Magistrate Judge Francis

On Tuesday, Magistrate Judge Francis issued a Report and Recommendation to Judge Torres in which he recommended  denying class certification in a gender bias case against Goldman Sachs.  The plaintiffs allege that Goldman’s practices of “360 Reviews” (employee reviews by peers, subordinates and superiors) and “quartiling” (requiring managers to rank their employees by placing them in groups, or “quartiles,” from best to worst performers) discriminate against women. Judge Francis found that individualized causation and damages issues were too predominate for classwide treatment:
Continue Reading Judge Francis Recommends Denying Class Certification in Goldman Gender Bias Case

In an opinion yesterday resolving a motion alleging that JP Morgan’s corporate representatives were not sufficiently prepared for depositions, Judge Francis observed that the common practice of objecting to the scope of a Rule 30(b)(6) notice is improper, and that the proper course is to move for a protective order:
Continue Reading Judge Francis: Parties Must Move for a Protective Order, Not Merely Object, to Overly Broad 30(b)(6) Notice