Judge: Maurice A. Leiter, Case: 20STCV31735, Date: 2023-10-03 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 20STCV31735    Hearing Date: March 8, 2024    Dept: 54

Hearing Date: March 8, 2024

Department 54, Judge Maurice A. Leiter

Motion for Approval of PAGA Settlement

Moving Party: Plaintiff Cesar Ureña-Taswell

Responding Party: None

T/R:      THE MOTION IS GRANTED.

                PLAINTIFF TO NOTICE.

If the parties wish to submit on the tentative, please email the courtroom at SMCdept54@lacourt.org with notice to opposing counsel (or self-represented party) before 8:00 am on the day of the hearing.

The Court considers the moving papers. No opposition has been received.

Plaintiff moves for an order granting approval of the proposed settlement of claims brought pursuant to the Private Attorneys general Act of 2004 (“PAGA”), Cal. Lab Code § 2698, et seq.  Pursuant to the proposed settlement, Defendants have agreed to pay $73,750.00 total, $3,000.00 of which is allocated for the representative PAGA claims and the remaining for Plaintiff’s individual claims. Attorney’s fees and costs are to be deducted from Plaintiff’s individual settlement funds.

The Court previously denied Plaintiff’s motion to approve a PAGA settlement in which only $750.00 was allocated to PAGA penalties. The Court found this amount to be too low considering the releases that applied to aggrieved employees. Plaintiff has increased the amount of PAGA penalties and has clarified that the aggrieved employees will not release individual claims. The amended settlement is reasonable.

The motion is GRANTED.