Talavera v. 987 Supermarket Inc. d/b/a Los Vecinos Meat Market & Supermarket

Background

Fulgencio Talavera brought an action for damages under the Fair Labor Standards Act, a federal law governing wages and working hours, against 987 Supermarket Inc. d/b/a Los Vecinos Meat Market & Supermarket, Rafael A. Guzman, and Roman Rodriguez. The parties consented to the authority of the magistrate judge to decide the case. They jointly asked the court to approve their fully executed settlement agreement.

Settlement Review

The court reviewed the settlement agreement and the parties’ letter. It also considered prior proceedings, the risks, burdens, and costs of continuing the case, the possible range of recovery, whether the agreement resulted from arm’s-length bargaining, the amount of attorneys’ fees, and the possibility of fraud or collusion. The court noted that the agreement contained no confidentiality restrictions, narrowly limited the release to wage-and-hour claims, and provided attorneys’ fees within a fair and reasonable range.

Ruling

The court found that the settlement agreement was fair and reasonable and approved it. Because the case was resolved by settlement, the court dismissed and discontinued it in its entirety, with prejudice, without costs or fees to any party except as provided in the settlement agreement. The clerk was directed to terminate all motions and deadlines and close the case.