Forest Laboratories Gender Discrimination Class Action – $4 Million Settlement
Case Type: Gender Pay, Promotion, and Pregnancy Discrimination Class Action
Company: Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Forest Laboratories, Inc.
Barrett, et al, v. Forest Laboratories, Inc., et al.
Final Order Granted in $4 Million Settlement for Plaintiffs in Forest Labs Gender Discrimination Class Action
On June 29, 2018, Sanford Heisler Sharp secured final approval of a $4 million class settlement reached in April 2017 for female sales force members of Forest Laboratories and Forest Pharmaceuticals (“Forest”). Judge Ronnie Abrams’ order in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York was the capstone of six years of litigation in Barrett et al v. Forest Laboratories, Inc., et al. on behalf of the named plaintiffs and a class of other female employees of the pharmaceutical giant who experienced systematic gender discrimination at the company.
The class includes all female sales force employed by Forest — as well as its affiliates, parents, predecessors, and successors — who worked in a legacy-Forest position as a sales representative, specialty representative, hospital representative, institutional representative or regional sales trainer in the U.S. for at least a day between February 6, 2010 and April 3, 2017. The women alleged they were subjected to discrimination in compensation and promotion, as well as pregnancy-related discrimination – all of which adversely affected their pay and advancement.
After years of extensive litigation, the plaintiffs and Forest engaged in settlement negotiations with a nationally known and experienced mediator and ultimately reached an agreement to settle the claims.
The plaintiffs were represented by Sanford Heisler Sharp attorneys David Sanford, Jeremy Heisler, Deborah K. Marcuse, Michael D. Palmer, Thomas J. Henderson, David Tracey, Melinda Koster, and Nicole Wiitala.
If you have questions about the case against Forest and/or the settlement, you can receive additional information by contacting Sanford Heisler Sharp at 646-512-8609 or [email protected].
Attorneys Involved in the Case
David Sanford
Chairman
Jeremy Heisler
Co-Vice Chairman
Melinda Koster
New York Partner
Deborah K. Marcuse
Firm Managing Partner and Baltimore Managing Partner
Michael Palmer
New York Managing Partner
David H. Tracey
New York Partner
Nicole Wiitala
Managing Partner for Legal Personnel and Co-Ombudsperson
Case Materials
Press Releases
- September 3, 2015 – Sanford Heisler Sharp Wins Certification Victory Against Forest Labs
- November 5 2012 – Six New Plaintiffs Join Sanford Heisler Sharp's $100M Gender Discrimination Class Action Against Forest Laboratories & Forest Pharmaceuticals
- July 5, 2012 – Sanford Heisler Sharp Files $100 Million Gender Discrimination Class Action in Southern District of New York
Our News
- Forest Laboratories Agrees to $4M Gender Discrimination Settlement
- Forest Labs To Pay $4M To End Gender Bias Suit
- Female Workers Win Conditional Cert In $100M Sex-Bias Row
- Six More Women Join $100M Forest Labs Bias Case
- Gender bias class action suit filed against Forest Pharmaceuticals
- Forest Labs hit with $100 mln gender bias lawsuit
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