Supreme Court of California

In an action alleging violations of the Labor Code, labor regulations, and an Industrial Welfare Commission wage order, Court of Appeals judgment is affirmed where: 1) employee who sues an employer under the unfair competition law for Labor Code violations must satisfy class action requirements, and Proposition 64's amendment of law does not require otherwise; and 2) class action requirements do not need to be satisfied when an aggrieved employee seeks civil penalties for himself and other employees under the Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 for an employer's alleged Labor Code violations.

Appellate Information

• Decided 06/29/2009
• Published 06/29/2009

Judges

• KENNARD, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc., Blanca A. Bãnuelos, Stockton, and Michael L. Meuter, Salinas, for Petitioner., Worksafe Law Center, M. Suzanne Murphy;  The Impact Fund, Brad Seligman, Jocelyn Larkin;  Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Julie A. Su, Yungsuhn Park;  Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Anel Flores;  Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center, Matthew Goldberg, San Francisco;  Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, David Pallack, Pacoima, José Tello;  The Watsonville Law Center, Dori Rose Inda;  National Employment Law Project, Laura Moskowitz, Washington, DC;  California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation and Julia L. Montgomery for Garment Worker Center, Inquilinos Unidos and Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund as Amici Curiae on behalf of Petitioner., Barsamian, Saqui & Moody, Saqui & Raimondo, Michael C. Saqui, Fresno;  McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Wayte & Carruth and Anthony P. Raimondo, Fresno, for Real Parties in Interest., Law Offices of Steven Drapkin, Steven Drapkin, Los Angeles;  O'Melveny & Myers, Scott H. Dunham, Los Angeles, Ryan W. Rutledge, Newport Beach;  National Chamber Litigation Center, Inc., and Robin S. Conrad, Washington, DC, for Employers Group, California Employment Law Council, Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America and California Restaurant Association as Amici Curiae on behalf of Real Parties in Interest.


• For Appellees:
  
• No appearance for Respondent.