In a decision with broad implications within and, potentially, outside the pharmaceutical industry, the Supreme Court has affirmed, by a 5-4 margin, the Ninth Circuit’s decision finding GlaxoSmithKline’s pharmaceutical sales representatives qualify for the outside sales exemption under the FLSA.  Christopher v. SmithKline Beecham Corp., No. 11–204 (June 18, 2012).  Justice Alito delivered

The Supreme Court’s web site confirms that the nation’s highest court has granted the petition for certiorari filed by the pharmaceutical sales representative (PSR) plaintiffs in Christopher et al. v. SmithKline Beecham Corporation.  The Court will now review the Ninth Circuit’s ruling in Christopher that SmithKline properly classifies its pharmaceutical sales representatives as "outside

As often discussed in this space and elsewhere, Courts continue to widely differ in their analysis as to whether the administrative and/or outside sales exemptions are applicable to pharmaceutical sales representatives. Now, the Supreme Court will have another opportunity to weigh in on the applicability of the outside sales exemption to such employees, as the plaintiffs

In the latest installment of the ongoing litigation over whether pharmaceutical sales representatives are exempt from overtime under the FLSA (see earlier post here), a district court in Indiana declined to reconsider its decision holding that PSRs do qualify for the outside sales exemption. See Schaefer-Larose v. Eli Lilly & Co., S..D.