Schiefer, et al. v. Bain Capital, LP (Lawyers Weekly No. 09-044-17)
1 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS SUFFOLK, ss. SUPERIOR COURT Civ. No. 2015-3599-BLS2 ASHLEY SCHIEFER, COLLEEN McPHERSON, ELIZABETH BURNHAM, and REBECCA SHAAL, for themselves and on behalf of all others similarly situated, Plaintiffs vs. BAIN CAPITAL, LP, f/k/a BAIN CAPITAL, LLC, Defendant MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER ON ASHLEY SCHIEFER’S APPLICATION FOR PRE-JUDGMENT INTEREST On August 21, 2017, Ashley Schiefer, one of four plaintiffs in this putative class action alleging failure to pay overtime wages, accepted a Rule 68 Offer of Judgment (the Offer) made by defendant Bain Capital LP (Bain). The Offer included $ 80,000, reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, and prejudgment interest as determined by the Court. This Court has already made a determination as to the attorney’s fees. This Memorandum addresses the question of prejudgment interest. Although both parties agree as to the applicable rate (twelve percent), they disagree as to the date from which interest should be calculated. Section 6C applies to actions like this one based on contractual obligations. By its terms, the statute provides that that interest accrues ““from the date of the breach or demand,” provided that such date can be determined. If the date of the breach or demand is not established, interest accrues “from the date of the commencement of the action.” The purpose of Section 6C is to “compensate a damaged party for the loss of use or unlawful detention of money.” Sterilite Corp. v. Continental Cas. Co., 397 Mass. 837, 841 (1986), quoting Perkins School for the Blind v. Rate Setting Comm’n, 383 Mass. 825, 835 (1981). Although Section 6C “commands a 2 ministerial act, its sole or primary purpose was not to provide administrative ease” but to ensure that the person wrongfully deprived of the use of money is “made whole for his loss.” Sterilite, 396 Mass. at 841-842. Thus, even if there are multiple breaches so as require different calculations, the Court should engage in that analysis in keeping with that statutory purpose. Id. Plaintiff argues that the dates of defendant’s breaches are “established” within the meaning of Section 6C because the Offer pays Schiefer on her breach of contract claim, and a breach of that contract occurred at the end of each pay period when Bain failed to compensate her for overtime — — a point in time that is easily ascertained and is undisputed. Schiefer worked 72 pay periods during her employment at Bain. If the $ 80,000 Offer is apportioned equally over those pay periods, $ 1,111 should be apportioned to each pay period, with interest calculated from that date. In a chart attached as Exhibit A to her Application, plaintiff explains how those calculations amount to a total of $ 60,813.09 in prejudgment interest. Bain […]