#### In Re C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE, INC., OVERTIME PAY LITIGATION.

No. MDL 1849.

United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

July 12, 2007.

*1348Before WM. TERRELL HODGES, Chairman, D. LOWELL JENSEN, J. FREDERICK MOTZ, ROBERT L. MILLER, Jr.,* KATHRYN H. VRATIL, DAVID R. HANSEN and ANTHONY J. SCIRICA, Judges of the Panel.

Judge Miller took no part in the decision of this matter.

*TRANSFER ORDER*

WM TERRELL HODGES, Chairman.

Before the Panel is a motion brought, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, by plaintiffs in the 100 actions listed on Schedule A and two additional actions for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings of these actions in the Northern District of Illinois or, in the alternative, the District of Minnesota.1 Lone defendant C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (CHRW) opposes the motion. After their initial submissions to the Panel, all parties filed a joint pleading with the Panel requesting transfer for the limited purpose of obtaining settlement approval in the Northern District of Illinois or, alternatively, the District of Minnesota.

On the basis of the papers filed and hearing session held (without oral argument), the Panel finds that these actions involve one or more common questions of fact, and centralization under Section 1407 in the District of Minnesota will serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses and promote the just and efficient conduct of this litigation. The actions involve similar allegations that certain employees of CHRW are entitled to compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. § 201, *et seq.*Centralization under Section 1407 is necessary in order to conserve the resources of the parties, their counsel and the judiciary, particularly with respect to settlement approval. We decline to circumscribe the breadth of the pretrial proceedings as requested by the parties, instead leaving such matters to the discretion of the transferee judge. Whenever the transferee judge deems remand of any claims or actions appropriate, procedures are available whereby this may be accomplished with a minimum of delay. *See*Rule 7.6, R.P.J.P.M.L., 199 F.R.D. at 436-38.

We are persuaded that the District of Minnesota is an appropriate transferee forum for this docket. This is the district in which approximately one-fourth of the actions are now pending. Also, the transferee judge to whom we are assigning this litigation has developed a familiarity with the issues, parties, and counsel involved in these actions through presiding over two related actions for the past five years.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407, the actions *1349listed on Schedule A and pending outside the District of Minnesota are transferred to the District of Minnesota and, with the consent of that court, assigned to the Honorable Joan N. Ericksen for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings with the actions pending in that district and listed on Schedule A.

SCHEDULE A

*MDL-1849*— In *re C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., Overtime Pay Litigation*

*Northern District of Alabama*

*Donna Eddy, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:06-4926

*Jacqueline Burt, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-630

*Brenda Mitchell, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-730

*Eastern District of Arkansas*

*Tammy L. Gately, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 4:07-290

*Central District of California*

*Mimi Vuong v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-1428

*Nancy Austin, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 8:07-301

*Kent Alles, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 8:07-571

*Eastern District of California*

*Gladys Garcia, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:07-157

*Scott D. Hyder, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:07-665

*Northern District of California*

*Kimberly Elam, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 4:07-475

*Southern District of California*

*Bryce A. Amburn, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 3:07-650

*District of Colorado*

*Mari A. Danielson, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:07-602

*Middle District of Florida*

*Natesha M. Hyde v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 3:07-208

*Tracy L. Buglione, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 3:07-228

*Southern District of Florida*

*Celeste A. Hernandez, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-60504

*Maria Teresa Diaz, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:07-21033

*Northern District of Georgia*

*Terri Kuvach, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:07-328

*Lynn A. Amorose, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:07-951

*Central District of Illinois*

*Heidi Michelle Poepsel v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:07-1101

*Northern District of Illinois*

*Evelyn Sparks, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6461

*Angela L. Jacobson v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6465

*Anne K. Ciaglia, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6507

*1350
      *Joann M. McGill, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6510

*Craig Bowen, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6516

*Lynette DiNova, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6545

*Joanna Elke, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6552

*Roy Rogenic, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6553

*Michael Blackburn v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6563

*Sharon K. Dodson-McDonald, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6564

*Brendan M. Clarke, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6581

*Amber Vandersommen, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6582

*Leslie Nemelka, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6623

*Ariel B. Crotty, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-6630

*Southern District of Indiana*

*Catherine A. Wilcox v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 3:06-197

*Southern District of Iowa*

*Arlene J. Murray, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 4:07-141

*District of Kansas*

*Kimberly K. Bethel, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-2129

*Lisa M. Quigley, et al v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 6:07-1063

*Eastern District of Louisiana*

*Morgan J. Wood, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-1269

*Western District of Louisiana*

*Richard Cahn, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 5:07-776

*District of Massachusetts*

*Cheryl D. Braithwaite, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:06-12278

*Eastern District of Michigan*

*Carla M. Strugala v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 5:07-10767

*Jennifer L. Alfano, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 5:07-11604

*Western District of Michigan*

*Susan J. McGowan, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:07-361

*District of Minnesota*

*Jamie L. Benner, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4640

*Justin Accola, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4643

*Jeffrey Cichosz, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4644

*William F. Holmberg, Jr. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4645

*Elizabeth Marianne Buck, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4646

*Penny M. Cantazaro, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4647

*1351
      *Kathy Cota, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4648

*Jill K. East, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4649

*Kathleen L. Hambleton, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4650

*Elizabeth Hopp v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4651

*Joann F. Larson v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4652

*Kelley S. Lyons, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4653

*Kimberly M. Martineau, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4654

*Sandra Steinmetz, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4655

*John Gino Giovannoni v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:06-4960

*Sally J. Dowden, et al, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-89

*Amelia M. Alfaro, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-90

*Jennifer L. Alfano, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-251

*Claudia Alicia Martinez, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-542

*Jennifer N. Mcinnis v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-544

*Beth Shaw, et al v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-595

*Shannon Davis v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-1119

*Esther Nevarez, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-1563

*Nora Hageman, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-1870

*Patricia A. Parrish, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-1912

*Shannon D. Anderson, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-2749

*Christopher L. Sims, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 0:07-2878

*Eastern District ofMissou/ri*

*Heather Lee Markle, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 4:07-428

*Western District of Missouri*

*Leslie D. Birdwell, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 6:07-3193

*District of Montana*

*Jason S. Galloway v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 9:07-45

*District of Nebraska*

*Sharon Haack v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 8:07-130

*District of New Jersey*

*Christine M. Doto, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-1382

*District of New Mexico*

*Dirk Keisesr, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:07-392

*District of Nevada*

*Debra J. Wentworth v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 3:07-145

*1352
      *Northern District of New York*

*Laura J. Jeneault, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 5:07-656

*Western District of New York*

*Timothy W. Baierlein, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 1:07-182

*Western District of North Carolina*

*LaToya R. McCants, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 3:07-252

*Northern District of Ohio*

*Julie Gallagher, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 5:07-846

*Western District of Oklahoma*

*Timothy J. Bumgarner, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 5:07-278

*District of Oregon*

*Allison M. Cassie, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 3:07-333

*Eastern District of Pennsylvania*

*Richelle Maki, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-1238

*Jennifer L. Walker, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-1355

*Western District of Pennsylvania*

*Wallace Kip Guenther, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-495

*District of South Carolina*

*Rodney Brewer, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 3:06-3595

*Erika DeRoberts, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 6:07-958

*District of South Dakota*

*Angela K. Smoot v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 4:07-4038

*Eastern District of Tennessee*

*Carolyn Baker Hall, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 3:07-46

*Middle District of Tennessee*

*Kari S. Johnson, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 3:07-454

*Western District of Tennessee*

*Rhea L. Nadler, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-2228

*Eastern District of Texas*

*Aaron Smith, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 4:07-1

*Northern District of Texas*

*Stephanie Smith, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 3:07-409

*Western District of Texas*

*Adelita Dickson, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 5:07-186

*District of Utah*

*Jason K. Bergquist, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-262

*Eastern District of Virginia*

*The a Winterbottom, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 3:07-390

*1353
      *Eastern District of Washington*

*Kim M. Flowers, et al v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-104

*Western District of Washington*

*Wendy L. Ferger, et al. v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-705

*Eastern District of Wisconsin*

*Kelly K. Hoell v. C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.,*C.A. No. 2:07-267

. Plaintiffs initially included 102 actions in their motion, but later amended the schedule to exclude the 28 Northern District of Illinois actions that were closed and pending transfer under 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a) at that time. Two of these actions remain in that status. Because all parties are represented by common counsel and have filed pleadings stating their positions before the Panel, 100 actions are encompassed by this order. The remaining two actions will be treated as potential tag-along actions. *See*Rules 7.4 and 7.5, R.P.J.P.M.L., 199 F.R.D. 425, 435-36 (2001).