Victoriano v. Taisho, Inc.

Background

Delfino Victoriano brought this wage-and-hour action under the Fair Labor Standards Act, individually and on behalf of others similarly situated, against Taisho, Inc., doing business as Oh Taisho, and other defendants. The parties consented to the jurisdiction of United States Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave to review their proposed settlement. They submitted a joint supporting letter and a revised Settlement Agreement for approval.

The court had previously identified two deficiencies in the proposed agreement. The parties revised the agreement to address those deficiencies and submitted the revised materials for review.

Court’s Analysis

The court explained that courts generally presume that settlements in Fair Labor Standards Act cases are fair, because the parties are usually better positioned than the court to assess the reasonableness of their agreement. After reviewing the joint letter, Settlement Agreement, and exhibits, the court found that all settlement terms—including the allocation of attorneys’ fees and costs—appeared fair and reasonable under the circumstances.

Ruling

Judge Sarah L. Cave approved the settlement. The action was dismissed with prejudice and without costs except as provided in the Settlement Agreement. The court retained jurisdiction to enforce the Settlement Agreement, ruled that any pending motions were moot, directed the Clerk of Court to mark the settlement filing as granted, and directed the Clerk to close the case.