Supreme Court orders drug industry to pay overtime
Court Alerts
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to insulate the drug industry from having to pay overtime to thousands of sales representatives, turning away appeals from units of Novartis AG and Merck & Co.
The companies sought to overturn a federal appeals court’s conclusion that their salespeople are covered by a federal wage- and-hour law. The decision against the Novartis unit leaves the company with claims of as much as $100 million on behalf of 2,500 past and current employees.
Drugmakers are facing a wave of suits by sales representatives for overtime pay. More than a dozen suits have been filed, including cases against Johnson & Johnson, Bristol- Myers Squibb Co. and a GlaxoSmithKline Plc unit. Drug companies have long treated sales representatives as exempt from the overtime requirements, according to court papers filed by an industry trade group.
The lower court ruling “threatens untold costs in unforeseen liability,” the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America argued in the Novartis case.
The rulings by the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came in two separate
Related listings
-
Justices: Court no place to fight SSAC rulings
Court Alerts 02/25/2011The state Supreme Court ruled Thursday that West Virginia courts aren't the place to challenge most decisions the Secondary School Activities Commission makes about high school sports, from calls on the field to the application of rules.The SSAC's po...
-
Woman charged in NY infant snatching due in court
Court Alerts 02/24/2011A North Carolina woman indicted on a charge that she kidnapped a newborn from a Harlem hospital more than two decades ago is due for another court appearance in New York.Ann Pettway is scheduled to enter a plea to a kidnapping charge during an arraig...
-
Ohio defendant called about drug money from jail
Court Alerts 02/24/2011A newly released document in a $3 million pot shipping scheme says a California woman placed several calls to check on proceeds from the scheme even after she was jailed. The updated criminal complaint by a Drug Enforcement Administration agent relea...
New York Commercial Litigation Law Firm - Woods Lonergan PLLC
Founded in 1993 by Managing Partner James F. Woods, Woods Lonergan PLLC has built a strong reputation as a resourceful and industrious firm that provides clients with clear, concise, and straightforward answers to their most challenging legal issues. Partner Lawrence R. Lonergan, who joined the firm in 2008, has been a friend and colleague to Mr. Woods for over 40 years and shares the same business philosophy. Woods Lonergan PLLC’s collective experience and expertise enables the firm to expeditiously and effectively analyze the increasing challenges clients face in an evolving business and legal world, in many instances, avoiding unnecessary time and expense to our clients. Our mission is simple: provide cutting-edge expertise and sound advice in select areas of the law for corporate and business clients. We thrive on providing each client with personalized attention, forceful representation, and a collaborative team effort that embraces collective knowledge.