workplaceclassaction.com a unique blog devoted to the needs of corporate employers confronting the challenges of complex workplace litigation.

Douglas Smith focuses his practice on representing clients in complex class action litigation and offering advice on legal compliance with federal and state wage and hour requirements. He also helps employers respond to wage and hour investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. He has also testified before the Washington State legislature on numerous class action and wage and hour issues and consulted on a variety of legislative matters. He works with many well-known national and regional companies, including retailers, food manufacturers, and others.

In addition, Douglas has authored several articles on class action litigation and wage and hour compliance. In 2006, he was appointed as one of four employer representatives to serve on the Employment Law Advisory Committee to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

Todd Dawson concentrates his practice in class litigation and labor relations. Mr. Dawson spends a large portion of his practice representing clients in wage and hour matters arising under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and various state wage and hour laws. These matters have included numerous class and collective actions, ranging from hundreds of putative plaintiffs to several thousand. Mr. Dawson has also counseled clients on wage and hour issues, particularly in regard to exempt employees and preservation of exempt status under the FLSA’s white collar exemptions. He also has experience in litigating matters under the FLSA’s railroad, airline and amusement/recreational exemptions. In addition, Mr. Dawson was part of a team of BakerHostetler attorneys that recently secured a significant and highly unusual class action trial verdict in the Sixth Circuit for a multinational electronics company. [Schreiber v. Philips Display Components Co., 692 F. Supp.2d 747 (E.D. Mich. 2010)] In addition, Mr. Dawson assists employers in all phases of labor relations, including union organizational and decertification drives, defense and prosecution of unfair labor practices, collective bargaining negotiations and arbitrations. Mr. Dawson is a regular contributor to BlakerHostetler’s Employment Class Action Blog ,offering commentary on recent class action decisions and trends affecting employers.