Zhou v. Heydari, Inc.

Background

This was a wage-and-hour case under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The parties consented to Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave’s authority to review their proposed settlement. They submitted a joint motion, a proposed settlement agreement, a damages calculation, and Plaintiff’s counsel’s billing records and costs documentation for review.

Court’s analysis

The court explained that when a Fair Labor Standards Act settlement includes attorney’s fees, the court must evaluate whether the fees are reasonable. Counsel generally must provide evidence supporting the request, including contemporaneous billing records showing the date, hours worked, and work performed for each attorney.

The proposed agreement included an allocation of attorney’s fees to Plaintiff’s counsel, but Plaintiff had not submitted the retainer agreement required for the court to review the settlement. Plaintiff also had not provided invoices or receipts supporting the requested costs and expenses listed in Exhibit 3.

Order

The court ordered Plaintiff’s counsel to submit the retainer agreement and documentation supporting the requested costs by Monday, May 12, 2025. The order directs the submission of additional materials; it does not state that the proposed settlement was approved or denied.