Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_04-cv-05515/USCOURTS-caed-1_04-cv-05515-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 442
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights Employment
Cause of Action: 29:1801 Farmworker Rights

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Proposed Approval Order and Judgment No. CIV-F-04-5515 OW DLB 

Marni Willenson, pro hac vice

Willenson Law Group, LLC 

4308 N. Ridgeway Ave. 

Chicago, IL 60618 

(773) 497-8224 (telephone) 

(773) 539-0329 (telefax) 

Paul Strauss, #153937 

Nancy Maldonado, pro hac vice

Miner, Barnhill & Galland 

14 W. Erie St. 

Chicago, IL 60610 

(312) 751-1170 (telephone) 

(312) 751-0438 (telefax) 

Sarah Siskind, pro hac vice

Miner, Barnhill & Galland 

44 E. Mifflin St. 

Madison, WI 53703 

(608) 255-5200 (telephone) 

(608) 255-5380 (telefax) 

Thomas Patrick Lynch, #159277 

Marcos Camacho, a Law Corporation 

P.O. Box 310 

Keene, CA 93531 

(661) 823-6220 (telephone) 

(661) 823-6177 (telefax) 

Attorneys for Plaintiffs and the Class 

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

FRESNO DIVISION 

GEORGE HERNANDEZ, JR.; ) 

JOE A. HERNANDEZ; ) 

MANUEL A. HERNANDEZ; ) 

and ARMANDO PULIDO; ) No. CIV-F-04-5515 OW DLB 

 ) 

 Plaintiffs, ) 

 ) 

 v. ) 

 ) 

) PROPOSED APPROVAL 

KOVACEVICH "5" FARMS; ) ORDER AND JUDGMENT 

KENNETH KOVACEVICH, JR.; ) 

MARK J. KOVACEVICH; CAROL ) 

K. YINGST; MARSHA K. RITCHIE; ) 

ANN K. TARTAGLIA; and KENNETH ) 

KOVACEVICH, SR.; ) 

 ) 

 Defendants. ) Complaint filed April 2, 2004 

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Case 1:04-cv-05515-OWW -DLB Document 186 Filed 10/27/05 Page 1 of 3
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Proposed Approval Order and Judgment No. CIV-F-04-5515 OW DLB 

This matter came before the Court for hearing pursuant to the Preliminary Approval 

Order of this Court, dated July ---, 2005, on the application of plaintiffs for final approval of the 

Settlement set forth in the Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement (the “Settlement 

Agreement”). Due and adequate notice having been given to Settlement Class Members as 

required in said Preliminary Approval Order, and the Court having considered all papers filed 

and proceedings had herein, and otherwise being fully informed in the premises, and good cause 

appearing therefore, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that: 

1. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23, and consistent with the Due 

Process Clause of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, this 

Court hereby approves the Settlement and finds that the Settlement Consideration is fair and 

that the Settlement is, in all respects, fair, adequate and reasonable to the plaintiffs and the 

Settlement Class Members, previously defined as “all persons who worked at K5 Farms as 

agricultural field laborers and who were not paid for time worked at the beginning of the day.” 

This Court hereby dismisses with prejudice and without costs (except as otherwise provided in 

the Settlement Agreement) the Action against the Defendants. 

2. The Court finds that the notice provided to Settlement Class Members as set 

forth in the Preliminary Approval Order and Plaintiffs’ Memorandum Concerning Adequacy of 

Mail Notice filed with the Court was the best notice practicable, under the circumstances, of 

these proceedings and the matters set forth therein, including of the proposed Settlement set 

forth in the Settlement Agreement, and said notice was given to all persons entitled to notice, 

and fully satisfied the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 and Due Process, and 

that, pursuant to said notice, no objections were filed. 

3. The Court approves an award of attorneys’ fees and reimbursement of expenses 

to Class Counsel (Miner, Barnhill & Galland, P.C., Willenson Law Group, LLC, and Marcos 

Camacho, a law corporation), jointly, in the total amount of $795,000. Having presided over 

this litigation, and considered the materials submitted by Plaintiffs’ counsel in support of final 

approval of the Settlement and their request for attorneys’ fees and expenses, finds the award of 

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Proposed Approval Order and Judgment 3 No. CIV-F-04-5515 OW DLB 

attorneys’ fees appropriate based on several factors. First, the Court finds that the negotiated 

award is less than the actual lodestar fees and expenses, which lodestar and expenses (including 

the number of hours spent and the rates charged) were reasonably necessary for the prosecution 

of plaintiff’s claims, by highly skilled lawyers working efficiently throughout the course of a 

vigorously contested lawsuit. Second, the fees were negotiated only after the substantial 

monetary relief and novel benefits to the class the Settlement provides had been fully resolved, 

and will be paid separate from those benefits, and on a delayed schedule. Third, the class notice 

specifically and clearly advised the class that counsel would seek $795,000 award, and no 

objections filed. Based on its consideration of the evidence on all these factors, the Court 

approves an award to Class Counsel (Miner, Barnhill & Galland, P.C., Willenson Law Group, 

LLC, and Marcos Camacho, a law corporation), jointly, of $795,000 in attorneys’ fees and 

reimbursement of litigation expenses. 

4. Without affecting the finality of this Final Approval Order and Judgment in any 

way, this Court retains continuing jurisdiction to implement the Settlement and to construe, 

enforce and administer the Settlement Agreement and the Settlement. Class Counsel are to 

continue in their role to oversee all aspects of the Settlement. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated this __25th____ day of October, 2005 

 /s/ OLIVER W. WANGER 

 ________________________________ 

 Honorable Judge Oliver W. Wanger 

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