FLSA Collective Action Conditional Certification and Decertification Strategies
Evaluating Pursuit or Opposition of Certification or Decertification Motions, Navigating Challenges in Hybrid Cases

Course Details
- smart_display Format
On-Demand
- signal_cellular_alt Difficulty Level
Intermediate
- work Practice Area
Employment and Workers Comp
- event Date
Thursday, January 23, 2025
- schedule Time
1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT
- timer Program Length
90 minutes
-
This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.
This CLE course will provide employment counsel with guidance for pursuing or opposing conditional certification or decertification motions in collective actions brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The panel will discuss the standards courts apply when ruling on conditional certification or decertification by highlighting recent decisions in the circuit courts, the unique issues related to pursuing certification or decertification motions, and how to address hybrid state law cases.
Faculty

Mr. Maatman has nearly four decades of experience practicing law and has defended some of the most significant bet-the-company cases ever filed against corporate America. He has represented companies, executive teams and boards across the country in class action litigation, ranging in size from thousands to hundreds of thousands of claims by employees. Among Mr. Maatman's accomplishments, he defended and defeated the largest systemic enforcement action ever brought in the history of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the first Attorney General prosecution of a Wall Street company for workplace discrimination and harassment, and the largest wage and hour class and collective actions ever brought in Florida and New York. While he is known to be a fierce litigator, Mr. Maatman also helps his clients anticipate large-scale litigation risks before they happen to prevent issues that could turn into litigation. Mr. Maatman pioneered the process of conducting employment-practices audits to assist employers in structuring effective and practical personnel policies and protocols. He also writes and lectures extensively on class action and employment litigation topics. Mr. Maatman has authored six books on employment law topics and has spoken to employer groups throughout the United States, as well as in Asia, Europe, Canada and Mexico.

Ms. Riley has defended companies faced with significant complex litigation matters for more than two decades. She regularly defends companies facing class actions, collective actions, pattern or practice lawsuits, and other types of representative proceedings, ranging in size from dozens to tens of thousands of claims. Ms. Riley has represented clients facing bet-the-company cases in a wide range of complex civil litigation matters in federal and state courts across the country. She also provides counsel to employers seeking to navigate thorny issues, including investigations, compliance, and terminations. Ms. Riley is a regular speaker, author, and presenter regarding class action issues, legal developments, and challenges that companies may face in the future.
Description
Wage and hour collective actions under the FLSA continue to plague employers. Obtaining conditional certification in FLSA collective actions is often simpler than obtaining Rule 23 class certification and therefore often provides plaintiffs' counsel opportunity to gain leverage earlier in the case with lower investment.
Employers' counsel strive to defeat conditional certification in FLSA collective actions to avoid the time and expense of discovery, settlement negotiations, and trial. When they are unsuccessful in opposing conditional certification, employers' counsel often pursue motions for decertification.
An increasing number of wage and hour lawsuits are filed as hybrid cases with both FLSA collective claims and state law wage and hour class claims. Frequently, plaintiffs' counsel use conditional certification as an avenue to obtain opt-ins to aid in the discovery process and to bolster their Rule 23 claims.
Listen as our authoritative panel discusses recent case law trends and strategies regarding pursuing or opposing conditional certification and decertification in FLSA collective actions.
Outline
- FLSA collective actions: recent trends and case law developments
- Certification of FLSA collective actions: best practices for plaintiffs' and employers' counsel
- Notice stage
- Final certification stage
- Decertification of FLSA collective action: best practices for plaintiffs' and employers' counsel
- Certification considerations and best practices for hybrid cases
Benefits
The panel will review these and other crucial issues:
- What are the recent case law trends concerning the standards for conditional certification or decertification of FLSA collective actions?
- What are some best practices for plaintiffs' and employers' counsel for pursuing or opposing conditional certification or decertification motions?
- What is the scope of discoverable evidence before and after conditional certification of the collective action, and how can employers' counsel limit or best manage discovery?
- What are the unique certification issues for hybrid FLSA collective claims and state law wage and hour claims?
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