Starbucks Corp. just won a battle with its own baristas.

First, some background. A few years ago, experts noted an uptick in tip-pooling lawsuits—suits in which plaintiffs claim their employers' policies of pooling tips among certain employees violate state employment laws. The increase was due in part to a string of suits in which Starbucks baristas filed proposed class actions against the coffee chain, arguing that the company's tip-sharing policy—in which tips are pooled among baristas and shift supervisors—isn't legal because supervisors have managerial responsibility and therefore shouldn't be entitled to tips.

One of the cases wound up in the 2nd Circuit, which asked the New York State Court of Appeals for guidance on the matter.