T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T R Y A N D E L O D D E R , i ndi vi dua l l y a nd on be ha l f of a l l thos e s i m i l a r l y s i tua t e d a nd R I C A R D O M A R Q U E S , i ndi vi dua l l y a nd on be ha l f of a l l thos e s i m i l a r l y s i tua t e d, P l ai n t i ffs - A p p el l an t s, v. A E R O T E K I N C . a nd D O E S 1 - 10, D efen d an t s - A p p el l ees. N o. 10- 56755 D. C . No . 2 : 0 8 - c v - 0 6 0 4 4 - DMG- AG R ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e C e n tr a l D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia D ol l y M . G e e , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d M a r c h 6, 2012 P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia B efo re: F A R R IS , C L IF T O N , an d IK U T A , C i rcu i tJu d g es. W e affi rm th e d i stri ctco u rt ’ s d en i al o f P l ai n t i ffs’ m o t i o n fo r cl ass c e rtif ic a tio n u n d e rR u le 2 3 ( b ) ( 3 ) . 

# FI LED MA R 15 2012 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

W e r e vi e w adi s tr i c tc ourt ’ s de ni a l of c l a s s c e rt i f

i c a t i on f orabus e of d is c r e tio n . V

i no le v . C ou ntry w i de H

om e L oa ns, Inc. , 57 1 F . 3d 93 5, 93 9 (9th C i r. 2009) . “ ‘ A n abus e of

di s c r e t i on oc c ur s w he n the di s tr i c tc ourt , i n m a ki ng a di s c r e t i ona ry rul i ng, r e l i e s upon a n i m pr ope rf a c t or , om i t s c ons i de r a t i on of af a c t or ent i t l ed t o sub st ant i al w ei gh t , or m ul l s the corre ctm i x o f f ac t ors butm akes a c l ear error of j ud gm enti n ass ay i ng them . ’ ” Id . ( quot i ng P arr a v . B as has ' , I nc . , 536 F . 3d 97 5, 97 7-78 (9th C i r. 20 08 )) . P l ai nt i ff ar gu es thatthe di stri ctcourtgave t oo l i tt l e w ei gh tt o evi dence that A e r o t e kr e q u i r e d a l l r e c ru i t e r s t o c o mp l e t e th e s a me tr a i n i n g a n do b e y th e s a me po l i ci es , and t oo m uch w ei gh tt o t es t i m on y thatA er ot ek re crui t er s’ ac tual w ork a c t i vi t i e s va r i e d f

r om r e c rui t e rt o r e c rui t e r . O urc a s e s , how e ve r , r e qui r e d the di stri ctcourtt o “ m ake afa ctual det erm i nat i on as t o w hether c l as s m em bers ar e a c tu a llyperf

orm i ng si m i l ardu t i es . ” I n r e W e l l s Far go H om e Mor t

g. O v e r t i m e P ay L itig . , 571 F . 3d 953, 959 ( 9th C i r . 2009) ( i nt e rna l quot a t i on m a rks r e m ove d; e m p h a s is a d d e d ) , s e e al s o M ar lo v . U ni te d P ar c e l

Se r v . , I nc . , 639 F . 3d 942, 948 (9th C i r. 20 11 ); V

in o le , 571 F . 3d a t946- 47. E vi de nc e of c orpor a t e pol i c i e s a nd tr a i ni ng pr ogr a m s a r e r e l e va ntt o thi s de t e rm i na t i on, buta r e notdi s pos i t i ve , f orthe ob vi ou s r ea son thattra i ni ng and p ol i ci es m ayno tre fl ec tw hatthe cl as s m em bers a c tu a lly d o . M

a r lo , 639 F . 3d a t948 ; W e l l s Far go , 5 7 1 F .3 d a t 9 5 8 - 5 9 ; V in o le, 571W a ge O r de r4- 2001 i nc orpor a t e s the f e de r a l r e gul a t i ons e f

f e c t i ve a s of

the 1 i s s ua nc e of

the W a ge O r de ri n 2001. W a ge O r de r4- 2001 § 1( A ) ( 2) ( f ) . T he di s tr i c tc ourtm i s t a ke nl y quot e d f r om the 2004 f

e de r a l r e gul a t i ons i ns t e a d of the ap p lic ab le 2 0 0 1 v e r s io n . T h e tw o v e r s io n s a r e s im ila rb u t n o t id e n tic a l. C o m p a re 2 9 C .F .R . § 5 4 1 .2 0 2 ( c ) ( 2 0 0 4 ) to 2 9 C .F .R . § 5 4 1 .2 0 7 ( a ) ,( e ) ( 1 ) - ( 2 ) ( 2 0 0 1 ) . 3 F . 3d a t946- 47. I n thi s c a s e , the di s tr i c tc ourtpr ope r l y c ons i de r e d both e vi de nc e of u n if o rm p o lic ie s a n d e v id e n c e o f d iv e r s e w o rka c tiv itie s . T h e w o rka c tiv ity e v id e n c e w a s im p o rta n t b e c au s e it s h o w e d v ar ia tio n s in r e c ru ite r s ’ c a n d id a te s our c i ng t e c hni que s , i nt e rvi e w s ty l e s , author i ty t o r e c om m e nd c a ndi da t e s , a nd r e l a t i ons hi p w i th s upe rvi s or s , a l l of w hi c h w e r e r e l e vantt o the A dm i ni s tr a t i ve E xe m pt i on f

a c t or s i n C a l i f

orni aI ndus tr i a l W a ge C om m i s s i on' s W a ge O r de rN o. 4- 2001, § 1( A ) ( 2) , c odi f i e d a tC a l i f

orni aC ode of

R e gul a t i ons , t i t l e 8, s e c t i on 1 1 0 4 0 . A c c o r d in g ly , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt’s d e c is io n to a f f o r d m o r e w e ig h t to th is e v id e n c e th a n to th e u n if o rm p o lic y e v id e n c e w a s n o t ac le a re rr o ro f ju d g m e n t. P l a i nt i f f s f aul tthe di s tr i c tc ourtf

orf a i l i ng t o appl y c e rt a i n f

e de r a l F a i rL abor S t a nda r ds A c tr e gul a t i ons i nc orpor a t e d by r e f e r e nc e i nt o W a ge O r de r4- 2001, § 1 ( A ) ( 2 ) ( f

) . T h e s e r e g u la tio n s e s tab lis h th a t r o u tin e s c r e e n in g o f jo b ap p lic a n ts 1 a c c or di ng t o pr e de t e rm i ne d c r i t e r i adoe s notr e qui r e “ di s c r e t i on a nd i nde pe nde nt j u d g me n t , ” b u tth a tth e s e l e c t i o n o f q u a l i f i e d c a n d i d a t e s d o e s . 2 9 C. F. R. § 5 41 . 20 7(c) (5) ( 20 01 ). S i nce the di stri ctcourtfoun d thatsom e A er ot ek re crui t er s ha d m or e author i ty t o s e l e c ta nd r e c om m e nd c a ndi da t e s tha n othe r s , the r e gul a t i ons4

do nothi ng t o a i d P l a i nt i f f s ’ c a s e . T o the c ontr a ry , the r e gul a t i ons s upportthe di stri ctcourt ’ s c on cl usi on thatP l ai nt i ff s’ l ac k o f di sc re t i on cl ai m i s notw el l -s ui t ed t o c l a s s w i de a dj udi c a t i on. P la in tif f s a ls o ar g u e th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u rt’s o r d e rf a ile d to e x p lic itly consi der w hether the vari at i on s i n rec rui t erdi sc re t i on the di stri ctcourti dent i fi ed concerned “ m att er s of s i gn i fi cance. ” See 2 9 C . F . R . 5 4 1 . 2 0 7 (a) (2 0 0 1 ). P l ai n t i ffs, how e ve r , gi ve no r e a s on t o doubttha tthe y di d. T he vari at i on s the di stri ctcourt f ound i n r e c rui t e r s ’ s our c i ng t e c hni que s , i nt e rvi e w s ty l e s , a nd r e c om m e nda t i on of c a n d id a te s , a t th e v e ry le a s t, w e r e m a tte r s o f s ig n if ic a n c e to A e r o te k ’s b u s in e s s . S im ila r ly , P la in tif

f s o b s e rv e th a t th e irc la im s r e q u ir e d a n in q u iry in to w hether r ec rui t er s “ exec ut e und eron l y gener al supervi si on ” e i ther “ spec i al a s s i gnm e nt s a nd t a s ks ” or“ w ork a l ong s pe c i a l i z e d ort e c hni c a l l i ne s . ” W a ge O r de r4- 2001 § 1( A ) ( 2) ( d) - ( e ) . T he di s tr i c tc ourta na l y z e d the que s t i ons a r i s i ng f r om the “ ge ne r a l s upe rvi s i on” c om pone nta nd c onc l ude d tha tthe y w e r e not pr e dom i na t e l y c om m on, buti tdi dn’ ta na l y z e the na tur e of the que s t i ons r a i s e d by the “ s pe c i a l ” or“ s pe c i a l i z e d” w ork c om pone nt . E ve n a s s um i ng f orthe s a ke of a r gum e nttha tthe “ s pe c i a l ” or“ s pe c i a l i z e d” w ork r e qui r e m e ntr a i s e d c om m on que s t i ons , how e ve r , w e a r e notpe r s ua de d tha tthos e c om m on que s t i ons predom i nat ed ov erthe i nd i vi du al qu es t i on s ari si ng fr om vari at i on s i n the w ayA dd i t i on al l y, P l ai nt i ff s c ou l d n othave prevai l ed m er el y by s ho w i ng that 2 they di dn ’ tdo spec i al i ze d o r s peci al w ork. A er ot ek w as ent i t l ed t o cl as si fythem as ex em p t o n th e a lt ern ate g ro u n d s th at th ey “reg u larly a n d d irec tl y a ss ist[ed ] a pr opr i e t or , ora n e m pl oy e e e m pl oy e d i n abonaf i de e xe c ut i ve ora dm i ni s tr a t i ve c apa c i ty . ” W a ge O r de r#4- 2001 § 1( A ) ( 2) ( c ) - ( e ) ( s e tt i ng outthr e e a l t e rna t i ve c ondi t i ons w hi c h, i n c ontr a s tt o c ondi t i ons ( a ) , ( b) , ( f ) , a nd ( g) , ar e s t a t e d i n the d isju n ctiv e) . A cc o rd in g ly, th e c lass ca n ’th av e b ee n h ar m ed b y th e d istrict co u rt’s d eci si o n n o tt o cert i fy a cl ass t o ex p l o re P l ai n t i ffs sp eci al i zed / sp eci al th eo ry. 5 A e r ot e k s upe rvi s e d i t s r e c rui t e r s , l e ta l one tha tthe y pr e dom i na t e d ove rthe i ndi vi dua l que s t i ons r a i s e d by P l a i nt i f f s ’ c l a i m s a s aw hol e . A c c or di ngl y , the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s om i s s i on of as pe c i a l / s pe c i a l i z e d a na l y s i s f r om i t s or de rdi d not

“ om i t [] consi dera t i on of a f ac t or ent i t l ed t o sub st ant i al w ei gh t . ” V in o le , 571 F . 3d a t939. 2 F i nal l y, P l ai nt i ff

s argue thatthe di stri ctcourtshou l d h ave c ert i fi ed a l i m i t ed cl as s a ct i on t o adj ud i ca t e P l ai nt i ff s’ cl ai m thatcl as s m em bers do no tperf orm

“ offi ce or no n-m anual w ork d i re ct l y r el at ed t o m anagem entpo l i ci es or general bu si ness op er at i on s. ” See W a g e O r d e r4 - 2 0 0 1 § 1 ( A ) ( 2 ) ( a ) ( I ) ; Fe d . R. o f Ci v . P. 2 3 (c)(4 ) (“ W h en ap p ro p ri at e, an act i o n m ay b e b ro u g h to r m ai n t ai n ed as a cl ass a c tio n w ith r e s p e c t to p a rtic u la ris s u e s .” ) . T h e d is tr ic t c o u rt d id f in d th a t th is th e o ry r a is e d p r e d o m in a te ly c o m m o n q u e s tio n s , b u t th e n a tu r e o f th a t c o m m o n a lity w as no ti n P l ai nt i ff

s’ fa vo r. R ather, i tfoun d thatal l cl as s m em bers w er e e ng aged in “m e e tin g th e n e e d s o f A e r o te k ’s c u s to m e rc o m p a n ie s ,” ar o le th a t is “d ir e c tly6

r e la te d to . . . [ A e r o te k ’s ] g e n e r a l b u s in e s s o p e r a tio n s ,” a n d th e r e f o r e e x e m p t. W a ge O r de r4- 2001 § 1( A ) ( 2) ( a ) ( I ) . T he di s tr i c tc ourtdi d notabus e i t s di s c r e t i on by concl ud i ng thatP l ai nt i ff s’ l osi ng theory w as no tan “ approp ri at e” basi s f or a R ul e 23( c ) ( 4) c l a s s a c t i on, a nd P l a i nt i f f s i n a ny c a s e c a n’ tha ve be e n pr e j udi c e d by th e i n ab i l i ty t o p u rsu e th atth eo ry. A FFI R M ED .