Workplace Lawyers Race Against the Trump Clock
The#MeToo Movement hits a roadblock on Wall Street
While employers across the U.S. paid a record amount in settlements for workplace violations last year, don’t expect this to mark the beginning of a trend. Think of it more as the storm before the calm, as labor lawyers rush to lock in payouts ahead of a shifting legal landscape.
Settlements from the 10 biggest class-action lawsuits reached a record $2.72 billion in 2017, the highest amount since the law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP began cataloging litigation accords in 2003. Cases filed by federal agencies empowered to sue over discrimination and hour, wage and safety violations were among the most prominent in a litigation sector also filled with private practitioners seeking to recover damages on behalf of employees.