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Verdicts and Settlements From Nelson Law Group

 

Kaur v. Bay Area Cosmetic Dermatology

The plaintiff, Dr. Ravneet Kaur, is a first-generation American who worked her way through medical school to become an accomplished dermatologist. In 2019, she went to work for Bay Area Cosmetic Dermatology (“BACD”), founded and primarily owned by Dr. Kathleen Welsh. Dr. Kaur had serious complications after getting pregnant and was ordered on bedrest. Two days later, BACD replaced her and then created a pretextual paper trail to try to justify firing her a week before Christmas. NLG took the case to trial and a jury awarded Dr. Kaur almost $1.3 million, including $425,000 in punitive damages. (San Francisco Superior Court, 2020).

 

Withrow v. Stryker

Commissioned salesperson was denied almost $100,000 he was owed from sales.  The defendant, Stryker Sales Corporation, initially offered only $50 to settle.  However, after retaining NLG and going through a jury trial in federal court, the plaintiff, a West Point graduate and Iraq war veteran, obtained a verdict of approximately $140,000, including penalties and interest. NLG was also awarded more than $270,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs. (Central District of California, 2016)

 

Centeno v. Bon Appetit

A 13-year employee was abruptly fired after leaving work to tend to her dying mother-in-law.  The firing happened shortly after the plaintiff, who had always had good performance reviews, was in a car accident that required ongoing disability accommodation. After a prolonged legal battle, the defendant, Bon Appetit, agreed to pay the plaintiff all wages she lost due to her firing, plus more for compensatory damages. NLG was also awarded more than $230,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs. (San Mateo Superior Court, 2017; featured on KTVU news at https://www.ktvu.com/news/woman-fired-for-taking-care-of-dying-mother-in-law-in-violation-of-company-policy)

 

Employees v. Transit Company

Wage case on behalf of multiple employees who were not paid whenever customers canceled or failed to show up for scheduled appointments. The employees were not free to do what they wanted during cancelations, but in fact had to remain on-call in case the employer needed them. The case resolved in a settlement of $3.2 million. (San Francisco Superior Court, 2013)

 

Employees v. Professional Services Company

Class-action overtime and break case on behalf of numerous sales employees who were misclassified as “exempt,” meaning they did not receive overtime. The employees did not perform sufficient sales duties to qualify for any applicable exemptions from overtime and break requirements. The case resolved in a settlement of $2.5 million. (United States District Court, Northern District of California, 2011)

 

Employees v. Aviation Companies

Age discrimination and wrongful termination case involving five pilots in their 50s and 60s who were fired after working for their employers for almost 10 years. The employers claimed the pilots were fired for performance problems, although the only specific problems the employers cited occurred years before the terminations. The case resolved in a settlement of $1.1 million. (San Francisco Superior Court, 2010)

 

Employees v. Financial Services Company

“Off-the-clock” collective action on behalf of more than 100 current and former employees of a nationwide financial services company. The defendant had written policies (mostly contained in its employee handbook) that showed that employees were regularly required to work more than 40 hours per week, yet time records showed that very few employees ever reported overtime. The case resolved in a settlement of $850,000. (Northern District of California, 2008)

 

Angela Badami, et al. v. Grassroots Campaigns Inc.

Minimum wage and overtime class action on behalf of current and former employees of Grassroots Campaigns, a company that solicits campaign contributions for progressive causes and candidates. The defendant classified numerous employees as exempt from overtime requirements but failed to pay them the minimum salary required by California law. The case settled for $600,000 less than five months after it was filed. (Northern District of California, 2007)

 

Company Owners v. Purchaser

In a business sale gone bad, the sellers, former owners of a debt collection company, sued the purchaser, a hedge fund. The purchaser paid a portion of the agreed-upon price for the company, and took it over but then stopped paying. The case resolved in a confidential settlement of $500,000. (Northern District of California, 2013)

 

Employee v. Entertainment Company

Pregnancy discrimination and wrongful termination case involving a woman who was fired when she was almost nine months pregnant. The employer claimed the employee was laid off as part of a company wide restructuring; it also said her subordinates had criticized her in a written survey that had been administered to the company’s other employees. However, the evidence showed that no one else was fired as part of the alleged “restructuring,” and that the survey was not even completed until after the employee had already been fired. The case resolved in a confidential settlement of $300,000. (San Mateo Superior Court, 2009)

 

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