Wal-Mart Plaintiffs Seek More Time to Pursue Cases

Attorneys representing women who unsuccessfully sued Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for gender discrimination filed a motion Friday asking a U.S. District Court to freeze the statute of limitations for their complaints against the retailer.

The U.S. Supreme Court threw out their massive class action suit June 20 and plaintiffs’ attorneys said they needed at least 120 days to to consult the thousands of women registered as class members about their next options.

Attorneys said they have been unable to contact many of the former class members as many of their email and postal addresses have changed over the years.

The country’s highest court threw out the decade-old case because claims that women employed by Wal-Mart were paid less and given fewer promotions than men were deemed too varied for class certification.

Friday’s motion was filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, San Francisco, by attorney Brad Seligman, according to court papers seen by Reuters.

The filing showed that the plaintiffs intend to continue to pursue their case against the largest private U.S. employer, likely in smaller groups or as individuals.

(Reporting by Karl Plume; editing by Mohammad Zargham)