St. John v. AL Studio LLC
- Willis
- 1:22-cv-08726
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In St. John v. AL Studio, Magistrate Judge Willis approved the Fair Labor Standards Act settlement and discontinued the action with prejudice.
Craig St. John, AL Studio, LLC and the other defendants, and St. John’s counsel were affected by the approved settlement and the discontinuation of the action.
What happened
Craig St. John brought this action against AL Studio, LLC and other defendants under the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York Labor Law. The parties reached an agreement in principle to resolve the case and asked the court to approve their proposed settlement.
Judge Willis reviewed the settlement agreement and the parties’ explanation of why it was fair, reasonable, and adequate. The court found that the agreement properly addressed St. John’s claims and compensated his lawyer for legal fees.
Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis approved the settlement and discontinued the action with prejudice and without costs. The court allowed St. John to ask within 30 days to restore the case if any written settlement documentation was not completed, and directed the clerk to close the case.
The detailed version
- St. John v. AL Studio LLC · No. 1:22-cv-08726
- Willis
- July 21, 2023
Background
Craig St. John brought this action under the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York Labor Law. The parties consented to the court’s authority to decide the case under 28 U.S.C. § 636(c). They reported reaching an agreement in principle and submitted a proposed settlement agreement for judicial approval, along with a letter explaining why they believed the agreement was fair, reasonable, and adequate.
Settlement Review
Because the claims included claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the court reviewed the settlement for fairness. The court considered the parties’ written submissions, their representations, the settlement terms, and the relevant circumstances as a whole. The court found that the proposed agreement was fair, reasonable, and adequate both to address St. John’s claims and to compensate his counsel for legal fees.
Disposition
The court approved the settlement agreement. It also ordered that the action be discontinued with prejudice and without costs. The order provided that, if any part of the written settlement documentation was not completed within 30 days of the order, St. John could apply by letter to restore the action to the court’s active calendar. Judge Jennifer E. Willis directed the Clerk of Court to close the case on the docket.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.