Thorne v. Tec Laboratories, Inc.

Background

Braulio Thorne brought the case on behalf of himself and other similarly situated persons against Tec Laboratories, Inc. On July 9, 2024, the parties notified the court that they had reached an agreement in principle resolving all issues.

Ruling

The court canceled all previously scheduled conferences and other deadlines. It dismissed the case with prejudice and without costs, including attorneys’ fees, to either party. The clerk was directed to terminate all open motions and close the case.

The parties could apply to reopen the case within 30 days of the order. Any such application had to show good cause for keeping the case open despite the settlement. A request filed after 30 days or without a showing of good cause could be denied on that basis alone.

If the parties wanted the court to retain jurisdiction—the authority to enforce the settlement agreement—they had to submit the agreement and request an order expressly retaining jurisdiction within the same 30-day period.

Putative Class

The court directed the clerk to remove from the caption the language stating that Thorne sued individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated. Because the parties had not notified the court that they intended to comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(e), the dismissal and any settlement were operative only between Thorne and Tec Laboratories. They did not bind absent putative class members.

Classification

This is a procedural order because the court dismissed the case based on the parties’ settlement rather than deciding the underlying claims on their merits.