Settling Wage/Hour Claims: Weighing Settlement Options, Negotiating Damages, and Ensuring Court Approval

Settlement amounts in wage and hour cases filed under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state law have been astounding over the past few years. The settlement amounts for the top 10 wage and hour class action settlements in 2015 were more than double the value for 2014.

Employment counsel can arm themselves with our panel’s experienced approaches to settling wage and hour claims to minimize the time and expense of litigation. Our panel will outline how to proactively plan for these and other key issues: whether settlement is appropriate, when to begin settlement discussions, how to best structure a settlement to meet clients’ best interests, and how to overcome judicial resistance to approving a settlement.

Listen as our authoritative panel of employment litigators discusses best practices for weighing a settlement decision, determining how damages should be calculated, and ensuring court approval of the settlement award.

1. Evaluating when to consider settlement
2. Assessing risk of exposure and calculating potential damages
3. Obtaining enforceable settlement agreements
   1. Court-supervised settlements
   2. DOL-supervised settlements

The panel will review these and other key issues:

• What are the key factors for employment counsel to consider in determining whether settlement discussions are appropriate and the best options for settlement?
• What are best practices for calculating damages?
• What are the key considerations for counsel when structuring a settlement to meet clients’ best interests and obtain court approval?