Taveras v. P.J. Clarke's At Lincoln Center, LLC
- Vyskocil
- 1:20-cv-09693
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Taveras v. P.J. Clarke’s, Judge Vyskocil approved the parties’ fair Fair Labor Standards Act settlement and dismissed the case with prejudice.
Daniel Taveras and the named defendants were affected by the court’s approval of their settlement and dismissal of the case with prejudice.
What happened
In Taveras v. P.J. Clarke’s At Lincoln Center, LLC, Daniel Taveras and the defendants told the court that they had reached a settlement in principle. The case involved Taveras’s claim for unpaid overtime compensation.
The court reviewed the proposed settlement and supporting documents for fairness under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Second Circuit law. It found that the settlement was fair, reasonable, and reached through arm’s-length negotiations by parties represented by experienced lawyers. The settlement resulted from private arbitration and, before attorney fees, paid more than the amount of Taveras’s overtime claim based on the complaint’s allegations.
Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil approved the settlement and ordered the case dismissed with prejudice. The court did not decide whether the rate charged by Taveras’s attorney was reasonable, and it directed the Clerk of Court to terminate pending motions, adjourn remaining dates, and close the case.
The detailed version
- Taveras v. P.J. Clarke's At Lincoln Center, LLC · No. 1:20-cv-09693
- Vyskocil
- Sept. 19, 2022
Background
Daniel Taveras sued P.J. Clarke’s At Lincoln Center, LLC, doing business as P.J. Clarke’s, Philip Scotti, Odala Doe, and Pepe Doe. The opinion refers to allegations that Taveras was owed unpaid overtime compensation.
Settlement Review
The parties informed the court that the case had been settled in principle and submitted a proposed settlement agreement and supporting fairness documentation. The court reviewed the settlement under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Second Circuit law. It found, considering all the circumstances, that the agreement was fair and reasonable and resulted from arm’s-length negotiations by parties represented by experienced counsel. The agreement resulted from private arbitration.
Before attorney fees, the settlement compensated Taveras for more than the amount of his overtime claim based on the allegations in the complaint. The court specifically stated that its approval did not express an opinion about the reasonableness of the rates charged by Taveras’s attorney.
Ruling
Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil approved the settlement and ordered that the case be dismissed with prejudice. The court also requested that the Clerk of Court terminate all pending motions, adjourn any remaining dates, and close the case.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.