For 40 years, the majority of federal courts have followed the holding of Lynn’s Food Stores, Inc. v. U.S., 679 F.2d 1350 (11th Cir. 1982), that FLSA claims may be settled only through approval by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) or through a lawsuit filed by the individual, in which a court of competent jurisdiction enters a stipulated judgment, after reviewing the proposed settlement for fairness. Some other courts of appeals, either directly or indirectly, have reached the same conclusion. Increasingly, however, courts are questioning whether these holdings are sound law.
In this special report, leaders of Jackson Lewis’ Class Actions and Complex Litigation and Wage and Hour Practice Groups look at the current state of the law on required court approval of FLSA claims, including claims brought as collective actions.
Has Lynn’s Food Grown Stale? Courts Increasingly Question Obligation to Review FLSA Settlements