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Employment Rulings in the First Circuit

The First Circuit covers the federal courts in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico. The rulings below come from the circuit's court of appeals and the federal trial courts within it.

Of the 1,014 published rulings we track here (19802026), the breakdowns below show how they were decided. They describe published opinions only — not the odds of any particular situation.

How These Rulings Ended

Of the 1,014 published rulings we track in the First Circuit.

Defendant Win
410 (40%)
Plaintiff Win
186 (18%)
Mixed Result
175 (17%)
Dismissed
136 (13%)
Remanded
86 (8%)
Settlement
21 (2%)

What Happens at Each Stage

A workplace lawsuit moves through stages, and a ruling can end it at any of them. Here is where the 996 rulings we could classify by stage were decided.

Appeal
419 (42%)

A higher court reviewing an earlier decision. Many published opinions come from this stage, after a lot has already happened in the case.

Summary judgment
194 (19%)

A ruling where the judge decides the case — or part of it — without a trial, because one side argues the key facts are not in dispute. For workers, getting past this step is often the biggest hurdle.

Of the 194 summary-judgment rulings here, 111 ended the case in the employer’s favor and 83 let the worker’s claims continue.

Motion to dismiss
309 (31%)

An early request — usually by the employer — to throw the case out before any evidence is gathered.

Trial verdict
30 (3%)

A judge or jury heard the evidence and reached a decision. Relatively few disputes get this far.

Settlement / consent decree
19 (2%)

The two sides resolved the dispute by agreement, sometimes with court approval. Most settlements are private and never show up in published opinions.

Default judgment
16 (2%)

A decision entered because one side did not respond to the case at all.

Other rulings
9 (1%)

Procedural decisions and orders that do not fit the main stages above.

States in This Circuit

Browse rulings from courts in each state the First Circuit covers.

Recent Rulings in the First Circuit

National Ass'n of Government Employees, Inc. v. National Emergency Medical Services Ass'n

May 22, 2015D. Mass.Plaintiff Win

Local 589, Amalgamated Transit Union v. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

Mar 31, 2015D. Mass.Mixed Result

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Chipotle Mexican Grill

Mar 30, 2015D. Mass.Mixed Result

International Union of Operating Engineers Local 98 Health & Welfare Fund v. S & R Corp.

Mar 23, 2015D. Mass.Plaintiff Win

Eaton

Jan 30, 2015D. Me.Defendant Win

Sanchez-Estrada

Jan 23, 2015D.P.R.Mixed Result

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Kohl's Department Stores, Inc.

Dec 19, 20141st CircuitDefendant Win

United States ex rel. Leysock v. Forest Laboratories, Inc.

Oct 27, 2014D. Mass.Settlement

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Texas Roadhouse, Inc.

Sep 9, 2014D. Mass.Mixed Result

Vander Luitgaren v. Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada

Aug 26, 20141st CircuitDefendant Win

Gross

Aug 14, 20141st CircuitMixed Result

Napert

Jul 22, 2014D. Mass.Mixed Result

Maine Ass'n of Retirees v. Board of Trustees of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System

Jun 27, 20141st CircuitRemanded

Adamson

Apr 29, 20141st CircuitDefendant Win

Central Pension Fund of the International Union of Operating Engineers & Participating Employers v. Ray Haluch Gravel Co.

Mar 11, 20141st CircuitMixed Result

Union Independiente de Trabajadores de la Cerverceria India v. Cerveceria India, Inc.

Feb 3, 2014D.P.R.Defendant Win

EEOC v Fred Fuller Oil Co., et al.

Jan 31, 2014D.N.H.Plaintiff Win

Firenze

Jan 27, 2014D. Mass.Defendant Win

American Freedom Defense Initiative v. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

Dec 20, 2013D. Mass.Dismissed

Diaz v. Jiten Hotel Management, Inc.

Dec 18, 20131st CircuitPlaintiff Win

Bonneau

Nov 15, 20131st CircuitRemanded

New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1199, Seiu v. Women & Infants Hospital

Nov 14, 2013D.R.I.Defendant Win

Massachusetts Institute of Technology v. Research, Development & Technical Employees Union

Nov 4, 2013D. Mass.Mixed Result

Enos

Oct 15, 20131st CircuitPlaintiff Win

Rivera-Melendez v. Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, LLC

Sep 20, 20131st CircuitRemanded

EEOC v. Windmill International

Sep 4, 2013D.N.H.Defendant Win

National Ass'n of Government Employees, Inc. v. National Emergency Medical Services Ass'n

Aug 23, 2013D. Mass.Dismissed

Gross

Aug 16, 20131st CircuitRemanded

Union de Tronquistas de Puerto Rico v. United Parcel Service, Inc.

Aug 15, 2013D.P.R.Defendant Win

Union De Periodistas v. San Juan Star Co.

Aug 15, 2013D.P.R.Plaintiff Win

Manning v. Boston Medical Center Corp.

Aug 1, 20131st CircuitMixed Result

Yordán

Jul 22, 2013D.P.R.Dismissed

Verizon New England, Inc. v. Rhode Island Department of Labor & Training

Jul 17, 20131st CircuitDefendant Win

Genereux

Jun 23, 2013D. Mass.Defendant Win

Grapentine

Jun 17, 2013D.R.I.Dismissed

Asociacion Puertoriquena de Duenos de Laboratorios Clinicos Privados, Inc. v. Humana Health Plans of Puerto Rico, Inc.

Jun 5, 2013D.P.R.Remanded

Massachusetts Biologic Laboratories v. MedImmune, LLC

Apr 30, 2013D. Mass.Remanded

Union Leader v. US Dept Homeland Sec.

Apr 18, 2013D.N.H.Defendant Win

Gatti

Apr 15, 2013D. Mass.Plaintiff Win

United States Ex Rel. Estate of Cunningham v. Millennium Laboratories of California, Inc.

Apr 12, 20131st CircuitRemanded

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Autozone, Inc.

Mar 29, 2013D. Mass.Settlement

American Steel Erectors, Inc. v. Local Union No. 7, International Ass'n of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Iron Workers

Mar 25, 2013D. Mass.Mixed Result

Ackell

Mar 21, 2013D. Mass.Defendant Win

Union de Periodistas de Artes Graficas y Ramas Anexas v. Telemundo de Puerto Rico, Inc.

Mar 1, 2013D.P.R.Defendant Win

1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East v. North Adams Regional Hospital

Feb 26, 2013D. Mass.Remanded

Colby

Jan 17, 20131st CircuitPlaintiff Win

Liberty Bay Credit Union v. Open Solutions, Inc.

Nov 21, 2012D. Mass.Mixed Result

National Labor Relations Board v. Solutia, Inc.

Nov 2, 20121st CircuitMixed Result

Campbell

Oct 25, 2012D. Mass.Plaintiff Win

Pure Barnyard v. Organic Laboratories, et al.

Sep 26, 2012D.N.H.Plaintiff Win

Showing 551600 of 1,014 rulings · Page 12 of 21

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These figures summarize publicly available published court opinions only. Published opinions over-represent summary-judgment rulings (decisions made without a trial) and appeals, because those are the stages where judges most often write formal opinions. Most workplace disputes settle privately and never appear here at all. A ruling’s outcome reflects many case-specific factors and is not a prediction for any other situation. Read more about how we source and classify rulings.

Data sourced from public federal court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes extracted using AI analysis. This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The classification of outcomes and case stages is based on automated analysis and may not reflect the full scope of each case.