Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-07776/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-07776-9/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 710
Nature of Suit: Fair Labor Standards Act
Cause of Action: 29:201 Fair Labor Standards Act

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LAW OFFICES OF

RUDY, EXELROD & ZIEFF, LLP. 

351 CALIFORNIA STREET, SUITE 700 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104 

(415) 434-9800

C-06-7776 SC 

JOINT [PROPOSED] OPT IN ORDER 

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION 

RICHARD PRENTICE, CHRISTIAN Case No. C-06-7776 SC 

MILLER, and TIFFINEY 

PETHERBRIDGE, on their own behalf and 

on behalf of classes of those similarly 

situated, 

 Plaintiff, 

vs. 

FUND FOR PUBLIC INTEREST 

RESEARCH, INC., 

 Defendants. / 

JOINT [PROPOSED] OPT-IN ORDER 

 

Plaintiffs Richard Prentice, Christian Miller, and Tiffiney Petherbridge, on their own 

behalf and on behalf of those similarly situated, filed a Motion for Conditional Collective Action 

Certification, Hoffmann-La Roche Notice, and Equitable Tolling. Defendant Fund for Public 

Interest Research, Inc. did not oppose Plaintiffs’ request for conditional collective action 

certification but did oppose Plaintiffs’ request for equitable tolling and certain aspects of 

Plaintiffs’ Proposed Notice and Consent to Join forms. 

After consideration of the papers and pleadings, pursuant to this Court’s Order on 

September 18, 2007 Granting in Part, and Denying in Part Plaintiffs’ Motion for Conditional 

Collective Action Certification, Hoffmann-La Roche Notice, and Equitable Tolling. 

Case 3:06-cv-07776-SC Document 75 Filed 10/03/07 Page 1 of 5
LAW OFFICES OF

RUDY, EXELROD & ZIEFF, LLP. 

351 CALIFORNIA STREET, SUITE 700 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104 

(415) 434-9800

C-06-7776 SC 

JOINT [PROPOSED] OPT IN ORDER 

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IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AS FOLLOWS: 

1. Plaintiffs’ claims for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and any 

defenses thereto, are conditionally certified as a collective action pursuant to 29 

U.S.C. § 216(b). 

2. For purposes of this Order, the term “Covered Positions” shall mean all job 

positions at Fund for Public Interest Research, Inc., that have been titled or 

classified as “Canvasser” or “Field Manager.” 

3. For purposes of this Order, the term “Covered Employees” shall mean all past, 

present and future employees who have been employed in a Covered Position 

at any time during the three (3) years preceding the date of the Notice 

described in Paragraph 5, infra. 

4. No later than thirty (30) days after the entry of this Order, Defendant Fund for 

Public Interest Research, Inc. shall produce to Plaintiffs’ counsel and Garden 

City Group (Notice Administrator) the names, last-known addresses and 

telephone numbers if known of all Covered Employees. 

5. Defendant shall provide this information electronically in a generally 

recognized format or such other electronic format upon which Plaintiffs’ and 

Defendant’s counsel may agree. Plaintiff’s counsel shall not copy the list or 

any of the names and addresses on the list and shall maintain the confidentiality 

of the names and addresses. Plaintiffs’ counsel shall return the list of names 

and addresses to Defendant on or before ten (10) days after the expiration of 

the opt-in period. Plaintiffs’ counsel shall use the name and address data only 

for the following purposes: to confirm with the Notice Administrator and 

Defendant’s counsel that the Notice Administrator sends notices to the 

individuals on the list; and to send a copy of the FLSA Notice to prospective 

class members upon their request. 

6. As soon as practicable after receiving the mailing list, but no later than thirty 

(30) days, the Notice Administrator shall mail to all Covered Employees the 

Case 3:06-cv-07776-SC Document 75 Filed 10/03/07 Page 2 of 5
LAW OFFICES OF

RUDY, EXELROD & ZIEFF, LLP. 

351 CALIFORNIA STREET, SUITE 700 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104 

(415) 434-9800

C-06-7776 SC 

JOINT [PROPOSED] OPT IN ORDER 

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Notice of pendency of conditionally-certified class action in the form attached 

hereto as Exhibit A and a “Consent to Join” in the form also attached hereto as 

Exhibit B, with specific dates and mailing address information as indicated in 

these exhibits. These documents are collectively referred to as the “Notice.” 

7. Covered Employees shall have one hundred and twenty (120) days after the 

date the Notice is mailed to mail, fax, or hand-deliver a completed Consent to 

Join form to the Notice Administrator. Covered Employees who timely mail a 

completed Consent to Join form shall be deemed to have joined the 

conditionally certified collective action within the meaning of 29 U.S.C. 

§ 216(b), when the Notice Administrator files their Consent to Join forms with 

this Court. Timeliness is to be determined by the postmark date in the event of 

mailing, the date of delivery in the event of hand delivery, the successful 

transmission date in the event of faxing, or the date of delivery in the event of 

any other means of delivery (e.g., overnight or other expedited delivery), or if a 

postmark is not legible. 

8. Covered Employees whose Consents to Join are untimely shall be deemed not 

to have joined the action within the mean of 29 U.S.C. § 216(b), absent an 

agreement by the parties, or absent an order of this Court on good cause shown. 

Covered Employees who timely return Consents to Join that have not been 

properly completed shall be given ten (10) days from the date of mailing notice 

to the employee of a defect in the Consent form to return a properly completed 

Consent to Join, and shall be deemed to have joined the action upon their return 

of a properly completed Consent to Join form provided that the Notice 

Administrator timely files the Consent to Join forms with this Court. 

9. The Notice Administration shall keep a log showing the name and date of 

receipt of any Consent to Join forms. The Notice Administration shall notify 

counsel for Plaintiffs and counsel for Defendant each week of the names of all 

employees who returned properly completed Consent to Join forms and shall 

Case 3:06-cv-07776-SC Document 75 Filed 10/03/07 Page 3 of 5
LAW OFFICES OF

RUDY, EXELROD & ZIEFF, LLP. 

351 CALIFORNIA STREET, SUITE 700 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104 

(415) 434-9800

C-06-7776 SC 

JOINT [PROPOSED] OPT IN ORDER 

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each week file the Consent to Join forms received with the Court. The Notice 

Administration shall retain a copy of each Consent to Join form received and 

the envelope in which the Consent form arrived. 

10. Defendant’s and Plaintiffs’ counsel shall be notified of any Notices that are 

returned by the Post Office to the Notice Administration. Defendant shall 

within ten (10) days of the date of notification provide to the Notice 

Administrator the Social Security number for any employee whose Notice has 

been returned. The Notice Administration shall then utilize skip tracing 

methods to determine the new address for the employee and again send that 

employee a Notice. 

11. The Notice Administrator shall file all Consent to Join forms with this Court. 

Except for good cause shown, the deadline for the Notice Administration to 

file Consent to Join forms with this Court shall be the date that is not later than 

ten (10) days after the close of the opt-in period. . 

12. The Notice Administrator shall not disclose to Plaintiffs or Plaintiffs’ counsel 

the Social Security numbers of employees. The Social Security numbers shall 

be maintained by the Notice Administration in a password-protected file which 

shall be destroyed of returned to Defendant’s counsel together with all copies, 

following the close of the Notice period. 

13. The costs incurred by the Notice Administrator associated with the sending of 

the Notices, including fees of the Notice Administrator and all other associated 

expenses shall be borne by Plaintiffs. 

14. This Order is without prejudice to Plaintiffs’ right to request that notice of the 

pendency of this action, and an opportunity to opt in, be provided at a later date 

to individuals who become employed in Covered Positions after ten days after 

the filing date of this Order. 

15. In the event of any disagreement as to the interpretation of this Order or any 

matters not covered by this Order, the parties shall meet and confer. If no 

Case 3:06-cv-07776-SC Document 75 Filed 10/03/07 Page 4 of 5
LAW OFFICES OF

RUDY, EXELROD & ZIEFF, LLP. 

351 CALIFORNIA STREET, SUITE 700 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104 

(415) 434-9800

C-06-7776 SC 

JOINT [PROPOSED] OPT IN ORDER 

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agreement can be reached, the parties shall simultaneously file a statement with 

the Court setting forth the issue and the position of the party. 

It is so ORDERED. 

 __________________________________________ 

 HONORABLE SAMUEL CONTI 

JUDGE OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

¶ 

October 3, 2007

Case 3:06-cv-07776-SC Document 75 Filed 10/03/07 Page 5 of 5