Practice Areas & Industries: Lane Powell PC

Practice/Industry Group Overview

Lane Powell has extensive wage and hour experience. We have represented many clients in wage and hour audits with the Department of Labor (“DOL”) and the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (“DL&I”). In addition, Lane Powell has defended more than 100 class action lawsuits in the past ten years for clients in the areas of employee benefits, health care, antitrust, securities, insurance, retail and commercial business practices, home mortgage, employment discrimination and products liability, with more than 25 of those cases in the area of wage and hour class actions under both federal and state law. Among the clients we have represented in wage and hour class action litigation are Wal Mart, Nordstrom, Frito-Lay, Iowa Beef Packers, Tyson Foods and Dreyers Grand Ice Cream. The following list is a sampling of some of the cases we have defended.

Significant Wage and Hour Litigation

• Thiebes, et al. v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Case No. CV98-KI (Federal District Court, District of Oregon). We represented Wal-Mart in an FLSA wage and hour collective action alleging off-the-clock work by retail employees.
• Kalata v. Nordstrom, Inc., Case No. C02-2507R (Federal District Court, Western District of Washington). We represented Nordstrom, Inc. in this FLSA wage and hour collective action, alleging managers are improperly classified as exempt employees.
• Alvarez, et al. v. Iowa Beef Packers, Inc., Case No. CT-98-5005-RHW (Federal District Court, Eastern District of Washington, on appeal by both parties to the Ninth Circuit). We represented the defendant IBP in this class action involving state and federal claims for minimum wage and overtime, including claims alleging unpaid overtime for meal and rest breaks.
• Chavez, et al. v. Iowa Beef Packers, Inc. and Tyson Foods, Inc., Case No. No. CT-01-5093-EFS (Federal District Court, Eastern District of Washington). We represented the defendants IBP and Tyson Foods in this class action involving state and federal claims for minimum wage and overtime, including claims alleging unpaid overtime for meal and rest breaks. Lane Powell appeared as amicus curiae on behalf of IBP.
• Wingert v. Yellow Freight Systems, Inc., 146 Wn.2d 841, 50 P.3d 256 (2002). We represented defendant Yellow Freight Systems, Inc. in this action by approximately 90 plaintiffs involving allegations of unpaid rest breaks while working overtime.
• Huntley, et al. v. Frito-Lay, Inc., Case No. 96-2-04926-3 SEA (King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington). We represented Frito-Lay in this wage and hour class action, negotiating a successful resolution of the case, including a new collective bargaining agreement.
• Pinget, et al. v. Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Inc., Case No. 02-2-25028-9 KNT (King County Superior Court, Kent, Washington). We represented Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream in this wage and hour class action suit.
• Harper, et al. v. Pacific Coast Publishing, Ltd., Civil Case No. 00-2-00553-6 (Superior Court of Washington, Thurston County). We represented the defendant in this wage and hour class action involving sales representatives responsible for selling advertising space in telephone directories.
• UFCW Local 1001, et al. v. Ernst Home Center, Inc., Case No. A98-01866 (Federal Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Washington). We represented Ernst in this wage and hour class action.
• Abell, et al. v. Northwest Toys Co., et al., Case No. 98-2-28824-8 SEA (King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington). We represented the defendants in this wage and hour class action.
• Vukich v. Nabisco, Inc., Case No. 00-2-13898-9 SEA (King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington). We represented Nabisco in this wage and hour class action.
• Slaney, et al. v. Independent Order of Foresters, Case No. 98-2-02696-1 SEA (King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington). We represented the defendant IOF in this wage and hour class action involving insurance sales representatives.
• Skeen et al. v. Nordstrom, Inc., Case No. CV-98-0162 JSL (Federal District Court, Central District of California, Los Angeles). We represented Nordstrom in this employee wage class action.
• Dyer, et al. v. H & M Bay, Inc., et al., Case No. 98-2-01152-1 SEA (King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington). We represented the defendants in this class action overtime suit.
• Preistly v. Mervyn’s, et al., Case No. 777626 (Superior Court of California, Orange County).We acted as a legal consultant to defendant’s counsel on class action issues in this lawsuit seeking back wages.
• Hess v. Mervyn’s, et al., Case No. 777130 (Superior Court of California for Orange County). We acted as a legal consultant to defendant’s counsel on class action issues in this lawsuit seeking back wages.
• Rios, et al. v. Nordstrom, Inc., Case No. CV-96-4927 JSL (Federal District Court, Central District of California, Los Angeles). We represented Nordstrom in this wage and hour class action under California state law.
• Langlois, et al. v. Deja Vu, Inc., Case No. C96-331Z (Federal District Court, Western District of Washington). We represented a certain number of the defendants in this wage and hour collective action.
• Jacobs, et al. v. Nordstrom, Inc., et al., Case No. 017283/96 (Supreme Court, County of Queens, State of New York). We represented Nordstrom in this wage and hour class action under New York state law.
• Haines, et al. v. Future Shop, Case No. 9803-01653 (Multnomah County Circuit Court, Portland, Oregon). We represented the defendant Future Shop in this wage and hour class action.
• Abbott, et al. v. Sleep Country USA, Inc., Case No. 96-2-18800-0 (King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington). We represented Sleep Country USA in this wage and hour class action seeking overtime pay under state law.
• Ryder, et al. v. Taco Bell Corp., Case No. 95-2-03738-1 (King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington). We acted as a legal consultant to defendant’s counsel on class action issues in this lawsuit seeking back wages.
• Robbins, et al. v. Magnolia Hi-Fi, Inc., Case No. 94-2-26949-6 (King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington). We defended Magnolia Hi-Fi in this class action lawsuit seeking back overtime pay and exemplary damages.
• Stallworth, et al. v. Gordon Skoog Construction Co., Case No. 92-2-13406-3 (King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington). We acted as a legal consultant to defendant’s counsel on class action issues in this lawsuit seeking back wages.
• UFCW, et al. v. Nordstrom, Inc., Case No. 90-2-04282-1 (King County Superior Court, Seattle, Washington). We represented Nordstrom in this wage and hour class action lawsuit involving more than 100,000 employee class members.