Mei v. DP Hospitality Group, LLC

Background

Chunhong Mei brought this wage-and-hour case under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) on behalf of herself and others similarly situated. The defendants included DP Hospitality Group, LLC, and other defendants. The parties consented to Magistrate Judge James L. Cott’s jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 636(c) for review of their proposed settlement.

Settlement Review

The parties initially submitted letters discussing the fairness of the proposed settlement and identifying disputes that required the court’s assistance. The court held a telephone conference on January 8, 2020, to help resolve those issues, and the parties later submitted a fully executed settlement agreement. The court reviewed the parties’ submissions, participated in the settlement process and a follow-up telephone conference, and considered the settlement under the review required by Cheeks v. Freeport Pancake House.

Ruling

The court stated that FLSA settlements generally receive a strong presumption of fairness. After reviewing the agreement and the parties’ submissions, the court found that all of the settlement terms appeared fair and reasonable under the totality of the circumstances, including the allocation of attorneys’ fees and costs. Judge James L. Cott approved the settlement, retained jurisdiction solely to enforce it, and directed the Clerk to close the case.