Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-05326/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-05326-3/pdf.json

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

---

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

JOINT STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER FOR Case No: 3:07-CV-5326 MHP 

CONDITIONAL CLASS CERTIFICATION AND JUDICIAL NOTICE

Counsel on next page 

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SHANAN CALHOUN, JAMES 

MULDERIG, and DANIEL WILLE 

individually, on behalf of others similarly 

situated, and on behalf of the general 

public, 

Plaintiffs, 

v. 

FASTENAL COMPANY, and DOES 1-

50, inclusive, 

Defendants. 

Case No: 3:07-CV-5326 MHP 

JOINT STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] 

ORDER FOR CONDITIONAL CLASS 

CERTIFICATION AND COURTAUTHORIZED NOTICE 

Case 3:07-cv-05326-MHP Document 68 Filed 02/15/08 Page 1 of 6
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

JOINT STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER FOR Case No: 3:07-CV-5326 MHP 

CONDITIONAL CLASS CERTIFICATION AND JUDICIAL NOTICE

-2-

NICHOLS KASTER & ANDERSON, LLP

Matthew C. Helland, CA State Bar No. 250451 

Helland@nka.com 

One Embarcadero Center, Suite 720 

San Francisco, CA 94111 

Telephone (415) 277-7235 

Facsimile: (415) 277-7238 

NICHOLS KASTER & ANDERSON, PLLP 

Donald H. Nichols, MN State Bar No. 78918 

Nichols@nka.com 

(admitted pro hac vice) 

Paul J. Lukas, MN State Bar No. 22084X 

Lukas@nka.com 

(admitted pro hac vice) 

David C. Zoeller, MN State Bar No. 0387885 

Zoeller@nka.com 

(admitted pro hac vice) 

4600 IDS Center 

80 South 8th Street 

Minneapolis, MN 55402 

Telephone: (612) 256-3200 

Facsimile: (612) 215-6870 

Attorneys for Individual and Representative Plaintiffs 

LORI A. BOWMAN, State Bar No. 114664 

lori.bowman@ogletreedeakins.com 

LESLIE E. WALLIS, State Bar No. 128435 

leslie.wallis@ogletreedeakins.com 

OGLETREE, DEAKINS, NASH, 

SMOAK & STEWART, P.C. 

633 West Fifth Street, 53rd Floor 

Los Angeles, California 90071 

Telephone: (213) 239-9800 

Facsimile: (213) 239-9045 

A. CRAIG CLELAND 

craig.cleland@ogletreedeakins.com 

(admitted pro hac vice) 

OGLETREE, DEAKINS, NASH, 

SMOAK & STEWART, P.C. 

Bank of America Plaza 

600 Peachtree St., NE, Suite 2100 

Atlanta, GA 30308 

Attorneys for Defendant 

FASTENAL COMPANY 

Case 3:07-cv-05326-MHP Document 68 Filed 02/15/08 Page 2 of 6
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

JOINT STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER FOR Case No: 3:07-CV-5326 MHP 

CONDITIONAL CLASS CERTIFICATION AND JUDICIAL NOTICE

-3-

The parties by and through their counsel of record submit this Stipulation and Joint Proposed 

Order for Conditional Class Certification and Court-Authorized Notice. 

 WHEREAS, the parties held telephone conferences on January 11, 2008 and on 

January 25, 2008 and conferred in person on January 28, 2008, during which the parties agreed to 

conditionally certify this case and send court-approved notice to be issued to the allegedly 

similarly situated class members, subject to the terms described in the Order below: 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT: 

1. This case is conditionally certified as a collective action under 29 U.S.C. § 216(b) 

of the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

2. The Court shall authorize and approve judicial notice to potential opt-ins to inform 

them of the action and to give them an opportunity to join this action as a party plaintiff by opting 

in. The Notice shall be mailed on or before February 29, 2008. The form of the Notice of 

Pendency of Lawsuit (“Notice”) and Plaintiff Consent Form shall be the same as those attached as 

Exhibit A. 

3. Plaintiffs’ counsel, Nichols Kaster & Anderson, PLLP, in Minneapolis, 

Minnesota shall mail, via first-class U.S. Mail, the Notice once and shall bear the costs of the 

mailing. 

4. Defendants shall provide Plaintiffs’ counsel with a list, in electronic format, 

(i.e., Microsoft Excel (.xls), or Symbolic Link (SYLK(.slk)), of all persons employed by 

Fastenal Company as an Assistant General Manager (also know as Assistant Manager) at any 

Fastenal location from February 29, 2005, to present, including their name, most recent 

known address, most recent known telephone number (if available), dates of employment as 

an assistant general manager, locations of employment (with store codes), and the last four 

digits of their social security number or their dates of birth, on or before February 19, 2008.

5. There shall be a 75-day notice period for opting into this lawsuit. Plaintiffs’ 

counsel shall mail one reminder mailing during this 75-day notice period. Plaintiff Consent 

Forms post-marked after May 14, 2008, are not timely, and the individuals sending such untimely 

consents shall not be eligible to join this lawsuit. 

Case 3:07-cv-05326-MHP Document 68 Filed 02/15/08 Page 3 of 6
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

JOINT STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER FOR Case No: 3:07-CV-5326 MHP 

CONDITIONAL CLASS CERTIFICATION AND JUDICIAL NOTICE

-4-

6. The parties may conduct limited class and merits discovery during the notice 

period, including Rule 30(b)(6) depositions, named Plaintiffs and opt-in depositions, rolling 

document production of payroll and other documents, and other discovery as agreed upon by the 

parties. 

7. The parties agree to attend private Mediation before a mutually agreed-upon 

mediator on or before August 15, 2008. 

8. If issues regarding discovery or the issuance of this notice arise, and the parties are 

unable to reach agreement on those issues, the parties will return to the Court for guidance in 

compliance with Civ. LR 37-1(a) and (b). 

9. The parties will return to court on August 28, 2008. If the case is settled, the 

parties will timely file a joint motion for preliminary approval of the settlement for consideration 

at the hearing. If the case is not settled, the parties will timely file an Amended Case 

Management Report prior to the hearing. 

DATED: February 13, 2008 NICHOLS KASTER & ANDERSON, PLLP 

 s/Paul J. Lukas 

 Paul J. Lukas 

 Donald H. Nichols 

 David C. Zoeller 

 Attorneys for Individual and Representative Plaintiffs

DATED: February 13, 2008 OGLETREE, DEAKINS, NASH, SMOAK & 

 STEWART, P.C. 

 s/Leslie E. Wallis 

 Lori A. Bowman 

 Leslie E. Wallis 

 

 Attorneys for Defendant 

 FASTENAL COMPANY 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: 

 

 The Hon. Marilyn Hall Patel 

 U.S. District Court Judge

2/14/08

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge Marilyn H. Patel

Case 3:07-cv-05326-MHP Document 68 Filed 02/15/08 Page 4 of 6
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SHANAN CALHOUN, JAMES MULDERIG, 

and DANIEL WILLE individually, on behalf 

of others similarly situated, and on behalf of 

the general public, 

Plaintiffs, 

v. 

FASTENAL COMPANY, and DOES 1-50, 

inclusive, 

 Defendants. 

Case No: 3:07-CV-5326 MHP 

NOTICE OF PENDENCY 

OF LAWSUIT 

TO: ALL ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGERS EMPLOYED BY FASTENAL COMPANY 

FROM FEBRUARY 29, 2005 TO PRESENT. 

RE: FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT OVERTIME LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST 

FASTENAL COMPANY. 

INTRODUCTION

 The purpose of this notice is to inform you of a collective action lawsuit in which you are 

potentially “similarly situated” to the named Plaintiffs, to advise you of how your rights may be affected 

by this lawsuit, and to instruct you on the procedure for joining this lawsuit as a plaintiff, should you 

choose to do so. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE LAWSUIT

 In October 2007, the above-named Plaintiffs brought this lawsuit against Defendant Fastenal 

Company on behalf of themselves and all other individuals who worked as Assistant General Managers 

(also known as “Assistant Managers”) during the past three years. Specifically, the action alleges that 

these individuals were misclassified as “exempt” employees and therefore are owed overtime pay under 

the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), 29 U.S.C. § 201, et seq., for hours worked in excess of 

forty (40) per work week. 

 Fastenal Company denies any wrongdoing or liability and contests all claims that have been 

asserted. Specifically, Defendant claims that Plaintiffs and all other Assistant General Managers were 

properly classified as “exempt” employees and therefore are not owed overtime pay under the FLSA. 

YOUR RIGHT TO JOIN THIS ACTION AS A PARTY PLAINTIFF

 The named Plaintiffs were employed by Fastenal Company as Assistant General Managers. They 

seek to sue on behalf of themselves and other employees to whom they are similarly situated. 

Specifically, they seek to sue on behalf of any and all individuals: 

(a) who have been employed by Fastenal Company as Assistant General Managers in any of 

its stores, from February 29, 2005 to the present; and 

(b) who were allegedly misclassified as nonexempt employees and were not paid for all 

hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week. 

Case 3:07-cv-05326-MHP Document 68 Filed 02/15/08 Page 5 of 6
If you fit the definition above, you may choose to join this action by mailing, faxing, or emailing the 

attached Plaintiff Consent Form to Plaintiffs’ counsel for filing with the Court: 

Nichols Kaster & Anderson 

Donald H. Nichols, Paul J. Lukas, and David C. Zoeller 

4600 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street 

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402 

Toll Free Telephone: (877) 448-0492 (no faxes to this number) 

Fax: (612) 215-6870 

Email: lukas@nka.com

The “Plaintiff Consent-to-Join Form” must be received on or before May 14, 2008 for you to join this 

case. 

EFFECT OF JOINING OR NOT JOINING THIS LAWSUIT

If you join this action, you will become a party plaintiff, and you and Fastenal Company will be 

bound by any ruling, judgment, or settlement, whether favorable or unfavorable. If you choose not to join 

this suit, you will not be affected by any ruling, judgment, or settlement entered in this case, whether 

favorable or unfavorable, and you are free to file your own lawsuit. While this lawsuit is proceeding, you 

may be required to provide information, sit for depositions, testify in court, or any combination of these 

things. 

 If you file a Plaintiff Consent-to-Join Form, your continued right to participate in this lawsuit may 

depend upon a later decision by the District Court that you and the Plaintiffs are actually “similarly 

situated” under applicable federal and state law. 

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

 The FLSA has a maximum statute of limitations of three years. If you choose to join this action, 

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

overtime hours worked within two, and in some cases three, years of the date your Plaintiff Consent-toJoin Form is filed with the Court. If you choose not to join in this action or choose to file your own 

action, some or all of your potential claims may later be barred by the applicable statute of limitations. 

YOUR LEGAL REPRESENTATION IF YOU JOIN

 If you choose to join this lawsuit, your interests will be represented by Plaintiffs’ Counsel 

identified above. Plaintiffs’ Counsel are being paid on a contingency fee basis, which means that if there 

is no recovery, there will be no attorneys’ fee. If there is a recovery, however, Plaintiffs’ Counsel will 

receive a part of any settlement obtained or money judgment entered in favor of all members of the class. 

The specific terms and conditions of representation will be contained in a separate fee agreement, which 

you and Plaintiffs’ Counsel will enter into if you join this lawsuit. 

NO RETALIATION PERMITTED

 The law prohibits Fastenal from retaliating against employees or former employees who have 

exercised their rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

This Notice and its contents have been authorized by The Honorable Marilyn Hall Patel, 

Federal Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The 

federal court has taken no position in this case regarding the merits of Plaintiffs’ claims or 

Defendant’s defenses. Do not contact the Court or the Clerk of Court about this case, and 

do not return signed Consent-to-Join forms to the Court or Clerk of Court. 

 

_______________________________ 

 The Honorable Marilyn Hall Patel 

United States District Court Judge 

Case 3:07-cv-05326-MHP Document 68 Filed 02/15/08 Page 6 of 6