Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_09-cv-04926/USCOURTS-cand-3_09-cv-04926-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 790
Nature of Suit: Other Labor Litigation
Cause of Action: 05:704 Labor Litigation

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JOINT STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER RE DISCLOSURE OF PUTATIVE CLASS MEMBERS’ 

IDENTITIES – CASE NO. CV 09-4926 (TEH) 

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Steven G. Zieff, SBN 84222 

sgz@rezlaw.com 

Kenneth J. Sugarman, SBN 195059 

kjs@rezlaw.com 

RUDY, EXELROD, ZIEFF & LOWE, LLP 

351 California Street, Suite 700 

San Francisco, CA 94104 

Telephone: (415) 434-9800 

Facsimile: (415) 434-0513 

Arthur A. Navarette, SBN 159973 

navarettelaw@sbcglobal.net 

C. Zane Becker, SBN 260908 

brian@haweslawfirm.com 

NAVARETTE LAW FIRM 

1625 The Alameda, Suite 700 

San Jose, CA 95126 

Telephone: (408) 275-9500 

Facsimile: (408) 275-9131 

Attorneys for Plaintiff Elaine Sabatino 

Christopher J. Martin, SBN 82456 

CJMartin@gibsondunn.com 

Rachel S. Brass, SBN 219301 

RBrass@gibsondunn.com 

GIBSON, DUNN & CRUTCHER LLP 

555 Mission Street, Suite 3000 

San Francisco, CA 94105-2933 

Telephone: (415) 393-8200 

Facsimile: (415) 393-8306 

Attorneys for Defendant Weight Watchers North America, Inc. 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

ELAINE SABATINO, individually and on Case No. CV 09-4926 (TEH) behalf of all others similarly situated, 

Plaintiffs, 

v. 

WEIGHT WATCHERS NORTH AMERICA, 

INC., and DOES 1 through 100, 

 Defendants. 

CLASS ACTION 

JOINT STIPULATION AND 

[PROPOSED] ORDER RE 

DISCLOSURE OF PUTATIVE CLASS 

MEMBERS’ IDENTITIES 

Case 3:09-cv-04926-TEH Document 13 Filed 01/08/10 Page 1 of 9
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JOINT STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER RE DISCLOSURE OF PUTATIVE CLASS MEMBERS’ 

IDENTITIES – CASE NO. CV 09-4926 (TEH) 

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WHEREAS, Plaintiff Elaine Sabatino (“Plaintiff”) has served interrogatories and requests 

for inspection of documents requesting Defendant Weight Watchers North America, Inc. 

(“Defendant”) (collectively, the “Parties”) to disclose and produce the names, addresses, phone 

numbers, and email addresses for all members of the proposed class pleaded in the Complaint in 

this action (“Putative Class Members”), specifically defined for purposes of this stipulation to 

include only those persons who have been employed by Weight Watchers North America, Inc. as 

leaders or as employees who have performed the location coordinator function in California at 

any time from September 17, 2005 to the date of the stipulation; 

WHEREAS, Defendant has objected to producing the requested information unless 

Putative Class Members are first given an opportunity to avoid having their information disclosed 

to Plaintiff, Plaintiff disputes that it is necessary or appropriate to give Putative Class Members 

such an opportunity, and the Parties wish to avoid the time and expense of litigating the issue 

further; 

WHEREAS, Defendant has objected to disclosing the identities of Putative Class 

Members who are currently employed by Defendant as Territory Managers, District Managers, 

Trainers, or Corporate Account Managers. Plaintiff disputes that there is any proper basis for not 

disclosing the identities of such Putative Class Members, and the Parties wish to avoid the time 

and expense of litigating the issue further, 

The Parties hereby stipulate and agree as follows. 

1. No later than thirty (30) days after the date this stipulation and order is signed by 

the Court, Defendant will email to the Garden City Group, as third-party “Administrator,” a list 

of the names, the contact information contained in Defendant’s corporate databases (including 

last-known home addresses, and last-known contact telephone number) for all Putative Class 

Members, excluding “Current Managers” as described in Paragraph 8, in an electronic 

spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel. This data will be encrypted with a secure messaging 

solution (e.g., PGP) agreed to by Defendant and the Administrator and transferred via a secure 

protocol (such as secure FTP). This data must be maintained by the Administrator in a secure 

manner in accordance with industry standards. 

Case 3:09-cv-04926-TEH Document 13 Filed 01/08/10 Page 2 of 9
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JOINT STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER RE DISCLOSURE OF PUTATIVE CLASS MEMBERS’ 

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2. No later than five (5) days after the date of receiving the class list, the 

Administrator shall mail a letter, via first class mail, substantially in the form attached hereto as 

Exhibit A, informing them of this matter as set forth therein, including informing them that they 

may object to the production of their identities (including contact information) to Plaintiff at this 

time, in the manner set forth in Exhibit A. The envelope used for the mailing shall bear the 

notation, “Legal/Privacy Notice Regarding Weight Watchers Lawsuit.” The postcard to be 

included for Putative Class Members to communicate objections shall be postage prepaid. Prior 

to the mailing, the Administrator shall run a search in the National Change of Address (“NCOA”) 

database to find any updated address information for Putative Class Members. For Putative Class 

Members with different addresses in the NCOA database, the Administrator shall send the 

mailing to both the address provided by Defendant and the address from the NCOA database. 

3. Putative Class Members shall have twenty (20) days from the date of the mailing 

described in Paragraph 2 to object to the production of their identities and home contact 

information to Plaintiff (the “Objection”) as provided by Exhibit A. The date of submitting an 

Objection is the postmark date of the Objection. If a letter is returned to the Administrator as 

undeliverable with new address information provided, the Administrator shall promptly re-mail 

the letter to the new address (if any), and the postmark deadline for such Putative Class Members 

to submit Objections shall be twenty (20) days from the date of the Administrator’s second 

mailing described in this Paragraph. Putative Class Members who do not receive the mailing or 

re-mailing as described shall be deemed not to have submitted Objections. 

4. Both Parties are prohibited from making any statements to Putative Class 

Members directly or indirectly encouraging them to send in an Objection or discouraging them 

from sending in an Objection, and are prohibited from sending any communication to Putative 

Class Members regarding the notice and Objection process (except that Plaintiff may send 

communications to Putative Class Members who have already disclosed their identities to 

Plaintiff). If a Putative Class Member asks Defendant or Plaintiff for information or advice 

relating to the notice and Objection process, the sole response shall be as follows: “It is your 

choice. You have the right to decide whether you want to object to having your name and 

Case 3:09-cv-04926-TEH Document 13 Filed 01/08/10 Page 3 of 9
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JOINT STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER RE DISCLOSURE OF PUTATIVE CLASS MEMBERS’ 

IDENTITIES – CASE NO. CV 09-4926 (TEH) 

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contact information, including home address and phone number, disclosed to Plaintiff at this 

time. Regardless of what you decide, your decision will have no adverse effect on any 

employment you may have with Weight Watchers.” 

5. Seven (7) business days after the deadline date for submitting Objections, the 

Administrator shall prepare an electronic list of the names, addresses (including addresses 

provided by Defendant and any subsequently obtained home addresses) and phone numbers of all 

Putative Class Members who did not submit complete and timely Objections, other than any 

Putative Class Members to whom the notice was re-mailed as described in Paragraph 3. The 

Administrator shall email a copy of the list to both Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s attorneys. This 

data will be encrypted with a secure messaging solution (i.e. PGP) agreed to by Defendant and 

[Administrator] and transferred via a secure protocol (such as FTP). At the same time, the 

Administrator shall also report the number of Putative Class Members to whom the letter was 

mailed, and the results of the mailing, including the number of complete and timely Objections 

received. This data must be maintained by Plaintiff’s attorneys in a secure manner. Seven (7) 

business days after the postmark deadline for Objections from Putative Class Members to whom 

the notice was re-mailed as described in Paragraph 3, the Administrator shall prepare and email 

counsel the names, home addresses and phone numbers for all such Putative Class Members, 

except those who submit complete and timely Objections, subject to the same secure protocols 

set forth in this Paragraph for the first list. 

6. The provisions above are intended to operate only pre-class certification. In the 

event a class is certified, the Parties contemplate that the Court will enter an appropriate order 

providing for notice of the class action to be given to all Putative Class Members. The fact that a 

Putative Class Member submitted an Objection under the terms of this Order shall not serve as a 

basis for withholding that person’s name or contact information from Plaintiff in the event that a 

class is certified and the person does not elect to opt out. Further, on a showing of good cause, 

the Court may at any other time order the disclosure of the identities and contact information of 

Putative Class Members who submitted Objections. 

7. The Parties shall jointly pay the Administrator’s fees and costs for performing the 

Case 3:09-cv-04926-TEH Document 13 Filed 01/08/10 Page 4 of 9
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JOINT STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER RE DISCLOSURE OF PUTATIVE CLASS MEMBERS’ 

IDENTITIES – CASE NO. CV 09-4926 (TEH) 

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services described above, with each Party paying half the fees and costs. 

8. “Current Managers” are Putative Class Members who, as of the date the Court 

signs this order, are currently employed by Weight Watchers as Territory Managers, District 

Managers, Trainers, or Corporate Account Managers. As part of its initial disclosures under Rule 

26(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Defendant shall identify all Current Managers by 

name and position, with a notation that they may be contacted through Defendant’s attorneys. If 

Plaintiff seeks to depose a Current Manager and Defendant is not able to produce the individual 

for deposition, Defendant shall promptly provide Plaintiff with the individual’s last-known home 

address. 

Dated: January 7, 2010 Rudy, Exelrod, Zieff & Lowe, LLP 

 By: s/Kenneth J. Sugarman 

 Kenneth J. Sugarman 

 Attorneys for Plaintiff Elaine Sabatino 

Dated: January 7, 2010 Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP 

 By: s/Christopher J. Martin 

 Christopher J. Martin 

 Rachel S. Brass 

 Attorneys for Defendant 

 Weight Watchers North America, Inc. 

PURSUANT TO STIPULATION, AND GOOD CAUSE APPEARING, IT IS SO 

ORDERED. 

Dated: January ___, 2010 _____________________________ 

 Hon. Thelton E. Henderson 

 United States District Judge

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORN

I

A

Judge Thelton E. Henderson

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Case 3:09-cv-04926-TEH Document 13 Filed 01/08/10 Page 5 of 9
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Exhibit A

Case 3:09-cv-04926-TEH Document 13 Filed 01/08/10 Page 6 of 9
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[Administrator name, address, and phone number] 

[Date] 

[Name] 

[Address] 

 Re: Your Right to object to the disclosure of your name and contact information in 

Sabatino v. Weight Watchers North America, Inc., Case No. CV 09-4926, United States District 

Court, District of Northern California 

Dear ___: 

 This letter contains important information about your options/privacy rights in connection 

with the lawsuit referenced above. You have the option to decide that you do not want your 

name and contact information to be disclosed to the Plaintiff, whose attorneys may use the 

information to try to contact you to discuss the case. In connection with the above-referenced 

proposed class action lawsuit, Weight Watchers has been requested to disclose to the Plaintiff the 

names, addresses, and phone numbers of all potential class members, which include persons who 

have worked as Weight Watchers Leaders in California at any time since September 17, 2005, 

and persons who have performed the location coordinator function in California during the same 

period. 

 If your information is disclosed, the attorneys for the Plaintiff may try to contact you to 

obtain information to try to support the claims in the lawsuit. The parties to the lawsuit have 

agreed to provide you with the option of choosing not to have your information disclosed by 

Weight Watchers to the plaintiff at this time. If you wish to exercise this option, you must follow 

the instructions below. 

Description of Lawsuit

 Elaine Sabatino (“Plaintiff”), a former employee of Weight Watchers in California, has 

filed a lawsuit alleging that Weight Watchers has violated various California wage and hour laws. 

She seeks to pursue the case as a class and/or representative action on behalf of other leaders and 

on behalf of employees who have performed the location coordinator function, potentially 

including yourself. Among other things, Plaintiff claims that Weight Watchers has failed under 

California law to pay such employees minimum and overtime wages for all the time they actually 

spend working and has failed to reimburse such employees for all expenses, and that Weight 

Watchers is therefore liable to pay leaders and location coordinators back pay, expense 

reimbursements, interest, and penalties. Weight Watchers denies Plaintiff’s claims, believes that 

its leaders and employees who have performed the location coordinator function have at all times 

been properly paid for all the time they actually spend working, and that a class and/or 

representative action is not proper in this case. 

 No determination has been made by the Court yet regarding whether or not a class action 

will be approved, and you are not being asked at this time whether or not you want to be a 

member of any class that might be approved. You are simply being contacted to determine 

whether you object to having your name, home address, and phone numbers disclosed to Plaintiff 

and her attorneys at this time. 

Case 3:09-cv-04926-TEH Document 13 Filed 01/08/10 Page 7 of 9
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Your Option to Withhold Your Information

 If you do not want Weight Watchers to disclose your information to Plaintiff, you must 

object no later than [DATE]. To object, complete and return the enclosed postcard so that it is 

postmarked no later than [date]. If you do not object, your name, address, and phone number will 

be disclosed. Regardless of whether or not you object to having your identity disclosed, it will 

have absolutely no effect on any current or future employment you may have with Weight 

Watchers. 

 You also have the option of contacting Plaintiff’s attorneys yourself. Plaintiff’s attorneys 

for this purpose are Rudy, Exelrod, Zieff & Lowe, LLP, 415-434-9800 (or email 

kjs@rezlaw.com). 

 Please note that objecting to the disclosure of your name and contact information at this 

time does not mean that you will never receive any further communications about the lawsuit in 

the future. 

[Administrator signature line] 

Case 3:09-cv-04926-TEH Document 13 Filed 01/08/10 Page 8 of 9
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CONTACT INFORMATION CONFIDENTIALITY FORM FOR SABATINO v. WEIGHT 

WATCHERS LAWSUIT

You are neither required nor encouraged to return this form. It is your choice. If you wish to 

object to having your name and contact information disclosed to the Plaintiff and her attorneys in 

the Sabatino v. Weight Watchers lawsuit, this postcard must be postmarked no later than [DATE]

 By signing and dating below, I affirmatively state my desire not to have my name, home 

address, and phone number disclosed to the Plaintiff and her attorneys in the Sabatino v. Weight 

Watchers lawsuit at this time. 

NAME: ________________________________ 

 Print Name 

SIGNATURE: ________________________________ DATE: _________________ 

 Sign Name

Case 3:09-cv-04926-TEH Document 13 Filed 01/08/10 Page 9 of 9