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Avilez v. Pinkerton Gov't Servs., Inc.

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
Mar 9, 2015
596 F. App'x 579 (9th Cir. 2015)

Summary

holding plaintiff atypical when class members had potential defenses unavailable to representative

Summary of this case from Hirsch v. USHealth Advisors, LLC

Opinion

No. 13-55154

03-09-2015

CATHERINE E. AVILEZ, as an individual and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. PINKERTON GOVERNMENT SERVICES, INC., a corporation, Defendant - Appellant.


NOT FOR PUBLICATION

D.C. No. 8:11-cv-00493-DOC-RZ MEMORANDUM Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California
David O. Carter, District Judge, Presiding
Argued and Submitted February 10, 2015 Pasadena, California Before: KOZINSKI, CHRISTEN, and HURWITZ, Circuit Judges.

This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.

In this action raising claims under the California meal break statute, California Labor Code § 226.7, Pinkerton Government Services, Inc. appeals the district court's order granting Catherine Avilez's motion to certify various classes of current and former Pinkerton employees. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(e) and Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(f). We vacate the district court's order and remand for entry of a revised class certification order. 1. The district court did not abuse its discretion by striking Pinkerton's expert survey and supporting declarations. Pinkerton failed to timely identify its expert, the survey instrument, and the identities and contact information for its employee declarants. Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1)(A). 2. Pinkerton waived its Rules Enabling Act argument by not raising it in opposition to the motion for class certification. 3. The district court abused its discretion to the extent it certified classes and subclasses that include employees who signed class action waivers. Avilez's arbitration agreement does not contain a class action waiver and counsel did not dispute that those who signed such waivers have potential defenses that Avilez would be unable to argue on their behalf. To the extent the classes and subclasses include individuals who signed class action waivers, Avilez is not an adequate representative, Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(a)(4), and her claim lacks typicality, Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(a)(3). 4. If individuals who signed class action waivers are excluded from the "Meal Break" and "Wage Statement" subclasses, then these subclasses, along with the "No-Signed-Waiver" subclass, would satisfy Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 23(a)(1)-(4). We need not decide whether these subclasses, as modified, would satisfy the predominance requirement of Rule 23(b)(3). On remand, the district court shall certify a class under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(c)(4) on the issue whether there exists a prima facie case for liability. If a prima facie case exists, the district court may proceed to entertain Pinkerton's affirmative defenses and cull the class accordingly. 5. The district court did not abuse its discretion by granting class certification on Avilez's unfair business practices claim, which is derivative of her other claims. 6. Because the Meal Break and Wage Statement subclasses include employees who signed class action waivers, the district court's class certification order is vacated. On remand, the district court shall enter a new certification order consistent with this decision. 7. Each party shall bear its own costs on appeal.

VACATED and REMANDED.


Summaries of

Avilez v. Pinkerton Gov't Servs., Inc.

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
Mar 9, 2015
596 F. App'x 579 (9th Cir. 2015)

holding plaintiff atypical when class members had potential defenses unavailable to representative

Summary of this case from Hirsch v. USHealth Advisors, LLC

holding that the defendant waived an "argument by not raising it in opposition to the motion"

Summary of this case from Bruser v. Bank of Haw., Corp.

In Avilez, the named plaintiff had not signed a class action waiver, yet the district court certified classes and subclasses that included employees who signed class action waivers.

Summary of this case from Cornejo v. Big Lots Stores, Inc.

In Avilez v. Pinkerton Government Services, Inc., 596 Fed. Appx. 579, (9th Cir. 2015), the named plaintiff's arbitration agreement did not contain a class action waiver, but the district court nevertheless certified classes and subclasses that included employees who had signed class action waivers.

Summary of this case from Campanelli v. Image First Healthcare Laundry Specialists, Inc.
Case details for

Avilez v. Pinkerton Gov't Servs., Inc.

Case Details

Full title:CATHERINE E. AVILEZ, as an individual and on behalf of all others…

Court:UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

Date published: Mar 9, 2015

Citations

596 F. App'x 579 (9th Cir. 2015)

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