IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE

MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA, SOUTHERN DIVISION

BUDDY GILL, )

)

Plaintiff, )

) CIVIL ACTION NO. 

v. ) 1:06cv718-MHT

) (WO)

SORRELLS FUNERAL HOME, ) 

INC., and TERRY G. )

SORRELLS, )

)

Defendants. )

OPINION

This case is currently before the court on plaintiff

Buddy Gill and defendants Sorrell Funeral Home, Inc. and

Terry Sorrell's joint motion to approve a settlement of

Gill’s claim filed under the Fair Labor Standards Act

(FLSA), 29 U.S.C. §§ 201-219. For the reasons that

follow, the settlement will be approved.

Because the FLSA was enacted to protect workers from

the poor wages and long hours that can result from great

inequalities in bargaining power between employers and

employees, the FLSA's provisions are mandatory and,

except in two narrow circumstances, are generally not

Case 1:06-cv-00718-MHT-SRW Document 18 Filed 01/18/2007 Page 1 of 4
2

subject to bargaining, waiver, or modification by

contract or settlement. Brooklyn Savings Bank v. O'Neil,

324 U.S. 697, 706 (1945). The first exception is that

the Secretary of Labor may supervise the payment of back

wages to employees; employees who accept such payments

waive their rights to bring suits for liquidated damages,

provided the employer pays the back amount in full. 29

U.S.C. § 216(c); Lynn's Food Stores, Inc. v. United

States, 679 F.2d 1350, 1352-53 (11th Cir. 1982).

The second route to settlement, and the one that is

applicable here, occurs when an employee brings a private

action for back wages under 29 U.S.C. § 216(b); the

employee and employer present a proposed settlement to

the district court, and the district court reviews the

judgment and enters it as a stipulated judgment. Lynn's

Food Stores, 679 F.2d at 1354 ("Settlements may be

permissible in the context of a suit brought by employees

under the FLSA for back wages because initiation of the

action by the employees provides some assurance of an

Case 1:06-cv-00718-MHT-SRW Document 18 Filed 01/18/2007 Page 2 of 4
*In Lynn's Food Stores, the court disallowed a

(continued...)

3

adversarial context. The employees are likely to be

represented by an attorney who can protect their rights

under the statute. Thus, when the parties submit a

settlement to the court for approval, the settlement is

more likely to reflect a reasonable compromise of

disputed issues than a mere waiver of statutory rights

brought about by an employer's overreaching.").

In reviewing a settlement of an FLSA private claim,

a court must "scrutiniz[e] the settlement for fairness,"

id. at 1353, and determine that the settlement is a "fair

and reasonable resolution of a bona fide dispute over

FLSA provisions." Id. at 1355. "If a settlement in an

employee FLSA suit does reflect a reasonable compromise

over issues, such as FLSA coverage or computation of back

wages, that are actually in dispute[,] ... the district

court [may] approve the settlement in order to promote

the policy of encouraging settlement of litigation." Id.

at 1354.*

Case 1:06-cv-00718-MHT-SRW Document 18 Filed 01/18/2007 Page 3 of 4
(...continued)

compromise because it was not brought in the context of

an employee lawsuit, but rather was an attempt by an

employer to "settle,” through a declaratory judgment

action, backpay claims because of a pending investigation

by the Secretary of Labor. The "compromise" was unfair

and reflected the extreme inequalities of bargaining

position that the FLSA was designed to protect against.

In this case, there are bona fide disputes over FLSA

provisions, namely FLSA coverage and the amount of

backpay. Further, after hearing from Gill and reviewing

the settlement agreement, the court concludes that the

settlement is a fair and reasonable resolution of these

bona fide disputes, particularly given that it appears

that the defendants acted in good faith. 

An appropriate judgment will be entered.

DONE, this the 18th day of January, 2007.

 /s/ Myron H. Thompson 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 

Case 1:06-cv-00718-MHT-SRW Document 18 Filed 01/18/2007 Page 4 of 4
A copy of this checklist is available at the website for the USCA, 11th Circuit at www.ca11.uscourts.gov

Effective on April 9, 2006, the new fee to file an appeal will increase from $255.00 to $455.00.

CIVIL APPEALS JURISDICTION CHECKLIST

1. Appealable Orders: Courts of Appeals have jurisdiction conferred and strictly limited by

statute:

(a) Appeals from final orders pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291: Only final orders and

judgments of district courts, or final orders of bankruptcy courts which have been

appealed to and fully resolved by a district court under 28 U.S.C.§ 158, generally are

appealable. A final decision is one that “ends the litigation on the merits and leaves

nothing for the court to do but execute the judgment.” Pitney Bowes, Inc. v. Mestre,

701 F.2d 1 365, 1 368 ( 11th Ci r. 1 983). A magistrate judge’s report and

recommendation is not final and appealable until judgment thereon is entered by a

district court judge. 28 U.S.C. § 636(c).

(b) In cases involving multiple parties or multiple claims, a judgment as to fewer than

all parties or all claims is not a final, appealable decision unless the district court has

certified the judgment for immediate review under Fed.R.Civ.P. 54(b). Williams v.

Bishop, 732 F.2d 885, 885- 86 (11th Cir. 1984). A judg ment which resolves all

issues except matters, such as attorneys’ fees and costs, that are collateral to the

merits, is immediately appealable. Budinich v. Becton Dickinson & Co., 486

U.S.196, 201, 108 S.Ct. 1717, 1721-22, 100 L .Ed.2d 178 (1988); LaChance v.

Duffy’s Draft House, Inc., 146 F.3d 832, 837 (11th Cir. 1998).

(c) Appeals pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1292(a): Appeals are permitted from orders

“granting, continuing, modifying, refusing or dissolving injunctions or refusing to

dissolve or modify injunctions . . .” and from “[i]nterlocutory decrees . . .

determining the rights and liabilities of parties to admiralty cases in which appeals

from final decrees are allowed.” Interlocutory appeals from orders denying temporary

restraining orders are not permitted.

(d) Appeals pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b) and Fed.R.App.P. 5: The certification

specified in 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b) must be obtained before a petition for permission to

appeal is filed in the Court of Appeals. The district court’s denial of a motion for

certification is not itself appealable.

(e) Appeals pursuant to judicially created exceptions to the finality rule: Limited

exceptions are discussed in cases including, but not limited to: Cohen v. Beneficial

Indus. Loan Corp., 337 U.S. 541, 546, 69S.Ct. 1221, 1225-26, 93 L.Ed. 1528 (1949);

Atlantic Fed. Sav. & Loan Ass’n v. Blythe Eastman Paine Webber, Inc., 890 F.2d

371, 376 (11th Cir. 1989); Gillespie v. United States Steel Corp., 379 U.S. 148, 157,

85 S.Ct. 308, 312, 13 L.Ed.2d 199 (1964).

 Rev.: 4/04

Case 1:06-cv-00718-MHT-SRW Document 18-2 Filed 01/18/2007 Page 1 of 2
2. Time for Filing: The timely filing of a notice of appeal is mandatory and jurisdictional.

Rinaldo v. Corbett, 256 F.3d 1276, 1278 (11th Cir. 2001). In civil cases, Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)

and (c) set the following time limits:

(a) Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(1): A notice of appeal in compliance with the requirements set

forth in Fed.R.App.P. 3 must be filed in the district court within 30 days after the

entry of the order or judgment appealed from. However, if the United States or an

officer or agency thereof is a party, the notice of appeal must be filed in the district

court within 60 days after such entry. THE NOTICE MUST BE RECEIVED AND

FILED IN THE DISTRICT COURT NO LATER THAN THE LAST DAY OF

THE APPEAL PERIOD – no additional days are provided for mailing. Special

filing provisions for inmates are discussed below.

(b) Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(3): “If one party timely files a notice of appeal, any other party

may file a notice of appeal within 14 days after the date when the first notice was

filed, or within the time otherwise prescribed by this Rule 4(a), whichever period

ends later.”

(c) Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(4): If any party makes a timely motion in the district court under

the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure of a type specified in this rule, the time for

appeal for all parties runs from the date of entry of the order disposing of the last

such timely filed motion.

(d) Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(5) and 4(a)(6): Under certain limited circumstances, the district

court may extend the time to file a notice of appeal. Under Rule 4(a)(5), the time may

be extended if a motion for an extension is filed within 30 days after expiration of the

time otherwise provided to file a notice of appeal, upon a showing of excusable

neglect or good cause. Under Rule 4(a)(6), the time may be extended if the district

court finds upon motion that a party did not timely receive notice of the entry of the

judgment or order, and that no party would be prejudiced by an extension.

(e) Fed.R.App.P. 4(c): If an inmate confined to an institution files a notice of appeal in

either a civil case or a criminal case, the notice of appeal is timely if it is deposited in

the institution’s internal mail system on or before the last day for filing. Timely filing

may be shown by a declaration in compliance with 28 U.S.C. § 1746 or a notarized

statement, either of which must set forth the date of deposit and state that first-class

postage has been prepaid.

3. Format of the notice of appeal: Form 1, Appendix of Forms to the Federal Rules of

Appellate Procedure, is a suitable format. See also Fed.R.App.P. 3(c). A pro se notice of

appeal must be signed by the appellant.

4. Effect of a notice of appeal: A district court loses jurisdiction (authority) to act after the

filing of a timely notice of appeal, except for actions in aid of appellate jurisdiction or to rule

on a timely motion of the type specified in Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(4).

Case 1:06-cv-00718-MHT-SRW Document 18-2 Filed 01/18/2007 Page 2 of 2