Brokerage Company Class Action

Analysis Group was retained by a brokerage company sued by a group of female brokers seeking certification as a nationwide class. The dispute involved opportunities for advancement and inequity in compensation.

The plaintiffs claimed they had been denied opportunities to develop business. In our study of the company and its operations, we found that employment opportunities were determined within the branches of the company, and that employees rarely switched branches. Our analysis demonstrated that income, production, and account-value-under-management differed widely from branch to branch. Thus, the number of women for whom the plaintiffs' employment experiences could be representative would be limited to the number in those particular branches. The request for nationwide class certification was denied. This decision was affirmed on appeal in the Ninth Circuit.