According to new data provided by Androvett Legal Media, 422 lawsuits tied to the Fair Labor Standards Act have been filed across Texas federal courts during the first half of 2020—up 16% compared to the same time period last year and up 19% from the second half of 2019. In this article, Jamila Brinson discusses the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis that arbitration provisions can be included in employment contracts with respect to collective action claims.

“Instead of suing the actual employer (the staffing firm), [contractors] are now suing the oil and gas company they were providing services to,” Jamila said. “They’re doing that to get around the arbitration agreement and collective action waivers that the employees agreed to with the staffing firms.”

To read more, view The Texas Lawbook article “Wage and Hour Litigation Back on the Rise in Midst of COVID-19” (subscription required).

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What’s Behind the Uptick in FLSA Employment Litigation in Texas? »
Jackson Walker Fast Takes | While Texas is considered pro-employer, the state has seen a significant increase in Fair Labor Standards Act employment litigation so far in 2020. Labor & Employment partner Jamila Brinson joins to explain the rise in litigation cases – particularly in the Southern District of Texas. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has played a significant role in the rise, but employees are finding creative approaches to bringing their lawsuits, which employers should understand in order to reduce their overall risk to these suits.

Meet Jamila

Jamila M. Brinson is a labor and employment and litigation attorney who partners with clients to proactively shape their workplaces and resolve issues when they arise. Whether handling labor and employment disputes, commercial disputes, or media, trademark, and copyright litigation, Jamila listens to her clients and creates legal strategies to obtain the best possible result.