The forum-selection clause, by contrast, states more broadly that "any claim or dispute arising from or in connection with this agreement, whether under federal, state, local, or foreign law . As discussed above, JCT purposefully injected itself into California through its decision to conduct shipping in the forum. Id. The mediation contact form must be completed and returned to the Mediation Office within four days of the date of this notice. Your decision as to whether or not to participate in this Settlement will in no way affect your work or relationship with Defendant or future work or relationship with Defendant. Huddleston v. John Christner Trucking, LLC (4:17-cv-00549) CERT. Los Angeles, LLC, 59 Cal. Hirschbach completes its purchase of John Christner Trucking 2011). 2011). Federal judges approved separate class certifications for divers in Oklahoma and California. [21-5023, 21-5025] [Entered: 04/30/2021 02:26 PM], Docket[10825414] Cross-appeal schedule set. We are all in this together. Manner of Service: email. Jane Gantz - Carrier Settlement - John Christner Trucking | LinkedIn Management. 897 F.2d 377, 385 (9th Cir. Opp. Scam Internet. 1979). The Court begins its analysis with JCT's challenge to personal jurisdiction. Hirschbach to Acquire John Christner Trucking | Transport Topics Served on 04/27/2021. ECF No. According to the complaint, Huddleston worked as an "owner-operator" for JCT until August 2016. JCT Customers | John Christner Trucking Marine, 134 S. Ct. at 584. Farm Credit W., PCA v. Lanting, No. [21-5025] [Entered: 03/12/2021 05:19 PM], [10814925] Entry of appearance submitted by Rachel Lawrence Mor, Michael J. Blaschke, Carolyn Hunt Cottrell, David C. Leimbach, Michelle S. Lim and Robert S. Boulter for Appellant Thomas Huddleston for court review. Fill out the form below to receive a free and confidential initial consultation. Education among Chamber's priorities | | tulsaworld.com [Please open the Notice for important information.] In the event any portion of the Individual Settlement Amounts paid to Plaintiff and Class Participants is ultimately construed by the IRS or any other taxing authority to be taxable income from which taxes should have been withheld, Plaintiff and Class Participants shall pay any and all such taxes, interest, and penalties on the amount they receive. As it is his burden to show the public interest factors weigh in his favor, he has failed to meet his burden as to this public interest factor. The deal will form one of the biggest temperature-controlled fleets in the nation at more than 3,000 trucks (800 at JCT), 5,000 trailers and total revenue exceeding $1 billion. Id. John Christner Trucking Class Action Certified | Robert S. Boulter $246.4 M. Employees. LaCross v. Knight Transportation, Inc., 95 F. Supp. Huddleston "alleges that JCT contracts with California residents and instructs them (and others) to make pick-ups and drop-offs in California. [21-5025] [Entered: 04/27/2021 08:32 AM], [10823665] Minute order filed - Notice due that record is complete by 04/27/2021 for Mark C. McCartt, Clerk of Court (oclk). For the foregoing reasons, the Court GRANTS IN PART Defendant's Motion To Dismiss Or, In The Alternative, To Transfer Venue, and ORDERS this case TRANSFERRED to the Northern District of Oklahoma for all further proceedings. Preliminary record filed. 10-1. Defendant also contends that Plaintiffs claims do not meet the requirements for class or collective certification. . 10-1, Huddleston Decl. CE [Entered: 03/24/2021 02:48 PM], [10815145] Admissions letter sent. 801, et seq. 1988). Forum-selection clauses are also scrutinized for "fundamental fairness," and may be deemed unfair if inclusion of the clause was motivated by bad faith, or if the party had no notice of the forum provision. John Christner was great at first and then milege saving came to be the normal no matter the load and route drivers lose 100+ miles per load sometimes as high as 200. gimme fonts John Christner Trucking Reviews - Glassdoor The Court held that an arbitration agreement to which the EEOC was not a party could not limit the remedies otherwise granted to the EEOC by statute, which not only had the authority to pursue independent actions in court for Title VII violations but, in the context of the suit, also had "exclusive authority over the choice of forum and the prayer for relief once a charge has been filed." He also asserts that the power differential between himself and JCT, the inability to negotiate the contract, and his lack of advanced formal education all work to render the provision a product of overreaching. 4:17-cv-00549-GKF-CDL). It is thus not Huddleston's personal choice to live in California which drives the jurisdictional analysis, but JCT's choice to dispatch deliveries to and from California which does." Huddleston alleges in the Complaint that he "would regularly engage in JCT's business in various locations within this judicial district, including but not limited to Fresno, Stockton, Tulare, Newman, Turlock, Modesto, Merced, Madera, and Livingston." As such, the argument regarding fraud and overreaching fails. Joint Stipulation of Settlement Agreement and Release of Class and Collective Action, This website is designed and maintained by the Settlement Administrator for thelawsuit known as, Huddleston v. John Christner Trucking, LLC, Joint Stipulation of Settlement and Release of Class and Collective Action, All papers filed by Class Counsel to obtain preliminary and final approval of the Settlement Agreement. 1 : UPS Inc. Holliday, 2010 WL 3910143, at *3-*4. And the best part of all, documents in their CrowdSourced Library are FREE! [Please open the Notice for important information.] C 12-03959 WHA, 2012 WL 6087399, at *4 (N.D. Cal. Although it is not mandatory, courts considering a challenge to both personal jurisdiction and venue generally decide the issue of personal jurisdiction first. If you mail a written objection, you may also, if you wish, appear at the Final Approval Hearing to discuss your objection with the Court and the parties. Huddleston has not met his burden of demonstrating that this is an "exceptional case" in which the Court should set aside a valid forum-selection clause. The court denied motions for certification to a California resident class and the portion of the Oklahoma class related to the Oklahoma Business Opportunity Sales Act claims. Also, every "owner-operator" completes an orientation at those headquarters. at 24. No. Rhode Island is appealing a court ruling that ended the states truck-only tolls. Fourth, the interest of the forum state is great, because California has a strong interest "in protecting its citizens from the wrongful acts of nonresident defendants." In contract cases, the Ninth Circuit inquires whether a defendant "purposefully avails itself of the privilege of conducting activities" or "consummate[s] [a] transaction" in the forum, focusing on activities such as delivering goods or executing a contract. To be heard at the Final Approval Hearing you must also not opt out of the Settlement. By continuing to use this website, you agree to UniCourts General Disclaimer, Terms of Service, July 12, 2013). Where, however, the clause uses broader language, such as "relating to" and "in connection with," courts read the clause more broadly. ECF No. Jct Lease Purchase - Page 1 | TruckingTruth Forum Docketing statement, transcript order form and notice of appearance due on 03/25/2021 for Thomas Huddleston; notice of appearance due on 03-25-2021 for John Christner Trucking, LLC. John Christner Trucking, LLC, No. C. 28 U.S.C. R. Civ. The state of California may have an interest in the outcome of this dispute, but that interest is not so overwhelming or unusual that this should be an exception to the general rule that a valid forum-selection clause should be honored. PAGA cases "function[] as a substitute for an action brought by the government itself." 2002). Relators John Christner Trucking, LLC and Stephen Sprague have filed an unopposed motion to dismiss this original proceeding. [21-5023, 21-5025] [Entered: 04/30/2021 02:26 PM], [10825414] Cross-appeal schedule set. The general rule is that each plaintiff in a class action must individually satisfy venue, so the venue determination is "based on the plaintiffs in the class actionnot absent class members." C 08-05463 JSW, 2009 WL 330934, at *3-4 (N.D. Cal. The combined revenue of both companies will exceed $1 billion and will propel Hirschbach to be one of the nation's largest refrigerated carriers. . If you were a lease driver for JCT and/or have questions about the lawsuit, please contact Robert S. Boulter. 2006). Click UPDATE at the bottom of the calculator. at 319. The purposeful direction test requires satisfaction of all three prongs of the Supreme Court's effects test from Calder v. Jones, 465 U.S. 783, 789-90 (1984). See Murphy v. Schneider Nat'l, Inc., 362 F.3d 1133, 1137 (9th Cir. [21-5025] [Entered: 04/14/2021 04:21 PM], [10817932] Minute order filed - Transcript order form due 04/08/2021 for Brian Neil, Court Reporter. John Christner Trucking, LLC Company Profile - Datanyze See Narayan v. EGL, Inc., 616 F.3d 895, 899 (9th Cir. 2007). This factor does not weigh in favor of a finding of unreasonableness. "We are proud to partner with WorkAdvance and provide Tulsans with employment opportunities," said Angie Buchanan, vice president of Melton Truck Lines. at *3-*4 and thus had broader reach than the choice-of-law provision in the ICOA here. Nov. 4, 2010); Ronlake v. US-Reports, Inc., No. So basically they give you older trucks with almost 500k miles. 1995). john christner trucking Inc. John Christner Trucking. Huddleston claims JCT misclassified its "owner-operators" as independent contractors, rather than employees, and thus violated a variety of state and federal labor laws, including those governing payment of wages, minimum wage, meal and rest breaks, and wage reporting. The postmark date of mailing to Class Counsel and Defendants counsel shall be the exclusive means for determining that an objection is timely mailed to counsel. Marine, 134 S. Ct. at 583. In Shute v. Carnival Cruise Lines, the Ninth Circuit reasoned that "[t]he 'but for' test is consistent with the basic function of the 'arising out of requirementit preserves the essential distinction between general and specific jurisdiction. Oklahoma Class All current and former individuals who provide(d) transportation services for Defendant within the United States, who (1) entered into an Independent Contractor Operating Agreement with Defendant, and (2) entered into a Lease Agreement with Defendant or Three Diamond Leasing, LLC, from April 12, 2014 to June 21, 2022. If you are a Class Member, you may be entitled to receive money from a Settlement in this case, as described below. ("[S]tatutes enacted to confer special benefits on workers are designed to defeat rather than implement contractual arrangements." The touchstone for asserting specific jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant is "the relationship among the defendant, the forum, and the litigation." OF INTERESTED PARTIES: n. Served on 03/12/2021. You may have received a Notice of Settlement (Notice) because you (1) previously completed a valid Opt-In Consent Form to join this case; or (2) the records of John Christner Trucking, LLC (Defendant) show you qualify as a member of the California Class and/or the Oklahoma Class as defined in Section 3. Id. [21-5025] [Entered: 04/27/2021 08:32 AM], Docket[10823665] Minute order filed - Notice due that record is complete by 04/27/2021 for Mark C. McCartt, Clerk of Court (oclk). Wreaths Across America With combined revenues expected to exceed $1 billion annually, the reefer conglomerate will operate more than 3,000 trucks and . JCT responds that only three of the twenty-five loads that Huddleston performed had pick-ups or deliveries that took place within this district and that in any case, the classification decisions giving rise to this suit took place at JCT's corporate headquarters in Oklahoma and not in California at all. 10 ("Opp. If you object to the Settlement, you cannot opt out of the Settlement, and you will be bound by the terms of Settlement in the event the Court denies your objection. Education funding and standards, certain business incentives, health care and transportation will be the lobbying priorities for the Tulsa Regional Chamber's OneVoice state legislative agenda this . It is unlawful for Defendant to take any adverse action against you as a result of your participation in this Settlement. First name. Mousavi v. John Christner Trucking, LLC - Casetext M/S Bremen, 407 U.S. at 1. Huddleston v. John Christner Trucking, LLC, No. 4:2017cv00549 The second, known as "specific jurisdiction," exists where the litigation is derived from obligations that "arise out of or are connected with the [company's] activities within the state." 1995). at 581. [a] forum [selection] clause should control absent a strong showing that it should be set aside." JCT argues that the centerpiece of Huddleston's complaint is the Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA"), which set nationwide standards, and because Huddleston performed long-haul truck-driving services throughout the country, the FLSA claims "could have arisen whether he was a resident of California, Connecticut, Colorado, or any other state in the country." 12. "[U]ncontroverted allegations must be taken as true, and conflicts between parties over statements contained in affidavits must be resolved in the plaintiff's favor." Huddleston does not allege that he was prevented from reading the IOCA, misled about the effect of the forum-selection clause, or that the clause was fraudulently inserted without his knowledge. Hirschbach Motor Lines recently agreed to acquire John Christner Trucking (JCT), a refrigerated carrier based in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. [21-5025] [Entered: 04/20/2021 09:24 AM], Docket[10823553] Attorney Ms. Carolyn H. Cottrell for Thomas Huddleston admitted to the bar of this court. Mot. Though JCT's corporate documents and witnesses likely will be located in Oklahoma, Huddleston and other members of the California class likely will be located in California. This is an estimate of what your fixed expenses and variable expenses may be. (10/24/19 Mot hrng & 12/09/20 Sched conf.). b. The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on October 31, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. before the Honorable Gregory K. Frizzell at U.S District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma. In other words, while the "in connection with" language is broad enough to encompass Huddleston's misclassification claims and bring them under the umbrella of the forum-selection clause, the ICOA provides that Oklahoma law applies only to interpretation of the ICOA itself. Show more Link John Christner Trucking website Learn more Jobs We were not able to detect your location. 4:17-cv-00549-GKF-CDL) and is currently scheduled for trial in 2021. 1101 Fifth Avenue, Suite 310 San Rafael, CA 94901, 2022 Robert S. Boulter All Rights Reserved. This Settlement is the result of good faith, arms length negotiations between Plaintiff and Defendant, through their respective attorneys. Atlantic Marine Const. Originally filed in 2017, the lawsuit claims that plaintiff Thomas Huddleston and other truckers were employees and should have been paid as such. In sum, the Court finds that the public-interest factors do not "overwhelmingly disfavor" enforcing the forum-selection clause. at 7. . . Inc. v. La Ligue Contre Le Racisme Et L'Antisemitisme, 433 F.3d 1199 (9th Cir. 1391 (d). Yahoo, 433 F.3d at 1206; Schwarzenegger, 374 F.3d at 802. Both sides agree that in light of the risks and expenses associated with continued litigation, this Settlement is fair and appropriate under the circumstances, and in the best interests of the Class Members. Docketing statement, transcript order form and notice of appearance due on 03/25/2021 for Thomas Huddleston; notice of appearance due on 03-25-2021 for John Christner Trucking, LLC. Huddleston argues that just as the EEOC was not bound by an agreement to which it was not a party, the PAGA claims here belong to the state of California and therefore fall outside the ambit of the forum-selection clause. Mahoney v. Depuy Orthopaedics, Inc., No. Huddleston argues that his claims brought pursuant to the Private Attorney General Act ("PAGA") are of such a strong local nature that they should be litigated in California. 2015). 17-cv-02081-RS ("Huddleston I"), slip op. This rating has decreased by -4% over the last 12 months. Thread Status: Not open for further replies. 9. The general venue statute does not authorize venue in a single district in which the most substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred. In EEOC v. Waffle House, Inc., 534 U.S. 279 (2002), the Supreme Court held that a governmental agency was not bound by an employee's arbitration agreement such that it was barred from pursuing judicial relief in an enforcement action. In the context of a motion under Rule 12(b)(3), a court need not accept as true all allegations in the complaint, but may consider facts outside the pleadings. See id. Indeed, "but for JCT's transportation operation in California, Huddleston would not have any potential claim under California law." Opp. Seventh, Oklahoma is available as an alternative forum. Report this profile . at 6-7 (N.D. Cal. However, "[w]hether another reasonable forum exists becomes an issue only when the forum state is shown to be unreasonable." 752, et seq. The Court cannot find on this record that honoring the forum-selection clause would mean that Huddleston "will for all practical purposes be deprived of his day in court." Temperature-controlled carrier Hirschbach acquires John Christner Trucking CERT. (internal quotation marks omitted)). Because the state of California is the real party in interest in this "quasi-administrative enforcement action," Huddleston argues, the state has a strong interest in having the case litigated at home. If you would like additional information or have any non-legal questions, please contact the Huddleston v. JCT Settlement Administrator: Huddleston v. JCT SettlementAdministratorP.O Box 10269Tallahassee, FL 32302-2269 claims@ssiclaims.com(855) 458-3918, This website is designed and maintained by the Settlement Administrator for thelawsuit known as Huddleston v. John Christner Trucking, LLC. CERT. 1:13-CV-00712-AWI, 2013 WL 3730391, at *2 (E.D. According to court documents, John Christner Trucking is a for-hire motor carrier that provides trucking services nationwide and relies, in part, on drivers who operate trucks leased from its company, Three Diamond Leasing. See also Narayan, 616 F.3d at 899; Quinonez v. Empire Today, LLC, No. Web: www.johnchristner.com. John Christner Trucking was facing a driver misclassification lawsuit that was granted class action status in Feburary 2020. Your written objection must state whether you will attend the Final Approval Hearing, and your written notice of your intention to appear at the Final Approval Hearing must be filed with the Court and served upon Class Counsel and Defendants counsel on or before Saturday, September 24, 2022. While FLSA claims can arise in any state, JCT's decision to hire Huddleston, a California resident, to make pick-ups and drop-offs in California means that his claims arose, at least in part, there. A trucker has been awarded $500,000 after being unlawfully detained while making a 2019 delivery in California. Where a forum-selection clause uses the phrases "arising under," "arising out of," or similar language, the clause is construed narrowly to cover only disputes "relating to the interpretation and performance of the contract itself." Id. In that role, he was responsible for operating a commercial vehicle and transporting customer cargo to assigned destinations. In contract cases, courts generally apply the purposeful availment test, while in tort cases they use the purposeful direction analysis. Richards v. Lloyd's of London, 135 F.3d 1289, 1297 (9th Cir. 2d 204, 213 (W.D.N.Y. According to Crowley, JCT does not own or lease any property in California, except for one drop yard it leases in Colton, California. Updated May 4, 2022. Jan. 10, 2006) ("Because venue can properly lie in multiple districts, the court need not compare sales figures in an effort to find the 'best venue'; rather the question is whether the venue chosen by a plaintiff is proper.").
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