Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-03465/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-03465-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 710
Nature of Suit: Fair Labor Standards Act
Cause of Action: 29:206 Collect Unpaid Wages

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AMENDED [PROPOSED] ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING PROPOSED SETTLEMENT 

AGREEMENT

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ROBERT S. NELSON (CA SBN 220984) 

RNelson@nelsonlawgroup.net 

NELSON LAW GROUP 

900 Cherry Avenue, Suite 300 

San Bruno, CA 94066 

Telephone: (650) 794-2760 

Facsimile: (650) 794-2761 

Attorneys for Plaintiffs 

WALTER V. SIEBERT (Pro Hac Vice)

BSiebert@sah.com 

SHERMAN & HOWARD L.L.C. 

633 Seventeenth Street, Suite 3000 

Denver, CO 80202-3622 

Telephone: (303) 297-2900 

Facsimile: (303) 298-0940 

Attorneys for Defendant

RAYMOND L. WHEELER (CA SBN 52886) 

RWheeler@mofo.com 

SHARYN K. FUNAMURA (CA SBN 193518) 

SFunamura@mofo.com 

MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP

755 Page Mill Road 

Palo Alto, CA 94304-1018 

Telephone: (650) 813-5600 

Facsimile: (650) 494-0792 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION 

ANGELA BADAMI, LENNON BRONSEMA, 

BENJAMIN CAMPOPIANO, KATHRYN 

RAVEN, AUDREY WARD, and all others 

similarly situated, 

 Plaintiffs, 

 v. 

GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS, INC., 

Defendant. 

Case No. C-07-3465 JSW 

AMENDED [PROPOSED] ORDER 

GRANTING MOTION FOR 

PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF 

CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT 

AND CLASS CERTIFICATIION 

Date: March 7, 2008 

Time: 9:00 a.m. 

Judge Hon. Jeffrey S. White 

 Ctrm: 2 

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AMENDED [PROPOSED] ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING PROPOSED SETTLEMENT 

AGREEMENT 1

 

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WHEREAS the motion of Plaintiffs Angela Badami, Lennon Bronsema, Benjamin 

Campopiano, Kathryn Raven, Audrey Ward, and those similarly situated for class certification, 

preliminary approval of settlement, approval of the form and manner of notice to the class, and 

other matters, having been filed on December 21, 2007, came under this Court’s consideration; 

WHEREAS, Plaintiffs have alleged claims against Defendant for violations of the Fair 

Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), California’s Unfair Competition Law, Business and Professions 

Code Section 17200 et seq. (“UCL”), and California wage and hour laws, for failure to pay 

required overtime and failure to properly keep and maintain records, and other wage claims, 

including penalties; 

WHEREAS, Defendant expressly denies the allegations of wrongdoing and violations of 

law alleged in this action, and further denies liability whatsoever to Plaintiffs or to the Class 

Members; 

WHEREAS, Class Counsel have engaged in extensive discussions and negotiations with 

Defendant and its counsel concerning a resolution of the issues raised in this action, including a 

one-day mediation session which was conducted under the auspices of the Honorable Edward 

A. Infante (Magistrate Judge, Retired); and 

WHEREAS, the parties have proposed a settlement of the action, the terms of which are 

embodied in the Joint Stipulation of Settlement that was filed with this underlying motion on 

December 21, 2007 (“Settlement Agreement”); and 

WHEREAS the original Settlement Agreement contained numerous deadlines that were 

premised on the assumption that this motion would be heard by the Court on January 28, 2008; 

and 

WHEREAS hearing on this matter was rescheduled to March 7, 2008, which thereby 

necessitated rescheduling some of the deadlines originally articulated in the Settlement 

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AMENDED [PROPOSED] ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING PROPOSED SETTLEMENT 

AGREEMENT 2

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Agreement; and 

WHEREAS the parties agreed to all required deadline changes and noted the new 

deadlines (as well as correcting minor typographical errors) in an Amended Joint Stipulation of 

Settlement and an amended Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement and Settlement 

Hearing, both of which are being filed concurrently with this Amended [Proposed] Order, 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED: 

1. To the extent defined in the Amended Settlement Agreement filed concurrently 

herewith and incorporated herein by reference, the terms in this Order shall have the meanings 

set forth therein. 

2. Pursuant to the Amended Settlement Agreement and Rule 23(a) and (b)(3) of the 

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Court hereby certifies this action as a class action for 

purposes of settlement. The Class is defined as follows: 

 A. An Opt-out Class of persons who have worked at Grassroots Campaigns, 

Inc. in California: for claims under California law for time worked in 

California, from December 1, 2003 to December 1, 2007 and those who 

filed Consents to Join prior to the date of preliminary approval of this 

Settlement. 

3. This class is sufficiently numerous that joinder is not practicable. The California 

Class has approximately 2,066 members. 

4. There are questions of law and fact common to the members of the California 

Class. The questions of law and fact common to the members of the California Class include 

whether the employees are properly classified as exempt from overtime, whether Grassroots 

Campaigns, Inc. failed to pay overtime compensation and whether Grassroots Campaigns 

unlawfully failed to keep and furnish employees with records of hours worked. For settlement 

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AMENDED [PROPOSED] ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING PROPOSED SETTLEMENT 

AGREEMENT 3

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purposes, these common issues predominate over any individual issues. 

5. The proposed Class Representative will fairly and adequately protect the interests 

of the California Class. They have retained counsel who has the experience and resources 

necessary to provide adequate representation of the classes and meet the requirements of Rule 

23(g)(1). 

6. The Court hereby approves Angela Badami, Lennon Bronsema, Benjamin 

Campopiano, Kathryn Raven, and Audrey Ward as representative of the Class and appoints the 

law firm of Nelson Law Group as Class Counsel. 

7. The Court hereby preliminarily approves a service payment in the amount of 

$2,000 to each Class Representative and costs of administration payable to the Claims 

Administrator, estimated to be approximately $20,000. 

8. Subject to the receipt and consideration by the Court of any objections to or 

comments on the Amended Settlement Agreement at the hearing described in Paragraph 13 of 

this Order, the Court finds the Amended Settlement Agreement and all of its terms to be fair, 

just, equitable, and in the best interests of the members of the Class and those who have filed 

Consents to Join the case. The proposed Settlement falls within the range of possible Settlement 

approval, was negotiated at arms length, and is worthy of being presented to the Class Members 

and those who filed Consents to Join for their comments. The Court hereby preliminarily 

approves the Settlement under Rule 23(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. 

9. By no later than March 28, 2008, the Claims Administrator shall cause to be 

mailed by first class mail the Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement and Settlement 

Hearing (the “Notice”) and the Opt-out Form in substantially the form attached as Exhibits 1 

and 2 to the Joint Stipulation of Settlement that is filed concurrently herewith, to the current or 

last known address of each Class Member and to those who filed Consents to Join. 

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AMENDED [PROPOSED] ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING PROPOSED SETTLEMENT 

AGREEMENT 4

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10. By no later than April 18, 2008, Class Counsel and/or a representative of the 

Claims Administrator shall serve and file a sworn statement by the Claims Administrator 

evidencing compliance with the provisions of Paragraph 9 of this Order. 

11. The Notice to Class Members given in compliance with the provisions set forth 

in Paragraph 9 above is hereby found to be the best notice practicable under the circumstances, 

and constitutes due and sufficient notice, in full compliance with the requirements of Rule 23(3) 

of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Constitution of the United States, and any other 

applicable law. 

12. All reasonable costs incurred in identifying and notifying Class Members, as well 

as administering the Settlement, shall be paid as set forth in the Amended Settlement 

Agreement. 

13. Pursuant to Rule 23(e) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a hearing (the 

“Settlement Hearing”) shall be held before the undersigned at 9:00 a.m. on June 27, 2008 in 

Courtroom 2, United States District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco, 

California to determine the fairness, reasonableness, and adequacy of the proposed Settlement 

and whether it should be finally approved, and to consider the motion of Class Counsel for 

attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses and the requested payment to Named Plaintiffs Angela 

Badami, Lennon Bronsema, Benjamin Campopiano, Kathryn Raven, and Audrey Ward. 

14. No Class Member or anyone who filed a Consent to Join shall be heard in 

opposition to the proposed Settlement, or, if approved, the judgments and other orders to be 

entered thereon, to the requested award of attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses, or to the 

requested payment to the Named Plaintiffs, and no paper or briefs submitted by any such person 

shall be accepted or considered by the Court unless, on or before May 12, 2008, such person has 

filed with the Clerk of the Court and served upon counsel for all parties a written statement that 

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AMENDED [PROPOSED] ORDER PRELIMINARILY APPROVING PROPOSED SETTLEMENT 

AGREEMENT 5

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indicates the specific basis for such person’s objections, along with any supporting 

documentation. 

15. On or before May 23, 2008, Class Counsel shall file with the Court and serve on 

all parties their motion for attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses, and all papers in support thereof. 

16. On or before May 23, 2008, Plaintiffs shall file a motion for Final Approval of 

Settlement and Dismissal of Action. 

17. Any Class Member or anyone who filed a Consent to Join who has met the 

requirements of paragraph 14 herein, or his or her representative, may appear at the Settlement 

Hearing in person or by telephone, and be heard to the extent allowed by the Court in support 

of, or in opposition to, the fairness, reasonableness and adequacy of the proposed Settlement, 

the requested award of attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses, and the requested payment to 

Named Plaintiffs Angela Badami, Lennon Bronsema, Benjamin Campopiano, Kathryn Raven, 

and Audrey Ward. Any Class Member or anyone who filed a Consent to Joint who does not 

make his or her objections as required by Paragraph 14 herein shall be deemed to have waived 

such objection and shall forever be foreclosed from making any objection to the fairness, 

reasonableness, and adequacy of the proposed Settlement, the requested award of attorneys’ fees 

and costs, and the requested payment to Named Plaintiffs unless otherwise ordered by the Court. 

18. The Court expressly reserve its right to continue the Settlement Hearing from 

time to time without further direct notice to the Class or anyone who filed a Consent to Join. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: ____________________, 2008 _________________________________________ 

 Jeffrey S. White 

 United States District Court Judge 

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March 11

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