Encarnacion v. SJW Sushi Corp.
- Katharine Parker
- 1:22-cv-02200
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Encarnacion v. SJW Sushi Corp., Judge Parker approved the Fair Labor Standards Act settlement and dismissed the case with prejudice and without costs.
Erik Encarnacion, SJW Sushi Corp., and Ju Hee Lee are affected by the approved settlement and the case’s discontinuance with prejudice and without costs. The court retained jurisdiction to enforce the settlement if necessary.
What happened
In Encarnacion v. SJW Sushi Corp., Erik Encarnacion brought a case under the Fair Labor Standards Act against SJW Sushi Corp. and Ju Hee Lee. The parties reached an agreement in principle to resolve the case and asked the court to approve it.
The court reviewed the proposed agreement and the parties’ explanation of why it was fair, reasonable, and adequate. The court also agreed to keep authority over the case so it could enforce the settlement if necessary.
Judge Katharine H. Parker approved the settlement, including its compensation for Encarnacion’s claims and his lawyer’s fees. The court then discontinued the action with prejudice and without costs and directed the clerk to close the case.
The detailed version
- Encarnacion v. SJW Sushi Corp. · No. 1:22-cv-02200
- Katharine Parker
- Jan. 31, 2023
Background
Erik Encarnacion brought this action under the Fair Labor Standards Act against SJW Sushi Corp. and Ju Hee Lee. The parties consented to the magistrate judge’s jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 636(c). They reached an agreement in principle and submitted a proposed settlement for court approval, along with a letter explaining why they believed the agreement was fair, reasonable, and adequate.
Court’s Review
Because Fair Labor Standards Act settlements require judicial fairness review, the court examined whether the proposed agreement was a reasonable compromise of the claims. The court considered the parties’ submissions, the settlement’s terms, the representations in their letter, and the court’s familiarity with the strengths and weaknesses of the parties’ positions.
Ruling
The court found that the proposed settlement was fair, reasonable, and adequate both to address Encarnacion’s claims and to compensate his counsel for legal fees. Judge Katharine H. Parker therefore approved the agreement. At the parties’ request, the court retained jurisdiction to enforce the settlement if necessary. The action was discontinued with prejudice and without costs, and the clerk was directed to close the case.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.