Overview

Berger Montague’s Employment & Unpaid Wages Group protects employee rights across the United States.

Berger Montague’s Employment & Unpaid Wages Group protects employee rights across the United States.

The Berger Montague lawyers who comprise our Employment & Unpaid Wages Group work tirelessly to safeguard the rights of employees and devote all of their energies to helping our firm’s clients achieve their goals. Our attorneys’ understanding of federal and state wage and hour laws, federal and state civil rights and discrimination laws, ERISA, the WARN Act, laws protecting whistleblowers, such as federal and state False Claims Acts, and other employment laws, allows us to develop creative strategies to vindicate our clients’ rights and help them secure the compensation to which they are entitled. We also are at the forefront in establishing class action remedies for employees based on breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and other state common law causes of action.

Berger Montague’s Employment & Unpaid Wages Group, which is chaired by Managing Shareholder Shanon Carson, is repeatedly recognized for outstanding success in effectively representing its clients. In 2015, The National Law Journal selected Berger Montague as the top plaintiffs’ law firm in the Employment Law category at the Elite Trial Lawyers awards ceremony. Portfolio Media, which publishes Law360, also recognized Berger Montague as one of the eight Top Employment Plaintiffs’ Firms in 2009.

Judicial Praise for Our Employment & Unpaid Wages Group

Federal courts across the United States have recognized and commended our Employment & Unpaid Wages Group’s legal skills and extraordinary success in class actions. Some examples of remarks noting the skill, efficiency and expertise of our attorneys are below:

From Judge Timothy R. Rice, United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania:

Describing Berger Montague as “some of the finest legal representation in the nation,” who are “ethical, talented, and motivated to help hard working men and women.”

Regarding the work of Berger Montague attorney Camille F. Rodriguez in Gonzalez v. Veritas Consultant Group, LLC, d/b/a Moravia Health Network, No. 2:17-cv-1319-TR (E.D. Pa. March 13, 2019).

From Judge Malachy E. Mannion, United States District Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania:

“At the final approval hearing, class counsel reiterated in detail the arguments set forth in the named plaintiffs’ briefing. … The court lauded the parties for their extensive work in reaching a settlement the court deemed fair and reasonable.

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“The court is confident that [class counsel] are highly skilled in FLSA collective and hybrid actions, as seen by their dealings with the court and the results achieved in both negotiating and handling the settlement to date.”

Acevedo v. Brightview Landscapes, LLC, No. 3:13-cv-2529, 2017 WL 4354809 (M.D. Pa. Oct. 2, 2017).

From Judge Joseph F. Bataillon, United States District Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska:

[P]laintiffs’ counsel succeeded in vindicating important rights. … The court is familiar with “donning and doffing” cases and based on the court’s experience, defendant meat packing companies’ litigation conduct generally reflects “what can only be described as a deeply-entrenched resistance to changing their compensation practices to comply with the requirements of FLSA.” (citation omitted). Plaintiffs’ counsel perform a recognized public service in prosecuting these actions as a ‘private Attorney General’ to protect the rights of underrepresented workers.

The plaintiffs have demonstrated that counsel’s services have benefitted the class. … The fundamental policies of the FLSA were vindicated and the rights of the workers were protected.

Regarding the work of Berger Montague among other co-counsel in Morales v. Farmland FoodsInc., No. 8:08-cv-504, 2013 WL 1704722 (D. Neb. Apr. 18, 2013).

From Judge Jonathan W. Feldman, United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York:

“The nature of the instant application obliges the Court to make this point clear: In my fifteen years on the bench, no case has been litigated with more skill, tenacity and legal professionalism than this case. The clients, corporate and individual, should be proud of the manner in which their legal interests were brought before and presented to the Court by their lawyers and law firms.”

and

“…the Court would be remiss if it did not commend class counsel and all those who worked for firms representing the thousands of current and former employees of Kodak for the outstanding job they did in representing the interests of their clients. For the last several years, lead counsel responsibilities were shared by Shanon Carson …. Their legal work in an extraordinarily complex case was exemplary, their tireless commitment to seeking justice for their clients was unparalleled and their conduct as officers of the court was beyond reproach.”

Employees Committed For Justice v. Eastman Kodak, (W.D.N.Y. 2010) ($21.4 million settlement).

No Fees Without Recovery

Berger Montague employment cases are often litigated on a contingent fee basis, so plaintiffs and the class do not pay attorneys’ fees or court costs unless there is a recovery.

Contact Us To Learn More

We invite you to learn more about our Employment & Unpaid Wages Group. Berger Montague welcomes referrals from other law firms and attorneys. For more information or to schedule a confidential discussion about a potential case, please email us at [email protected]. We are available to evaluate potential employment cases without charge.

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