Judge Schiltz Holds Starbucks Tip Policy Violates Minnesota Law

While holding that plaintiffs (represented by Nichols Kaster & Anderson) cannot pursue their tip-sharing claim against Starbuck as a class action, the United States District Court, D. Minn. (Judge Patrick Schiltz), recently held that Starbucks policy violates Minnesota law. (Nichols Kaster & Anderson have brought similar claims against Caribou coffee and a Minneapolis strip club.)

Worthy of note from a practitioner’s point of view, after Judge Schiltz issued a ruling, Starbucks Counsel (Akin Gump) submitted a letter to the Court for clarification and the Court, the next day, wrote a letter back to Starbuck’s counsel with clarification (below).  Such streamlined communication seems highly efficient though lawyers might want to proceed with caution lest they be viewed as seeking to reargue lost motions or otherwise wasting the court’s time.  (In this case, it would seem defense counsel were not faulted for their request of the Court.)
Starbucks Schiltz Ltr Exchange