Martinez v. Morris 1 LLC

Background

Arismendi Martinez brought claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the New York Labor Law against Morris 1 LLC and Chesnut Holdings of New York, Inc. The case had been referred to Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky for general pretrial management and dispositive motions.

On July 28, 2025, the parties jointly asked the court to approve their settlement. On August 29, 2025, Judge Tarnofsky issued a report and recommendation advising that the settlement be approved. The parties had until September 12, 2025, to object, but no objections were filed.

Court’s Analysis

Because no timely objection was filed, the district court reviewed the report for clear error on the face of the record. The court reviewed the report and found no error, clear or otherwise. It determined that the settlement was fair and reasonable based on the nature and scope of Martinez’s claims and the risks and expenses of further litigation.

Ruling

Judge Dale E. Ho adopted the report and recommendation in full. The court approved the settlement as fair and reasonable and granted Martinez’s counsel’s request for attorneys’ fees and costs.

The court also dismissed the action without prejudice because the parties reported that all claims had been settled through a fully executed settlement agreement. The order allowed the action to be reopened within 30 days if the settlement was not completed. Any request to reopen had to be filed by that deadline, and the court stated that later requests could be denied solely because they were late. The court also stated that requests to extend the reopening deadline were unlikely to be granted. The Clerk of Court was directed to close the motion listed at ECF No. 30.