News

Abbott sued by drug reps on overtime pay
June 29, 2007 — Chicago Tribune
Pharmaceutical sales representatives, often maligned as good-looking, high-priced
caterers of Subway sandwiches and Olive Garden meals to doctors’ offices, are
suing their employers, saying they are deprived of overtime pay “earned
and owed.” On Thursday, North Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories became
the latest target of plaintiffs’ attorneys bringing class-action suits on behalf
of potentially hundreds of current and former drug reps against the powerful
pharmaceutical industry. The plaintiffs say drugmakers have for years violated
state and federal overtime laws.

Sales Reps File More Overtime Lawsuits
June 28, 2007 — Pharmalot.com
Sales reps are filing lawsuits today against two more drugmakers – Bristol-Myers
Squibb and Abbott Labs – over alleged violations of state and federal overtime
laws. With these filings, all of the biggest drugmakers face overtime lawsuits
in state and federal courts, according to the lawyers for the sales reps.

BMS, Abbott face drug-rep class suit
June 28, 2007 — United Press International
Drug sales representatives Thursday filed a class action suit against U.S. firms
Bristol-Myers Squibb and Abbot seeking overtime back pay. The complaint charges
that the companies unlawfully classify pharmaceutical sales representatives
as “exempt” under the Fair Labor Standards Act, a status that keeps
the reps from collecting compensation for working overtime.

Kingsley & Kingsley Announces Pharmaceutical Reps File Overtime Lawsuits Against Bristol-Myers Squibb and Abbot Laboratories
June 28, 2007 — Business Wire (press release)
This morning, pharmaceutical representatives filed lawsuits against the
pharmaceutical giants Bristol-Myers Squibb and Abbott Laboratories. The suits
are the latest in a series of class actions by employees for violation of state
and federal overtime laws by drug companies. All of the largest drug companies
are now facing national overtime lawsuits filed in state and federal courts
in California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Connecticut.

Drug firm reps sue for overtime
Los Angeles Times
Plaintiffs say Pfizer, J&J and others gave them managerial job titles to
evade salary obligations. By Molly Selvin, Times Staff Writer. …

Sales reps sue drug giants on overtime pay
United Press International
Present and former US sales reps for eight major drug companies have filed suit
against the companies …

Pfizer, J&J and other drug makers are sued over overtime pay
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Pfizer Inc., Johnson & Johnson and six other drug companies have been sued
by current and former …

Pharmaceutical Representatives File Nationwide Overtime Pay
Business Wire (press release)
Current and former employees of eight drug industry titans – AstraZeneca,
Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Amgen, Eli Lilly, Hoffman …

Sales Reps Sue Drug Companies Over OT
Associated Press
Susan Schaefer LaRose quit her sales job in May after 18 years with pharmaceutical
giant Eli Lilly and Co., …

New Lawsuit Filed Against Sanofi -Aventis U.S. for Failure to Pay Pharmaceutical Reps Overtime
Business Wire (press release)
The pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis U.S. is the latest target of a series
of lawsuits

Drug salespeople sue for unpaid overtime
The National Law Journal
Following what lawyers describe as a growing trend in class action overtime
litigation, thousands of pharmaceutical representatives are suing eight major
drug companies over unpaid overtime

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