Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ared-3_09-cv-00225/USCOURTS-ared-3_09-cv-00225-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 710
Nature of Suit: Fair Labor Standards Act
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed. Question: Fair Labor Standards

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS 

JONESBORO DIVISION 

THELMA CHISM and NATHAN WILLIAMS, 

on behalf of themselves and all other similarly 

situated employees, 

Plaintiffs, 

v. Case No. 3:09-cv-00225-JMM 

LIFE STRATEGIES OF ARKANSAS, LLC, 

Defendant. 

CONSENT ORDER CONDITIONALLY 

CERTIFYING CASE AS FLSA COLLECTIVE ACTION 

BY AGREEMENT AND CONSENT of the parties, the Court hereby finds and 

orders: 

I.This case, brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), is conditionally 

certified as a collective action under 29 U.S.C. § 216(b). 

2. Defendant Life Strategies of Arkansas, LLC ("LSA") will provide 

Plaintiffs' counsel, within ten (10) days of the entry of this Consent Order, a list of 

names, last known addresses and telephone numbers (home and cellular) for all LSA 

employees who: 

(a) were employed by LSA as a case manager at any time from December 15, 

2006, through the date of entry of this Consent Order; and, 

(b) were compensated, in whole or in part, based on the number of units of 

service they billed and coIlected. 

Case 3:09-cv-00225-DPM Document 18 Filed 03/17/10 Page 1 of 9
3. The attached agreed upon notice of collective action (Exhibit A) and optin plaintiff consent form (Exhibit B) are approved as the forms that will be sent to all 

potential members of the collective action. 

4. Plaintiffs will mail the court approved notice on April 2, 2010, and the 

opt-in period will run until June 16,2010. 

5. Plaintiffs will be permitted to send one (1) reminder letter twenty (20) 

days before the expiration of the opt-in period. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

~~~~o~~~ U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE 

Date: ¥ 1/\"0 

APPROVED: 

lsi Tom Donaldson 

Tom Donaldson - AR Bar # 93128 

DONALDSON LAW FIRM 

117 E. Military Road 

P.O. Box 949 

Marion, AR 72364 

Telephone: 870/739-2588 

Fax: 870/739-4403 

Email: torn((vdonaldsonlawtillTI.com 

& 

lsi William B. Ryan 

William B. Ryan - TN Bar # 020269 

DONATI LAW FIRM, LLP 

2 

Case 3:09-cv-00225-DPM Document 18 Filed 03/17/10 Page 2 of 9
1545 Union Avenue 

Memphis, TN 38104 

Telephone: 901/278-1004 

Email: billy@donatilawfirm.com 

Fax: 9011278-3111 

Attorneys for Plaintiffs 

/s/ Benjamin D. Brenner 

/s/ Bonnie J. Johnson 

Benjamin D. Brenner - AR Bar # 2004172 

WILLIAMS & ANDERSON, PLC 

III Center Street, 22nd Floor 

Fax: 501/372-6453 

Email: bbrenner@williamsanderson.com 

Bonnie J. Johnson - AR Bar # 2005165 

Little Rock, AR 7220 I 

Telephone: 5011372-0800 

biohnson@wil/iamsandersoll.com 

Attorneys for Defendant 

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Case 3:09-cv-00225-DPM Document 18 Filed 03/17/10 Page 3 of 9
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS 

JONESBORO DIVISION 

THELMA CHISM and NATHAN WILLIAMS, 

on behalf of themselves and all other similarly 

situated employees, 

Plaintiffs, 

v.Case No. 3:09-cv-00225-JMM 

LIFE STRATEGIES OF ARKANSAS, LLC, 

Defendant. 

NOTICE OF COLLECTIVE ACTION 

THIS IS NOT NOTICE OF A LAWSUIT AGAINST YOU. PLEASE READ THIS 

NOTICE CAREFULLY. YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS MAYBE AFFECTED. 

TO:All persons who were employed by Life Strategies of Arkansas, LLC 

("LSA") as a "case manager" from December 15,2006, to the present and 

who received compensation based on the units of service billed and collected. 

RE:Overtime Lawsuit Filed Against Life Strategies of Arkansas, LLC 

INTRODUCTION 

The purpose of this Notice is to inform you of the existence of a collective action 

lawsuit in which you are potentially "similarly-situated" to the above-named Plaintiffs, to 

advise you of how your rights may be affected by this lawsuit, and to instruct you on the 

procedure for participating in this lawsuit should you choose to do so. 

As described more fully below, if you are eligible and wish to participate in this 

collective action, you must timely complete and return the Plaintiff Consent Form 

attached to this Notice by not later than June 16,2010. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE LAWSUIT 

On December 15,2009, the named Plaintiffs brought this lawsuit against LSA on 

behalf of themselves and other similarly-situated employees who worked as case 

managers during the past three years. Specifically, this lawsuit alleges that these 

EXHIBIT A 

Case 3:09-cv-00225-DPM Document 18 Filed 03/17/10 Page 4 of 9
individuals regularly worked in excess of forty (40) hours per work week, were not paid 

overtime, and are owed overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA"), 29 

U.S.C. § 201, et seq., for work they performed in excess of 40 hours per work week. The 

lawsuit also alleges that LSA failed to keep records, such as time sheets, as required by 

theFLSA. 

LSA denies and contests the Plaintiffs' claims, denies any wrongdoing or liability, 

and alleges that it has complied with the law and that Plaintiffs and all other similarlysituated case managers are not owed overtime payor any other damages under the FLSA. 

THE CURRENT STATE OF TillS LAWSUIT 

This lawsuit is in the early stages of litigation. The Plaintiffs and LSA have 

agreed and stipulated to conditional certification as a collective action and that this 

Notice be sent to you to provide information about the case and to give you an 

opportunity to join the case by submitting a Plaintiff Consent Form. 

PERSONS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THIS NOTICE 

The U.S. District Court has ordered this Notice to be distributed to all current and 

former employees of LSA who: 

(a) were employed by LSA as a case manager at any time from December 15, 

2006, to the present; and, 

(b) were compensated, in whole or in part, based on the number of units of 

service they billed and collected. 

If you fit the definition above, you may have a right to participate in this lawsuit. 

YOUR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN TillS LAWSUIT 

If you want to participate in this lawsuit you must take affirmative steps to 

indicate your intent to join the action. You must complete, sign and fax, email, or mail a 

copy of the Plaintiff Consent Form attached to this Notice to Plaintiffs' Counsel for filing 

with the Court: 

Mail: DONATI LAW FIRM, LLP 

Attn.: William B. Ryan 

1545 Union Avenue 

Memphis, TN 38104 

Fax: 901/278-3111 

Email: billy@donatilawfirm.com 

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Case 3:09-cv-00225-DPM Document 18 Filed 03/17/10 Page 5 of 9
The Plaintiff Consent Form must be postmarked or successfully faxed or emailed on or 

before June 16, 2010 for you to participate in this lawsuit. 

If your Plaintiff Consent Form is not postmarked or successfully faxed or emailed 

by June 16,2010, you will not be allowed to participate in this lawsuit. Having a 

Plaintiff Consent Form filed does not guarantee that you will be able to participate in the 

trial of this lawsuit, because individual participation may depend upon a final ruling from 

the district court that you and the named Plaintiffs are "similarly-situated" under federal 

law. However, if you fail to return and have filed a Plaintiff Consent Form on or before 

the deadline, you cannot participate in any settlement or judgment for damages under the 

FLSA as part of this lawsuit. 

EFFECT OF JOINING OR NOT JOINING THIS LAWSUIT 

If you choose to join this lawsuit and return and file a Plaintiff Consent Form, and 

the District Court later permits your claims to proceed as part of the collective action, you 

will be bound by any ruling, judgment or settlement regarding the FLSA claims in this 

lawsuit, whether favorable or unfavorable to Plaintiffs. If you choose to join this lawsuit, 

you may be required to participate in discovery, including but not limited to a deposition. 

If you return a Plaintiff Consent Form, you should be aware that important 

decisions concerning the prosecution of this case may be made on your behalf. 

If you choose not to join this lawsuit, you will not be affected by any ruling, 

judgment, or settlement entered in this case, favorable or unfavorable. If you choose not 

to join this lawsuit, you are free to take action on your own or do nothing at all. 

If you file a Plaintiff Consent Form, your continued right to participate in this 

lawsuit may depend upon a later decision by the Court that you and the above-named 

Plaintiffs are actually "similarly-situated" in accordance with applicable laws and that it 

is appropriate for this case to proceed as a collective action lawsuit. 

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS 

The FLSA has a maximum statute of limitations oftwo or potentially three years 

for the filing of a claim for unpaid overtime wages. If you choose to join this lawsuit, 

you may be able to recover damages if you were improperly denied overtime 

compensation for overtime hours worked within two, and in some cases, three, years 

prior to December 15,2009. If you choose not to join in this lawsuit the statute of 

limitations will continue to run until such time as you file a lawsuit on your own behalf 

and some or all of your potential claims may later be barred by the applicable statute of 

limitations. 

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Case 3:09-cv-00225-DPM Document 18 Filed 03/17/10 Page 6 of 9
NO RETALIATION PERMITTED 

The law prohibits LSA from retaliating against you for exercising your rights 

under the FLSA. Therefore, LSA is prohibited from discharging you or retaliating 

against you in any other manner because you choose to participate in this lawsuit. 

NO OPINION EXPRESSED AS TO THE MERITS OF THE CASE 

This Notice is for the sole purpose of determining the identity of those persons 

eligible and who wish to be involved in this lawsuit. This Notice and its contents have 

been authorized by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. 

The Court has expressed no opinion and taken no position regarding the merits of the 

Plaintiffs' claims or of LSA's defenses. There is no assurance that any relief will be 

granted, and, if relief is granted, of the nature and amount of the relief. 

YOUR LEGAL REPRESENTATION IF YOU JOIN 

If you choose to participate in this lawsuit by returning and filing the attached 

Plaintiff Consent Form your interests will be represented by Plaintiffs' Counsel: 

William B. Ryan TN Bar # 20269 

DONATI LAW FIRM, LLP 

1545 Union Avenue 

Memphis, TN 38104 

Telephone: 901/278-1004 

Toll-Free Telephone: 800/521-0578 (no faxes to this number) 

Fax: 901/278-3111 

Email: billy@donatilawfirm.com 

Thomas F. Donaldson, Jr., AR Bar # 93128 

DONALDSON LAW FIRM, PLC 

117 E. Military Road 

P.O. Box 949 

Marion, AR 72364 

Telephone: 870/739-2588 

Fax: 870/739-4403 

Email: tom@donaldsonlawfirm.com 

The specific terms and conditions of this representation will be contained in a fee 

agreement separately entered into by Plaintiffs' Counsel and you if you decide to 

participate in this case. 

FURTHER INFORMATION 

For further information about this lawsuit, including any part of this Notice, 

please contact Plaintiffs' counsel. 

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Case 3:09-cv-00225-DPM Document 18 Filed 03/17/10 Page 7 of 9
PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT OR ANY COURT 

PERSONNEL FOR INFORMATION. 

William B. Ryan TN Bar # 20269 

DONATI LAW FIRM, LLP 

1545 Union Avenue 

Memphis, TN 38104 

Telephone: 901/278-1004 

Toll-Free Telephone: 800/521-0578 

Fax: 90l/278-3111 . 

Email: billy@donatilawfirm.com 

Thomas F. Donaldson, Jr., AR Bar # 93128 

DONALDSON LAW FIRM, PLC 

117 E. Military Road 

P.O. Box 949 

Marion, AR 72364 

Telephone: 870/739-2588 

Fax: 870/739-4403 

Email: tom@donaldsonlawfirm.com 

ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFFS 

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Case 3:09-cv-00225-DPM Document 18 Filed 03/17/10 Page 8 of 9
FLSA ACTION AGAINST 

LIFE STRATEGIES OF ARKANSAS, LLC 

PLAINTIFF CONSENT FORM 

I hereby consent to jo in the action against Life Strategies of Arkansas, LLC as a 

plaintiff to assert claims for overtime pay and recording keeping violations. If this case 

does not proceed collectively, I also consent to file and/or join any subsequent action to 

assert claims against Life Strategies of Arkansas, LLC for overtime pay and recording 

keeping violations. During the past three years, there were occasions when I worked over 

40 hours per week as a claims manager and did not receive overtime compensation. 

Signature Date 

Print Name 

Address (with apartment number if applicable) 

City, State, Zip Code 

Home Telephone 

Mobile Telephone 

E-Mail Address 

Social Security Number (last 4 digits) 

Emergency Contact (and phone number) 

Mail To: Fax To: E-Mail To: 

DONATI LAW FIRM, LLP (901)278-3111 biIly@donatilawfirm.com 

Attn.: William B. Ryan 

1545 Union Avenue 

Memphis, TN 38104 

EXHIBITB 

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