Martinez v. La Potencia deli grocery Corp.
- Gregory Woods
- 1:25-cv-05288
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
Martinez v. La Potencia deli grocery Corp.: Judge Woods accepted Martinez’s voluntary dismissal after finding no settlement behind the Fair Labor Standards Act claims.
Daniel Martinez and the defendants in the action; the case was closed after the court accepted Martinez’s voluntary dismissal.
What happened
In Martinez v. La Potencia deli grocery Corp., Daniel Martinez asked the court to dismiss his case under Rule 41, the federal rule governing voluntary dismissal of lawsuits. The opinion identifies the claims as arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The court required Martinez to submit a sworn statement because federal appellate precedent requires review of voluntary dismissals of Fair Labor Standards Act claims to ensure they do not hide a settlement. Martinez stated that he had not settled with the defendants and no longer wanted to pursue the claims.
Judge Gregory H. Woods accepted Martinez’s voluntary dismissal. The court directed the Clerk of Court to close the case.
The detailed version
- Martinez v. La Potencia deli grocery Corp. · No. 1:25-cv-05288
- Gregory Woods
- Aug. 3, 2025
Background
On July 25, 2025, Daniel Martinez filed a letter asking to dismiss the action under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1)(A), which permits certain voluntary dismissals. The opinion identifies the underlying claims as claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
The same day, the court directed Martinez to a Second Circuit decision requiring courts to evaluate voluntary dismissals of FLSA claims that are made without prejudice, to ensure that the dismissal does not conceal a settlement. The court also directed Martinez to submit a sworn affidavit.
Affidavit and Court’s Analysis
On August 1, 2025, Martinez submitted the sworn affidavit. He stated that he had not reached a settlement with the defendants and that he “no longer wants to pursue the claims.” Based on that affidavit, the court concluded that there was no underlying settlement.
Ruling
Judge Gregory H. Woods accepted Martinez’s voluntary dismissal under Rule 41(a)(1)(A). The Clerk of Court was directed to close the case. The opinion does not state any separate ruling on the merits of the FLSA claims.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.