Jan 09 2011
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Class Discovery, Discovery, Opt-out

Central District Rejects Opt-Out Procedure and Orders Disclosure of Name and Contact Information for Members of an Unpaid Commission Wages Class Action

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The Central District granted plaintiff’s motion to compel disclosure of the name and contact information (full name, last known addresses and telephone numbers) for class members of a putative class action for unpaid commission wages.  Celia Alvarez, et al. v. The Hyatt Regency Long Beach, et al., CV 09-04791-GAF (VBKx).  According to the court, the class was defined as all non-exempt employees for the period commencing May 7, 2005.  (Thank you to Radhika Sainath for alerting me to the decision.)

Defendants contended that the information was not relevant for class certification and invaded the privacy rights of the putative class.  Plaintiffs offered to enter into a protective order and offer that the information be given to a third party who would send the class members an opt-out letter.  Defendant rejected these proposal. Continue reading →

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Jan 09 2011
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Class Actions

Northern District Strikes Aiding and Abetting Allegations From Overtime Class Action Complaint

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The Northern District of California granted a motion to strike aiding and abetting allegations from an overtime class action complaint.  Toy v. Triwire Engineering Solutions, Inc.,  No. C 10-1929 SI, 2010 WL 3448535 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 1, 2010) (slip op.).

Background

Plaintiff Jason Toy filed a putative class action in state court against defendants TriWire Engineering Solutions, Inc., Comcast Corporation, and Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC, alleging that TriWire and Comcast employed Toy as a cable technician to install, disconnect, and upgrade cable television and computer services for consumers throughout California.  Id. *1.  Plaintiff contended he was not exempt from overtime requirements, and was not paid overtime in accordance with the law. Id. Continue reading →

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Jan 09 2011
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Demurrer/Motion to Dismiss

Northern District Rejects Motion to Dismiss Misappropriation of Trade Secrets Claim

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In Farhang v. Indian Institute Of Technology, Kharagpur, No. C-08-02658 RMW, WL 3504897 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 7, 2010), Defendant Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (“IIT”) moved to dismiss a complaint for misappropriation of trade secrets on the grounds that it failed to allege sufficient facts showing that: (1) the alleged trade secrets were subject to reasonable efforts to maintain their secrecy; (2) IIT misappropriated trade secrets; and (3) plaintiffs suffered harm as a result.  Id. *1.  The court denied the motion. Continue reading →

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Jan 09 2011
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Wages

Southern District Holds That Compensation Received But Later Forfeited Under Cliff Vesting Schedule in Mandatory Investment Plan, Are Not Unpaid Wages

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In Callan v. Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., No. 09 CV 0566 BEN (BGS), 2010 WL 3452371 (S.D. Cal. Aug. 30, 2010) (slip op.), the Southern District held that compensation plans that contained cliff vesting schedules in which awards are forfeited if employment terminates before the awards are vested did not constitute unpaid wages under the Labor Code.

Facts

Former employees of the Defendants Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. and Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. participated in three of Merrill Lynch’s employee compensation packages.  Id. *1. Plaintiffs alleged they were required to accept part of their wages in the form of “awards” under the plans. Id. Plaintiffs alleged the plans contain forfeiture provisions that constitute unlawful conversion and violate California’s Labor Code and Unfair Competition Law. Id. Continue reading →

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Jan 09 2011
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Attorneys' Fees, Default Judgment, Judgment, Verdicts

Northern District Awards $618,812.82 in Compensatory Damages and Punitive Damages in Case Involving Labor Code and Human Trafficking Allegations

The Northern District granted a default judgment in a human trafficking and Labor Code case.  Canal v. Dann, No. 09-03366 CW, 2010 WL 3491136 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 2, 2010) (slip op.).

Plaintiff Zoraida Peña Cenal alleged that from July, 2006 to April, 2008, Peña Canal worked for Defendant Dann for fifteen hours a day, seven days a week, caring for Defendant’s three young children and cooking and cleaning for the household. Id. For all of this work, plaintiff alleged that Defendant paid Peña Canal only once: on Christmas day in 2006, Defendant gave Peña Canal $100. Id. *1

After Peña Canal escaped from Defendant, the U.S. Attorney charged Dann with five counts: forced labor, unlawful use of documents in furtherance of servitude, harboring an illegal alien for private financial gain, visa fraud and conspiracy to commit visa fraud.  Id. *2.  A jury convicted Dann on all counts, and the criminal court sentenced her to sixty months in prison and three years of supervised release, and ordered her to pay $123,740.34 in restitution. Id. The restitution amount was based upon the government’s calculation, which was derived from data submitted from the federal government’s Foreign Labor Certification Program, as evidence of the value of Peña Canal’s labor during the period at issue. Id. Continue reading →

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Jan 09 2011
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Restatement

Fifth Circuit Declines to Apply Restatement’s Burden Shifting Scheme in Proving Trade Secret Damages

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The Fifth Circuit reversed a denial of summary judgment on a misappropriation of trade secrets claim In MGE UPS Systems, Inc. v. GE Consumer and Industrial, Inc., et al., 612 F.3d 760 (5th Cir. 2010).  In that case, an owner of copyrighted software sued unauthorized user of the software for copyright infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, and violation of Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Continue reading →

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Jan 09 2011
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C.C.P. § 2019.210 Pre-Discovery Disclosure, Discovery

Northern District Applies Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 2019.210 Pre-Discovery Disclosure Requirements

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The Northern District applied California’s trade secret disclosure procedure, and found Plaintiff’s disclosure partially sufficient.  M.A. Mobile Ltd. v. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, No. C08-02658 RMW (HRL), 2010 WL 3490209 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 3, 2010) (slip op.). Continue reading →

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Jan 09 2011
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Unclean Hands

Unclean Hands Bars Suit Between Construction Contractors Where Subcontractor Failed to Pay Labor Code Prevailing Wages

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Plaintiff construction subcontractor appealed from a trial court ruling that its suit against the construction contractor was barred by the doctrine of unclean hands.  B & K Custom Cabinets, Inc. v. B.K. Ball, Inc., No. C060766, 2010 WL 3508321 (Cal. Ct. App. 3d Dist. Sept. 9, 2010).  The subcontractor B & K sued contractor Ball seeking to enforce a stop notice and asserting causes of action for breach of contract and violation of the prompt payment laws, all designed to recover $155,534 allegedly due under the subcontract. Id. *6.  Ball claimed it owed no more than $87,987, but because it had knowledge of B & K’s prevailing wage violation, Ball could not pay even that amount without exposing itself to liability under Labor Code section 1775 unless B & K provided “an affidavit signed under penalty of perjury” attesting that B & K employees had been paid the prevailing wages.” Id. (citing Lab. Code § 1775(b)). Continue reading →

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Jan 09 2011
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Class Discovery, Discovery

Northern District Compels Pre-Certification Production of Class-wide Timecards and Payroll Records

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The Northern District granted a putative class representative’s motion to compel timecard and payroll records for all employees in Valenzuela v. MC2 Pool & Spa, et al., No. C09-01698 RS (HRL), 2010 WL 3489596 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 3, 2010). Continue reading →

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Jan 09 2011
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Motion to Seal, Protective Orders

Chief Judge Easterbrook Pointedly Denies Motion to Seal AT&T Mobility’s and Google’s Documents for Lack of Trade Secret Contention

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Chief Judge Easterbrook of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit pointedly denied a motion to seal documents in In re Specht, 2010 WL 3494676, No. 10-2823, — F.3d —-, 2010 WL 3494676 (7th Cir. Sept. 8, 2010).  As part of its opposition to plaintiff’s petition for writ of mandamus in which plaintiff sought recusal of the district court judge.  Id. *1.  Google and AT & T Mobility were asked to respond to the petition, and asked the Third Circuit to seal their indemnity agreement and other documents.  The court refused: “If Google and AT & T wanted to keep the documents’ terms secret, they should not have proffered them in response to Specht’s motion.” Id. *4. Continue reading →

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