Melanie Sportsman v. A Place For Rover, Inc.

  1. October 27, 2022

    Settlement Halts 9th Circ. Appeal Over Dog Walker's Status

    The Ninth Circuit won't weigh in on whether A Place for Rover Inc. misclassified a dog walker as an independent contractor instead of an employee, agreeing to send the case back to a district court for settlement approval.

  2. October 20, 2022

    Settlement May Scrub 9th Circ. Ruling On Dog Walker's Status

    The Ninth Circuit will likely not weigh in on whether dog-walking app-maker A Place For Rover Inc. misclassifies dog walkers as independent contractors after the company and a worker announced they reached a settlement to their dispute.

  3. August 29, 2022

    9th Circ. Doubts Dog-Care App's Claim It's Not An Employer

    A Ninth Circuit panel appeared open Monday to reviving proposed class claims that the dog-walking app A Place for Rover Inc. misclassified dog walkers as independent contractors, with each judge pointing out ways the app controls workers and one judge saying Rover is "not just sort of an inanimate bulletin board."

  4. August 26, 2022

    Calif. Forecast: 9th Circ. To Hear Standing Issue In Tips Case

    In the coming week, attorneys should watch for oral arguments regarding standing in a case at the Ninth Circuit alleging a tipped minimum wage is discriminatory. Here's a look at that case and other labor and employment matters coming up in California.

  5. March 25, 2022

    9th Circ. Poised To Decode Referral Agency Employment Test

    A misclassification suit before the Ninth Circuit could give the court its first opportunity to interpret an exception to California's rigorous standard for classifying workers as independent contractors.

  6. March 18, 2022

    Dog-Sitting App Tells 9th Circ. It Is Not An Employer

    A digital platform connecting pet owners with dog sitters asked the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to uphold a California federal judge's finding the company did not misclassify a dog sitter as an independent contractor, arguing she controlled her own schedule, rates and declined bookings without being penalized.

  7. December 08, 2021

    Dog Walker App Is An Employer In California, 9th Circ. Told

    A dog walker urged the Ninth Circuit to reconsider a lower court decision that found a company that connects pet owners with dog sitters through an app didn't misclassify her as an independent contractor, saying that she wasn't free from the company's control.