Class Actions

Wage & Hour

• Flores v. Albertsons, Inc. (2:01-cv-00515)
  $22,400,000 settlement in 2005 in action brought by janitors against three major supermarket chains in California – Albertsons, Ralphs, and Safeway (Vons). The Plaintiffs alleged failure to pay the state minimum wage or the required premium for overtime.
• Class Action Against Major Energy Company
  $17,375,000 settlement in 2020 in action brought by oil field and refinery operators against major energy company. The Plaintiffs alleged violations of California’s wage and hour laws, including the failure to provide rest breaks and accurate wage statements.
• USW v. ConocoPhillips (CV08-2068 PSG (FFMx))
  $15,500,000 settlement in 2013 in action brought by refinery workers against ConocoPhillips. The Plaintiffs alleged the failure to provide meal periods as required by California law.
• Valliere, et al. v. Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company LLC (4:17-cv-00123-JST)
  $15,250,000 settlement in 2020 in action brought by refinery workers against Tesoro. The Plaintiffs alleged violations of California’s wage and hour laws, including the failure to provide rest breaks and accurate wage statements.
• Murphy v. CVS Caremark (BC 464785)
  $12,750,000 settlement in 2017 in action brought by hourly employees against CVS. The Plaintiffs alleged wage and hour violations, including the failure to pay employees while subject to employer control during security checks.
• Berlanga, et al. v. Equilon Enterprises LLC, et al. (4:17-cv-00282-MMC)
  $7,750,000 settlement in 2019 in action brought by refinery operators against Shell. The Plaintiffs alleged rest break violations.
• Navarro v. Pacifica Hosts Hotels, Inc. (BC352017)
  $6,500,000 settlement in 2008 in action brought by hourly employees at 19 hotels in California. The Plaintiffs alleged unpaid overtime and the failure to provide meal and rest breaks.
• Buzas v. Phillips 66 Company (4:17-cv-00163-YGR)
  $5,500,000 settlement in 2018 in action brought by refinery operators against Phillips 66 Company. The Plaintiffs alleged rest break violations.
• Small v. Brinderson (No. 04CC00717)
  $5,250,000 settlement in 2010 in action brought by construction trade employees against Brinderson Constructors, Inc. The Plaintiffs alleged violations of wage and hour laws, including unpaid overtime and the failure to provide meal and rest breaks.
• Wang v. Chinese Daily News (CV-04-1498 CBM)
  $5,200,000 judgment obtained in 2015, following a jury and bench trial, in action brought by hourly newspaper employees against Chinese Daily News for claims of unpaid overtime and other wage and hour violations. Opinion at (Wang v. Chinese Daily News, Inc. (9th Cir. 2010) 623 F.3d 743.).
• Hernandez v. Tyco International (US) Inc. (BC315749)
  $4,900,000 settlement in 2008 in action brought by hourly production employees against Tyco International. The Plaintiffs alleged unpaid overtime and meal and rest break violations.
• Diaz v. Ampco (BC 362932)
  $4,700,000 settlement in 2012 in action brought by parking attendants against Ampco. The Plaintiffs alleged wage and hour violations, including the failure to provide meal and rest breaks and to pay minimum wage and overtime compensation.
• Kendig, et al. v. ExxonMobil Oil Corp, et al. (2:18-cv-9224 MWF (SSx))
  $4,391,585 settlement in 2020 in action brought by refinery operators against ExxonMobil. The Plaintiffs alleged violation of California’s wage and hour laws, including the failure to provide rest breaks and accurate wage statements.
• Aguilar v. Flying Food Group Pacific, Inc. (BC 553539)
  $4,150,000 settlement in 2018 in action brought by employees against Flying Food Group Pacific, Inc. The Plaintiffs alleged unpaid overtime and other wage and hour violations.
• Craig, et al. v. Corteva, Inc., et al. (3:17-cv-07923-JCS)
  $3,900,000 settlement preliminarily approved in 2021 in action brought by hourly employees against Dow Agrosciences, LLC and the Dow Chemical Co. The Plaintiffs alleged violations of California’s wage and hour laws, including the failure to provide duty-free meal and rest periods.
• Morales v. Aramark Corporation (CV-09-05565)
  $3,900,000 settlement in 2010 in action brought by food service workers against Aramark Corporation. The Plaintiffs alleged the failure to provide meal and rest break and overtime violations.
• Confidential
  $3,700,000 settlement in 2010 against large service provider.
• Soto v. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (BC 352849)
  $3,000,000 settlement in 2007 in action brought by hourly hotel workers at Westin LAX hotel. The Plaintiffs alleged meal and rest break and overtime violations.
• Barrientos v. Hilton Los Angeles Airport (BC 403925)
  $2,500,000 settlement in 2011 in action brought by hourly hotel workers against Hilton Hotels. The Plaintiffs alleged meal and rest break and overtime violations.
• Levitan v. TV Fanfare Media Inc. (BC 241713)
  $1,850,000 settlement in 2004 in action brought by individuals misclassified as independent contractors.
• Rogers v. Weyerhaeuser Corp. (CV-05-06076 NM)
  $1,500,000 settlement in 2006 in action brought by hourly employees against Weyerhaeuser Corp. The Plaintiffs alleged meal and rest break and overtime violations.
• Amaro v. the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa (BC 376739)
  $975,000 settlement in 2008 in action brought by hotel workers against the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa. The Plaintiffs alleged the failure to pay wages and provide meal and rest breaks.
• Diaz v. Grill Concepts Services, Inc., dba Daily Grill (BC 542720)
  $864,756.84 judgment obtained in 2017, following a bench trial, in action to recover back wages, interest and waiting time penalties against hotel restaurant under the City of Los Angeles’ Airport Hotel Living Wage Ordinance. The judgment was affirmed on appeal. Diaz v. Grill Concepts Services, Inc. (2018) 23 Cal.App.5th 859.
• Andrade v. Terra Universal (00473739-CU-OE-CX)
  $450,000 settlement in 2011 in action brought by all nonexempt current and former employees at Terra Universal. The Plaintiffs alleged the failure to be paid in accordance with the law and to be provided accurate wage statements.
• Diaz v. Accor Business and Leisure North America, Inc. dba Sofitel Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills (BC 621422)
  $690,000 settlement in 2017 in action brought by hotel employees against Sofitel Hotel. The Plaintiffs alleged violation of the Los Angeles Citywide Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance, the failure to provide meal and rest periods, and the failure to pay minimum wage and overtime compensation.
• Ochoa v Brisam LAX (BC 493242)
  $390,000 settlement in 2014 in action brought by workers against hotel. The Plaintiffs alleged wage and hour violations for failing to pay employees the Living Wage under the City of Los Angeles’ Airport Hotel Living Wage Ordinance.
• Parmer v. Ziba Beauty Center, Inc. (BC 392872)
  $250,000 settlement in 2012 in action brought by individuals who were employed by Ziba Beauty Center, Inc. The Plaintiffs alleged violations of California’s wage and hour laws, including the failure to provide rest breaks, failure to fully and timely pay terminated employees, and the failure to provide accurate wage statements.
• De La Rosa v. ICC Collision Centers (BC 389024)
  $250,000 settlement in 2009 in action brought by body shop workers who were denied overtime.

Antitrust & Consumer Protection

• In Re TFT-LCD (Flat Panel) Antitrust Litigation (MDL 7269)
  Antitrust class action on behalf of direct purchasers of LCD screens alleging a nationwide class for price-fixing. The case settled for more than $400,000,000 (2014).
• In Re Dynamic Random Access Memory Antitrust Litigation (MDL 1486)
  Antitrust class action on behalf of consumers and business consumers of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). The case settled for more than $330 million (2007).
• In Re Western States Wholesale Natural Gas Litigation (MDL 1566)
  Settlements of over $150,000,000 in antitrust class action on behalf of California buyers of natural gas.
• In Re Methionine Antitrust Litigation (MDL 1311)
  A nationwide class action on behalf of direct purchasers of methionine alleging price-fixing. The case was settled for $107,000,000 (2002).
• In Re Compact Disk Cases (J.C.C.P. No. 4123)
  Antitrust class action on behalf of California consumers of prerecorded compact disks. Settled for more than $100,000,000.
• In Re Smokeless Tobacco Cases I-IV (J.C.C.P. Nos. 4250, 4258, 4259 and 4262)
  Certified antitrust class action on behalf of California consumers of smokeless tobacco products. The case settled for $99,000,000 with over $25,000,000 allocated cy pres (2008).
• Vitamin Cases (J.C.C.P. No. 4076)
  Antitrust class action on behalf of California consumers of vitamins. The case was settled for $96 million (2003).
• Pinney v. Great Western Bank (CV 95-2110 IH)
  Settlement of class action against Great Western for fraudulent sales practices for approximately $16.2 million (1996).
• In Re California Indirect Purchaser MSG Antitrust Cases, (No. 304471)
  Antitrust class action on behalf of California indirect purchasers of Monosodium Glutamate. The case settled for more than $11,000,000 (2005).
• In Re Urethane Cases (J.C.C.P. No. 4367)
  Settlements of over $9,000,000 in antitrust class action on behalf of all California indirect purchasers of urethane and urethane chemicals. Served as Co-Liaison Counsel for Plaintiffs and investigated and vetted the 42 California organizations that were approved as recipients of the nearly $8 Million allocated cy pres (2018).
• In Re California Polychloroprene Cases (J.C.C.P. 4376–2006)
  Statewide class on behalf of indirect purchasers for polychloroprene. The matter settled in excess of $4.5 million, with more than $3 million contributed to California environmental groups (2006).
• In Re Richard Villa et al. v. Crompton Corporation et al. (Consolidated Case No. CGC-03-419116)
  Settlements of over $2,000,000 antitrust class action on behalf of California indirect purchasers of EPDM (2011).
• In Re The Harman Press et al. v. International Paper Co. et al. (Master File No. CGC-04-432167)
  Antitrust class action on behalf of all California indirect purchasers of publication paper (2015).
• In Re Russell Reidel et al. v. Norfalco LLC et al. (Consolidated Case No. CGC-03-418080)
  Antitrust class action on behalf of California indirect purchasers of sulfuric acid (2015).
• In Re Label Stock Cases (J.C.C.P. No. 4314)
  Antitrust class action on behalf of all California indirect purchasers of high-pressure label stock (2010).
• In Re Electrical Carbon Products Cases (J.C.C.P. No. 4294)
  Settlement of antitrust class action on behalf of California indirect purchasers of electrical carbon products (2009).
• In Re NBR Cases (J.C.C.P. No. 4369)
  Antitrust class action on behalf of California indirect purchasers of NBR (2006).
• In Re Laminate Cases (J.C.C.P. No. 4129)
  Antitrust class action on behalf of California indirect purchasers of high-pressure laminate.
• In Re Purchaser Auction House Cases (Master Case No. 310313)
  Antitrust class action on behalf of California auction buyers and sellers.
• In Re Intel Corp. Microprocessor Antitrust Litigation (MDL 05-1717 (JJF))
  Antitrust class action on behalf of all consumers in the United States that indirectly purchased Intel x86 microprocessors.
• In Re Vitamin C Antitrust Litigation (MDL 06-1738 (DTG)(JO))
  Antitrust class action on behalf of all California indirect purchasers of Vitamin C.