Jury Verdicts & Settlements

Latest jury verdicts, settlements, and legal outcome analysis

CA Manufacturer Settles Wage Theft Class Action Lawsuit

A former factory worker successfully led a class action and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) lawsuit against Lusk Quality Machine Products, a California CNC turning and screw machining manufacturer. The complaint alleged a systematic pattern of wage theft, including forcing employees to perform off-the-clock tasks before and after shifts, deleting overtime hours through an alterable timekeeping system, inserting fictitious meal breaks, and failing to reimburse workers for uniforms and mandatory cell phone use. To resolve the labor violations before trial, the company agreed to a non-reversionary gross settlement of $365,000 to be distributed among 153 participating class members

Labor and Employment Law

Florida Inside Sales Overtime Wage Lawsuit Verdict

Enrico Deluca filed a federal lawsuit against his former employer, MW International Ventures LLC (doing business as Social Mobile), and its owner, Robert Morcos, claiming that the company had misclassified his position to avoid paying overtime. Deluca, who worked as an inside software sales representative from March to August 2024, alleged that he regularly logged over 50 hours per week and was entitled to time-and-a-half compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The defense countered that Deluca was exempt from overtime under administrative, executive, and highly compensated employee exemptions, and further maintained that he had never worked more than 40 hours in any given workweek. Following a trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the jury found that while Morcos operated as an employer, Deluca failed to prove he actually worked any overtime hours. On May 20, 2026, Judge Jacqueline Becerra entered a final take-nothing judgment entirely in favor of the Defendants.

Labor and Employment Law

Solar Project Labor Dispute Ends With No Damages Awarded

A North Carolina labor staffing company supplied over a million dollars' worth of workers to a major Arkansas solar construction project, never got paid, won big at trial — and then watched a judge erase the largest awards. HardHat Workforce Solutions, LLC secured jury findings in its favor on every claim it brought, including a $4.4 million punitive damage verdict against Jingoli Power, LLC. But the Court vacated the conversion verdicts entirely, leaving HardHat with symbolic wins and no money after years of litigation over $1,101,174.54 in unpaid labor invoices.

Labor and Employment Law

Jury Favors Corporate Executive in Wage Retaliation Suit

A Manhattan federal jury returned a verdict against global fashion firm Camuto Group LLC, finding the company liable for systematic contract breaches, illegal wage deductions, and workplace retaliation. The Plaintiff, Katreen Lombardo, served as the Vice President of Marketing from 2014 until her abrupt termination in 2020. Lombardo established that the company unilaterally withheld her guaranteed annual bonuses of $30,000.00 over consecutive performance years and systematically stripped her of executive duties after she filed internal complaints. While the defense claimed that the bonuses were discretionary and that her termination resulted from corporate restructuring during the COVID-19 pandemic, the jury rejected these arguments. The panel awarded Lombardo damages for the missing wages, back pay, and punitive damages, concluding that management acted with direct malice and reckless indifference toward her statutory labor rights.

Labor and Employment Law

California Anheuser-Busch $2.75M Wage and Hour Settlement

Carlos Lira, a former employee of Anheuser-Busch, LLC, spearheaded a class action lawsuit alleging that the beverage giant systematically underpaid its California workforce. The legal challenge focused on the company’s failure to include non-discretionary bonuses and sales incentives in the "regular rate of pay," which resulted in underpaid overtime and sick leave. Additionally, workers alleged they were denied proper meal and rest periods and received inaccurate wage statements. Following mediation, Anheuser-Busch agreed to a $2,750,000 gross settlement to resolve the claims for all non-exempt employees in California, a deal that received final judicial approval in late 2024.

Labor and Employment Law

$1.65M Settlement in Wage and Hour Class Action

Jorge Solis Flores, a former employee of the renowned apple juice manufacturer S. Martinelli & Company, spearheaded a class-action lawsuit that exposed systemic payroll failures within the historic California brand. The litigation alleged that Martinelli failed to include performance bonuses and shift differentials when calculating the "regular rate of pay" for overtime and sick leave, a common but illegal practice that shortchanges hourly workers. Furthermore, the suit claimed that employees were frequently denied their legally mandated meal and rest periods without receiving the required premium pay. Facing a class of hundreds of current and former workers, Martinelli ultimately agreed to a $1,650,000 settlement to resolve the claims of labor code violations and unfair business practices. This recovery ensures that workers are retroactively compensated for the wages and penalties they were denied during their service to the company.

Labor and Employment Law

California Healthcare Wage and Hour Class Action Verdict

A group of hourly healthcare workers filed a class action lawsuit against Loma Linda University Shared Services, alleging a systemic failure to provide legally mandated meal and rest periods. The Plaintiffs argued that chronic understaffing and heavy workloads forced them to skip breaks or remain on-call during their rest time. While the company denied any wrongdoing, a San Bernardino jury ultimately determined that the employer had violated California labor laws regarding meal breaks. The Court entered a judgment requiring the company to pay premium wages for the missed break periods, though the jury found the company’s failure to pay these wages upon termination was not a willful violation.

Labor and Employment Law

California Labor Law: Class Action Wage Theft Verdict

A California jury held Loma Linda University Shared Services accountable for systemic labor violations that deprived hundreds of hourly employees of their lawful earnings. The Plaintiffs, led by central schedulers Tamika Simmons and Precious Cisneros, proved that the university utilized an illegal time-rounding policy and failed to provide mandatory meal and rest breaks. The case highlighted the financial toll of "off-the-clock" work, where employees were expected to handle patient calls and administrative duties during their unpaid time. By the time the final judgment was entered in March 2026, the Court mandated full restitution for unpaid wages, interest, and penalties, marking a significant victory for healthcare administrative staff fighting for workplace transparency and fair compensation.

Labor and Employment Law

Steak 48 Settles Wage & Hour Class Action for $252,000

On April 17, 2025, the Los Angeles County Superior Court granted final approval for a class action settlement between plaintiffs Marina Durham and Cassandra Hall-LePrevost and defendant Steak 48 Beverly Hills, LLC. The litigation, which consolidated two separate complaints, alleged that the high-end dining establishment engaged in systematic labor violations, including the failure to authorize required rest periods and meal breaks, and the failure to pay minimum and overtime wages for all hours worked. The plaintiffs, representing a class of non-exempt employees who worked at the restaurant between November 20, 2019, and June 27, 2024, also claimed the employer failed to reimburse business expenses related to uniform cleaning and provided inaccurate wage statements. Under the terms of the agreement, Steak 48 will pay a Gross Settlement Amount of $252,000 to resolve the claims without admitting liability. The settlement also includes $25,000 in PAGA penalties and attorney fees for class counsel.

Labor and Employment Law

$3.8M Wage Class Action Settlement Approved by SF Court

The University of San Francisco reached a court-approved $3,888,888 resolution in a long-running wage and hour class action brought by two former employees on behalf of hundreds of part-time adjunct instructors and remote workers. Filed in early 2021 in the San Francisco County Superior Court, the lawsuit alleged that the University systematically violated California labor laws by failing to properly calculate overtime pay, denying mandatory meal and rest breaks, issuing inaccurate wage statements, and shorting departing employees on their final paychecks. Plaintiffs Dan Beck and Bienvenida Salazar argued that the school's payroll system excluded non-discretionary compensation from the "regular rate of pay," resulting in years of underpayment for non-exempt workers who kept the campus running. After extensive discovery and arm's-length negotiations, the parties reached a comprehensive settlement that received final approval from Judge Ethan P. Schulman on February 14, 2025. The Gross Settlement Amount of $3,888,888.00, inclusive of the Defendant's share of payroll taxes, covers three distinct classes: an Unpaid Wage Class of part-time adjunct instructors employed between January 4, 2017 and September 8, 2020, a Wage Statement Class covering adjuncts from January 4, 2020 through September 8, 2020, and an Expense Reimbursement Class for employees who worked remotely in California between March 11, 2020 and July 31, 2021. No class members objected, and only five individuals opted out.