(August 13, 2015, 11:13 AM EDT) -- NEW YORK — The dismissal with prejudice of Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) claims following settlement negotiation requires judicial or U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) approval of settlement terms, the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Aug. 7 (Dorian Cheeks v. Freeport Pancake House, Inc., et al., No. 14-299, 2nd Cir.; 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 13815).

“Requiring judicial or DOL approval of such settlements is consistent with what both the Supreme Court and our Court have long recognized as the FLSA’s underlying purpose: ‘to extend...