Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_18-cv-00698/USCOURTS-casd-3_18-cv-00698-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 710
Nature of Suit: Fair Labor Standards Act
Cause of Action: 29:0207(a) FLSA: Action for Overtime Wage Violation

---

1 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

MIKE MURPHY and JOSEPH 

PITTSLEY, on behalf of themselves and 

all other employees similarly situated, 

Plaintiffs, 

v. 

CITY OF EL CAJON, 

Defendant. 

 Case No.: 18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

ORDER ON JOINT MOTION FOR 

APPROVAL OF SETTLEMENT 

AGREEMENT AND DISMISSAL OF 

CASE WITH PREJUDICE 

 Presently before the court is the parties’ Joint Motion for Approval of the Settlement 

Agreement and Dismissal of Case with Prejudice, (Doc. No. 54). The court finds the 

motion suitable for determination on the papers and without oral argument in accordance 

with Civil Local Rule 7.1(d)(1). For the reasons set forth below, the court grants the motion 

for approval of the settlement. 

I. BACKGROUND 

Defendant El Cajon (the “City’) is a charter city and municipal corporation that 

employed Plaintiffs as sworn police officers. The lawsuit arises out of the City’s alleged 

failure to correctly pay overtime to Plaintiffs as required under the Fair Labor Standards 

Act (“FLSA”). 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 1 of 15
2 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

On April 9, 2018, Plaintiffs Mike Murphy and Joshua Pittsley filed a collective 

action complaint against the City. (Doc. No. 1.) The complaint alleged the City failed to 

correctly pay overtime to Plaintiffs as required by the FLSA because it failed to include 

“all remuneration for employment paid to, or on behalf of, the plaintiffs in the regular rate 

calculation.” (Id. at ¶ 13.) 

From April 9, 2018 to November 1, 2018, thirty-four (34) individuals filed Consents 

to Join the Action as Plaintiffs, (Doc. Nos. 3-33, 36, 39, 42, 44) with one plaintiff, Jeremiah 

Larson, voluntarily dismissing his claim on January 30, 2019, (Doc. No. 49). 

On May 8, 2018, Defendant filed an Answer to the Complaint. (Doc. No. 34.) On 

July 16, 2018, the court issued a Scheduling Order regulating discovery and other pre-trial 

proceedings. (Doc. No. 41.) 

On November 14, 2018, Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint (“FAC”) which added 

an allegation related to the City’s Cafeteria Benefit Plan (“CBP”). (Doc. No. 47 at 4.)1

 On 

November 28, 2018, Defendant filed an Answer to the FAC. (Doc. No. 48.) 

On February 8, 2019, the City provided Plaintiffs with a settlement offer pursuant to 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 68. (Meyerhoff Decl. ¶ 9.) The City offered 

Plaintiffs $9,134.80 for settlement, plus any costs incurred as of the date of the offer. The 

$9,134.80 included offers of damages and liquidated damages to Mitchell Ferguson, 

Kenneth Gray, Randall Gray, Tabitha Latinette and Joshua Pittsley and offer of $250 to all 

other Plaintiffs that the City had determined were not owed any back pay under the FLSA. 

(Id. at ¶ 9.) The offer was rejected by Plaintiffs. 

On April 11, 2019, the parties held an in-person settlement meeting. (Conger Decl., 

¶ 7; Meyerhoff Decl. ¶ 10.) The parties reached an agreement that resolved the action 

                                               

1 Under the CBP the City pays cash-in-lieu payments to the Plaintiffs if CBP allowance 

exceeds the total cost of benefits. (FAC at 4.) The FAC alleges the City’s CBP was 

sufficiently large as a percentage of the City’s total contributions, during each relevant 

year, that they could not lawfully be deemed incidental and therefore could not be excluded 

from a determination of remuneration and regular rates of pay. (Id. at ¶ 23.)

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 2 of 15
3 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

related to the calculation and payment of compensation under the FLSA. (Id.) At the time 

of settlement, no substantive motion practice had occurred. 

 On June 12, 2019, the parties filed a Joint Motion for Approval of Settlement 

Agreement and Dismissal of Case with Prejudice. (Doc. No. 54.) Under the terms of the 

settlement, each Plaintiff will receive the following payment for his or her respective 

unpaid overtime compensation and damages: 

Plaintiff Damages Payment

Allen Boyer $1,417.81 

Melissa Calderon $2,917.24 

Jonah Conley $575.37 

Jonathan Corrao $2,293.23 

Mitchell Ferguson $1,673.35 

James Gallivan $1,630.49 

Patrick Gomes $1,243.59 

Kenny Gray $7,037.28 

Randall Gray $3,751.80 

William Guerin $1,552.44 

Kenneth Harris $1,583.50 

Benjamin Hogan $1,740.12 

Travis Howard $1,344.62 

Jeannine Johns $700.66 

Gregory Johnson $500.00 

James Juns $4,888.16 

Jonathan Laroche $500.00 

Tabitha Latinette $1,620.60 

Ted Mansour $500.00 

Timothy McFarland Jr. $2,469.64 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 3 of 15
4 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Louie Michael $3,139.27 

Mike Murphy $1,094.68 

Joshua Pittsley $2,392.15 

Michael Rosas $1,894.27 

Jason Sargent $624.83 

Jason Stacy $2,919.91 

Brandon Stanley $1,256.25 

Jeffrey Taylor $3,101.88 

Andrew Van Woerkom $1,586.80 

David Vojtaskovic, II $687.48 

Jordan Walker $1,362.59 

Justin White $500.00 

Thomas Winslow $500.00 

(Doc. No. 56 at 17-18.) The settlement results in a total payment amount of $61,000, with 

the City paying an additional $30,000 in attorney’s fees and costs to the Law Offices of 

Michael A. Conger for a total settlement amount of $91,000.2

 (Id. at 9.) Each of the 33 

Plaintiffs have signed an “Individual Settlement Agreement and Release.” (Id. at 19-51.) 

II. LEGAL STANDARD 

The FLSA establishes federal minimum-wage, maximum hour, and overtime 

guarantees that cannot be modified by contract.” Genesis Healthcare Corp. v. Symczyk, 

569 U.S. 66, 69 (2013). It authorizes individual suits and allows claims to be brought on 

behalf of similarly situated individuals, which are frequently referred to as collective 

                                               

2 The settlement agreement includes a provision that if Mr. Conger expends more than 20 

hours of billable time on this action after April 11, 2019, the City shall pay him an 

additional $5,000 in attorney’s fees and costs, resulting in a total settlement amount of 

$96,000. (Doc. No. 56 at 9 ¶ 1.a.) 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 4 of 15
5 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

actions. See Leuthold v. Destination Am., Inc., 224 F.R.D. 462, 466 (N.D. Cal. 2004); see 

also Does v. Advanced Textile Corp., 214 F.3d 1058, 1064 (9th Cir. 2000). Unlike 

traditional class actions brought under Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 

collective actions brought under the FLSA require that individual members “opt in” by 

filing a written consent. See 29 U.S.C. §216(b).3

“Settlement of an FLSA claim, including a collective action claim, requires court 

approval.” Kempen v. Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., No. 15-cv660-HSG, 2016 WL 4073336, at 

*4 (N.D. Cal. Aug. 1, 2016); see also Selk v. Pioneers Mem’l Healthcare Dist., 159 F. 

Supp. 3d 1164, 1172 (S.D. Cal. 2016) (“claims for unpaid wages under the FLSA may only 

be waived or otherwise settled if supervised by either the Secretary of Labor or a district 

court.”). However, “a Court has a considerably less stringent obligation to ensure fairness 

of the settlement in a FLSA collective action than a Rule 23 action because parties who do 

not opt in are not bound by the settlement.” Millan v. Cascade Water Services, Inc., 310 

F.R.D. 593, 607 (E.D. Cal. Oct. 8, 2015) (internal quotation marks omitted). Thus, 

“[s]ettlements that reflect a fair and reasonable compromise of issues that are actually in 

                                               

3 Although the Ninth Circuit has yet to directly address what constitutes the appropriate 

procedure for “similarly situated,” the certification procedure for an FLSA collective action 

differs from a traditional class action, with district courts within this circuit generally using 

an ad hoc two-tiered approach. First, at the “notice stage,” the court determines if the 

plaintiffs are similarly situated, certifying the collective action for the limited purpose of 

sending notice of the action to potential class members. See, e.g., Hill v. R+L Carriers, 

Inc., 690 F. Supp. 2d 1001, 1009 (N.D. Cal. 2010). The “notice stage” conditional 

certification requires a plaintiff show substantial allegations, supported by declarations or 

discovery, that “the putative class members were together the victims of a single decision, 

policy, or plan,” but the standard is lenient, and certification is usually granted. Id. The 

second determination is made at the close of discovery and utilizes a stricter standard 

where, “the court reviews several factors, including the disparate factual and employment 

settings of the individual plaintiffs; the various defenses available to the defendant which 

appear to be individual to each plaintiff; fairness and procedural considerations; and 

whether the plaintiffs made any required filings before instituting suit.” Id. (citing Thiessen 

v. Gen. Elec. Capital Corp., 267 F.3d 1095, 1103 (10th Cir. 2001)). 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 5 of 15
6 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

dispute may be approved to promote the efficiency of encouraging settlement of litigation.” 

Kerzich v. Cnty. of Tuolumne, No. 1:16-cv-01116-DAD-SAB, 2019 WL 1755496, at *3 

(E.D. Cal. Apr. 19, 2019) (citing McKeen-Chaplin v. Franklin Am. Mortg. Co., No. C 10-

5243 SBA, 2012 WL 6629608, at *2 (N.D. Cal. Dec. 19, 2012)). 

Absent specific criteria from the Ninth Circuit, California courts consistently apply 

the standard set forth in the Eleventh Circuit case, Lynn’s Food Stores Inc. v. United States, 

679 F.2d 1350, 1355 (1982). See, e.g. Kerzich, 2019 WL 1755496, at *2; Dashiell v. Cnty. 

of Riverside, Case No. EDCV 15-00211 JGB (Spx), 2018 WL 3629915, at *2-3 (C.D. Cal. 

July 19, 2018); Selk, 159 F. Supp. 3d at 1172; Dunn v. Teachers Ins. & Annuity Assoc. of 

Am., No. 13-cv-5456-HSG, 2016 WL 153266, at *3 (N.D. Cal. Jan. 13, 2016). Under that 

standard, the relevant considerations are whether the settlement constitutes a “fair and 

reasonable resolution of a bona fide dispute over FLSA provisions.” Lynn’s Food Stores, 

679 at 1355. 

“A bona fide dispute exists when there are legitimate questions about the existence 

and extent of Defendant’s FLSA liability.” Selk, 159 F. Supp. 3d at 1172 (internal 

quotation marks and citation omitted). This means that “[t]here must be some doubt ... 

that the plaintiffs would succeed on the merits through litigation on their FLSA claims.” 

Id. In determining whether a settlement is “fair and reasonable,” the court should consider 

a variety of factors including: (1) the range of possible recovery; (2) the seriousness of the 

litigation risks; (3) the experience and views of counsel and opinions of participating 

plaintiffs; (4) the stage of the proceedings and extent of discovery completed; (5) the scope 

of release provision; and (6) the possibility of fraud or collusion. Id. at 1174-1180. 

III. DISCUSSION 

The joint motion seeks approval of the proposed settlement agreement that provides 

individual awards to each opt-in Plaintiff ranging from $500.00 to $7,037.28 for a 

collective amount of $61,000.00 and an award of attorney’s fees and costs in the amount 

of $35,000.00. 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 6 of 15
7 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

1. Bona Fide Dispute 

A district court may approve a settlement in an employee FLSA suit that reflects a 

reasonable compromise over disputed issues, such as minimum wages or overtime 

compensation, “to promote the policy of encouraging settlement of litigation.” Slezak v. 

City of Palo Alto., No. 16-CV-03224-LHK, 2017 WL 2688224, at *2 (N.D. Cal. June 22,

2017) (internal quotation marks and citations omitted); see also Lynn’s Food Stores, 679 

F.2d at 1353 n.8 (requiring “settlement of a bona fide dispute between the parties with 

respect to coverage or amount due under the [FLSA]”). 

 Here, the parties have two substantive disagreements regarding the claim. First, the 

parties dispute which is the applicable overtime hour threshold under the FLSA. Plaintiffs 

assert the overtime threshold is 160 hours based on the language in the Memorandum of 

Understanding (“MOU”) between the City and the El Cajon Police Officers Association. 

(Conger Decl. at ¶ 4.) The City asserts contractual overtime and FLSA overtime are not 

the same and, for purposes of an FLSA claim, all hours worked under the 171-hour 

statutory maximum pursuant to 29 C.F.R. § 553.230(c) are non-overtime labor. 

(Meyerhoff Decl. at ¶ 5.) 

Second, the parties dispute the proper methodology used to calculate overtime owed 

under the FLSA. Plaintiffs assert the calculation should be made using the regularly 

scheduled hours as the divisor to determine the regular rate, relying on Bay Ridge 

Operating Company, Inc. v Aaron, 334 U.S. 446 (1948) and Local 246 Utility Workers 

Union of America v. Southern California Edison Company, 83 F.3d 292 (1986), for 

support. (Conger Decl. at ¶ 5.) The City has articulated, as it has maintained throughout 

this lawsuit, that the Plaintiffs are hourly, non-exempt employees, and that the proper 

method for calculating their overtime is the method set forth in 29 C.F.R. § 778.109 and 

29 C.F.R. § 778.110(b) and other authorities that use the actual hours works as the divisor. 

(Meyerhoff Decl. at ¶ 6.) Accordingly, the court concludes that a bona fide dispute exists 

between the parties. 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 7 of 15
8 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2. Proposed Settlement is Fair and Reasonable 

Having found a bona fide dispute, the court will turn to the second step of the 

analysis. 

First, the court considers whether the settlement bears a reasonable relationship to 

the value of the claims. Selk, 159 F. Supp. 3d at 1174. Under the terms of the settlement, 

the City will pay $61,000 to settle the overtime claims, and as set forth in the table above, 

each Plaintiff will receive awards ranging from $500.00 to $7,037.28. The parties reached 

the $61,000 settlement amount after exchanging significant quantities of payroll and 

timekeeping data and after agreeing to a method for calculating each award. The amount 

owed to each Plaintiff was based on the following calculation: (1) the number of FLSA 

overtime hours each Plaintiff worked from April 9, 2015 to June 15, 2018 (the “time 

period”), was determined based on the total number of statutory, overtime hours (171 

hours); (2) the $61,000 was divided by the total number of hours worked by all Plaintiffs 

during the time period to determine a pro-rated value for each FLSA overtime hour worked; 

(3) each individual Plaintiff’s number of FLSA overtime hours worked during the time 

period was multiplied by the pro-rated value to determine the individual settlement 

payment for each Plaintiff; and (5) any Plaintiff whose individual settlement amount was 

calculated to be below $500 would receive a minimum payment of $500, maximum 

settlement amounts of $3,200 were applied to any Plaintiff whose individual settlement 

was above $3,200. (Doc. No. 59 at 9 ¶ 1.b.) After applying the minimum and maximum 

caps, the parties agreed that the remaining settlement funds would be divided between the 

three Plaintiffs who had been subject to the maximum cap. (Id.) Notably, under the City’s 

calculation which uses the 171 hours as the overtime threshold for potential FLSA liability, 

Plaintiffs’ would have been entitled to $442.40 for unpaid wages over a three-year period, 

(or $884.80 if liquidated damages were to be added). (Meyerhoff Decl. at ¶ 8.) Based on 

the calculations and on the City’s estimate, and the certainty of recovery, the court 

concludes this factor weighs in favor of FLSA settlement approval. 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 8 of 15
9 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Second, the court considers the stage of proceedings and the amount of discovery 

conducted to ensure that the parties have an adequate appreciation of the merits of the case 

before reaching a settlement. Selk, 159 F. Supp. 3d at 1177. Here, the parties have litigated 

this case for a year, have formally been engaged in discovery since July 2018, and have 

obtained the payroll and employment records of the City which were used to calculate the 

overtime damages awards to each Plaintiff. Thus, the court is comfortable concluding that 

the parties have “sufficient information to make an informed decision about settlement.” 

Linney v. Cellular Alaska P’ship, 151 F.3d 1234, 1239 (9th Cir. 1998). Accordingly, this 

factor weighs in favor of approval of the settlement. 

Third, in evaluating the serious risks of ongoing litigation, the court is mindful that 

settlement is favored where “there is a significant risk that litigation might result in a lessor 

recovery[y] for the class or no recovery at all.” Bellinghausen v. Tractor Supply Co., 306 

F.R.D. 245, 255 (N.D. Cal. 2015). The parties dispute key issues in this litigation, 

including the damages calculation, and if the litigation were to continue and the City 

prevailed on its argument regarding how FLSA overtime should be counted and calculated, 

Plaintiffs’ recovery would be significantly diminished. Accordingly, this factor weighs in 

favor of approval of the settlement. 

Fourth, the court considers the opinions of counsel and opinions of participating 

plaintiffs. “The opinions of counsel should be given considerable weight both because of 

counsel’s familiarity with th[e] litigation and previous experience with cases.” Larsen v. 

Trader Joe’s Co., No. 11-cv-05188-WHO, 2014 WL 3404531, *5 (N.D. Cal. Jul. 11, 

2014). Plaintiffs’ counsel, Mr. Conger, has over 25 years of experience litigating wage 

and hour and employment claims. (Conger Decl. at ¶ 2.) Similarly, the City is represented 

by experienced counsel in Mr. Meyerhoff. (Meyerhoff Decl. at ¶ 2.) Mr. Conger declares 

that based on his experience, the terms “are fair, just, and reasonable, and the settlement 

amount reflects the maximum amount that Plaintiffs could expect to recover if this matter 

were to proceed to trial.” (Conger Decl. at ¶ 11.) Additionally, Mr. Conger attests that his 

analysis “entails a comparison of the amount of settlement with the amount of damages 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 9 of 15
10 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Plaintiffs would likely recover if successful on each disputed issue.” (Id. at ¶ 11.) 

Furthermore, all of the opt-in members have signed Individual Settlement Agreement and 

Releases. (Doc. No 56 at 19-51.) The release includes an acknowledgement that the 

undersigned agreed “to the terms and conditions contained in this Settlement Agreement 

and Release, as set forth in the above nine (9) pages.” See, e.g., Doc. No. 56 at 19. The 

court presumes that in accordance with the release signed by each Plaintiff, they did in fact 

receive a copy of the settlement agreement, had time to review it, and then executed the 

release and no Plaintiff has objected to the settlement terms. Accordingly, this factor 

weighs in favor of approval of the settlement. 

Fifth, the court must consider the scope of the settlement agreement’s release 

provision to ensure that it “does not go beyond the specific FLSA claims at issue in the 

lawsuit itself.” Slezak, 2017 WL 2688224, at *4. Here, the court has reviewed the Release 

of All Claims clause of the settlement and notes that it specifically contains the proviso 

that it “does not include claims relating to conduct or activity which does not arise from 

nor is not attributable to PLAINTIFFS’ FLSA claims or to any conduct or activity which 

occurs after the Effective Date of the AGREEMENT.” Doc. No. 56 at 12 ¶ 7. Accordingly, 

this factor weighs in favor of approval of the settlement. 

Finally, the court must consider if the settlement resulted from, or was influenced 

by, fraud or collusion. A review of the settlement terms and reward being sought by 

Plaintiffs’ counsel does not provide any indication of collusion. Here, each individual optin member will receive an amount based on the reasonable formula agreed on by the parties 

which was based on an analysis of employee time records. The result being that Plaintiffs 

Murphy and Pittsley each receive an award in the mid-range of all those awarded to the 33 

members and neither is seeking incentive awards on their own behalves. Additionally, not 

only were the damages awarded to each Plaintiff based on a formula, there is nothing in 

the record to suggest that plaintiffs’ counsel “ha[s] allowed pursuit of [his] own selfinterests and that of certain class members to infect the negotiations.” In re Bluetooth 

Headset Products Liab. Litig., 654 F.3d 935, 947 (9th Cir. 2011) (explaining that courts 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 10 of 15
11 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

should be vigilant for explicit collusion along with “subtle signs that class counsel have 

allowed pursuit of their own self-interests and that of certain class members to infect the 

negotiations.”). Moreover, as the parties point out, “approval by all of the Plaintiffs further 

supports a finding that counsel did not collude, or otherwise allow self-interest to infect the 

settlement negotiations.” (Doc. No. 54 at 15.) Accordingly, finding the settlement to be 

the result of arms-length negotiations, with no evidence of fraud or collusion, this factor 

weighs in favor of approval. 

In accordance with the above, the court concludes that the settlement agreement is a 

fair and reasonable resolution of a bona fide dispute regarding FLSA liability. See Lynn’s 

Food Stores, 679 F.2d at 1355.

3. Attorney’s Fees and Costs 

“Where a proposed settlement of FLSA claims includes the payment of attorney’s 

fees, the court must also assess the reasonableness of the fee award.” Selk, 159 F. Supp. 

3d at 1180; see also 29 U.S.C. § 216(b) (providing that, in a FLSA action, the court shall 

“allow a reasonable attorney’s fee to be paid by the defendant, and costs of the action.”). 

Even if the parties have already agreed to the amount, “courts have an independent 

obligation to ensure that the award, like the settlement itself, is reasonable.” In re 

Bluetooth, 654 F.3d at 946.

“Under Ninth Circuit law, the district court has discretion in common fund cases to 

choose either the percentage-of-the fund or the lodestar method” to determine a reasonable 

attorney’s fee.” Vizcaino v. Microsoft Corp., 290 F.3d 1042, 1047 (9th Cir. 2002).; see 

also In re Bluetooth, 654 F.3d at 942 (“Where a settlement produces a common fund for

the benefit of the entire class, courts have discretion to employ either the lodestar method 

or the percentage-of-recovery method.”). When employing their discretion and utilizing 

the percentage-of-recovery method, federal “courts typically calculate 25% of the fund as 

the ‘benchmark’ for a reasonable fee award.” In re Bluetooth, 654 F.3d at 942. In assessing 

the reasonableness of the award in common fund percentage award cases, the Ninth Circuit 

has provided a non-exhaustive list of factors to be used, including: 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 11 of 15
12 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

 the extent to which class counsel achieved exceptional results for the class, 

whether the case was risky for class counsel, whether counsel’s performance 

generated benefits beyond the cash settlement fund, the market rate for the 

particular field of law (in some circumstances), the burdens class counsel 

experienced while litigating the case (e.g. cost, duration, foregoing other 

work), and whether the case was handled on a contingency basis.

In re Online DVD-Rental Antitrust Litig., 779 F.3d 934, 954-55 (9th Cir. 2015). 

Ultimately, “[s]election of the benchmark or any other rate must be supported by findings 

that take into account all the circumstances of the case.” Vizcaino 290 F.3d at 1047. 

Here, the settlement agreement provides for an attorney’s fee and costs award of 

$30,000 equaling 32.96% of the fund, or $35,000 in the event that Mr. Conger expends 

more that 20 billable hours working on this litigation after April 11, 2019. (Doc. No. 56 at 

9 ¶ 1.a.) Plaintiffs’ counsel seeks the higher amount, which represents approximately 

36.46% of the total settlement amount. (Doc. No. 56 at 5.) 

Mr. Conger attests that he: 

personally reviewed the itemization of work performed in this case. From 

April 2018 to the present, I expended more than 92 hours on this case. My 

hourly rate is $650. My lodestar exceeds $60,000. Plaintiffs’ costs for 

litigation exceed $3,400. 

Doc. No. 56 at 5 ¶¶ 14, 15, 16. A supplemental declaration was provided by Mr. Conger 

detailing the time expended on this case. (Doc. No. 58.) 

The court acknowledges the factors support the fee request. The settlement amount 

confers benefits upon the plaintiffs, which when viewed considering the risks associated 

with continuing this litigation and the City’s Rule 68 offer, weighs in favor of the fee 

amount. See Hensley v. Eckerhart, 461 U.S. 424, 436 (1983) (holding that “the most 

critical factor is the degree of success obtained. Coupled with this is the risk counsel 

assumed by taking this case on a contingency fee basis. See Spann v. J.C. Penney Corp. 

211 F. Supp. 3d 1244, 1264 (C.D. Call. 2016) (“Courts consistently recognize that the risk 

of non-payment or reimbursement of expenses is a factor in determining the 

appropriateness of counsel’s fee award.”) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted.). 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 12 of 15
13 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Additionally, the experience of Mr. Conger in litigating actions of this type would appear 

to support the request. Moreover, the fact that none of the collective members have 

objected to the settlement with all members reacting positively, also supports the 

application. Finally, the supplemental declaration provided by Mr. Conger has provided 

additional support for his request by detailing a number of tasks performed on this case for 

the last year, including: meeting with the initial clients, communicating with all 34 

plaintiffs, drafting pleadings, reviewing initial discovery productions, legal research, 

attending a settlement conference, preparing and conducting a Rule 30(b)(6) deposition, 

and performing damages calculations. (Doc. No. 58.) 

 The lodestar calculation cross-check ensures the reasonableness of the percentage 

award requested by counsel. See In re Bluetooth, 654 F.3d at 944-45 (encouraging courts 

to “guard against an unreasonable result by cross-checking their calculations against a 

second method.”). The lodestar figure is calculated by multiplying the number of hours 

the attorney reasonably expended on the litigation by the reasonable hourly rate. Id. at 941. 

And, while the court need not engage in a full-blown lodestar analysis when the primary 

basis remains the percentage method, the calculation is meant to provide a “useful 

perspective on the reasonableness of a given percentage award.” Vizcaino, 290 F.3d at 

1050. 

 Here, both the court’s and Mr. Conger’s lodestar calculation further bolster the fee 

request. In support of his request, Mr. Conger declares he has expended more than 92 

hours on this litigation, and at an hourly rate of $650, this yields attorney’s fees in excess 

of $60,000 according to his lodestar calculation. (Doc. No. 56 at ¶ 14.) Rather than seek 

such a high award, Mr. Conger sought an amount that was considerably less than the 

lodestar calculation, which lends further support to reasonableness of the amount 

requested. See., e.g., Fernandez v. Victoria Secret Stores, LLC, No. CV 06-040149 MMM 

(SHx) 2018 8150856, at *14 (C.D. Cal. July 12, 2008) (the lodestar calculation serves “as 

a point of comparison by which to assess the reasonableness of a percentage award.”). 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 13 of 15
14 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

 Moreover, the court finds the $650 rate for an attorney who has been practicing for 

over 25 years to be appropriate given plaintiffs’ counsel’s experience litigating wage and 

hour and employment matters, a number of which alleged FLSA violations. See PLCM 

Group v. Drexler, 22 Cal. 4th 1084, 1095 (2000) (a reasonable hourly rate is the prevailing 

rate charged by attorneys of similar skill and experience in the relevant community). 

Courts in wage and hour cases in this district have previously accepted hourly rates 

between $200 and $800 as reasonable for partners and senior counsel for lodestar purposes. 

See Velasquez v. Int’l Marine & Indus. Applicators, LLC, Case No. 16cv494-MMA (NLS), 

2018 WL 828199, at *9 (S.D. Cal. Feb. 9, 2018) (using counsel’s hourly rates from $200 

to $800 for lodestar cross-check); Espinosa v. Cal. Coll. of San Diego, Inc., Case No. 

17cv744-MMA (BLM), 2018 WL 1705955, at *10 (S.D. Cal., Apr. 9, 2018) (using 

plaintiff’s counsel’s hourly rate of $650 to perform lodestar cross-check); Thompson v. 

Costco Wholesale Corp., Case No. 14-CV-02778-CAB-(WVG), 2017 WL 3840342 (S.D. 

Cal. Sep. 1, 2017) (allowing use of rates of $650 and $850 for senior attorneys when 

reviewing submitted lodestar calculation). In addition, the purported 92 hours claimed is 

supported by the supplemental declaration provided by Mr. Conger wherein he sets forth 

details regarding the work performed and is reasonable in light of the fact that this litigation 

proceeded for a little over a year before a settlement was reached. (See generally, Doc. 

No. 58.) 

Thus, although the requested fee award is 10% above the Ninth Circuit’s benchmark, 

the court approves the award of $35,000 in attorney’s fees and costs. 

IV. CONCLUSION 

In accordance with the above, it is hereby ORDERED as follows: 

1. The court GRANTS approval of the Settlement Agreement; 

2. The court GRANTS the motion for attorney’s fees and awards Michael A. 

Conger $35,000 in attorney’s fees and costs; 

3. The Court expressly retains jurisdiction over this action for purposes of enforcing 

the parties’ Settlement Agreement and Release; 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 14 of 15
15 

18cv0698 JM(NLS) 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

4. The case is hereby DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE; and 

5. Judgment is hereby entered on the terms set forth above. The Clerk of the Court 

shall CLOSE this case. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: August 19, 2019 

Case 3:18-cv-00698-JM-NLS Document 59 Filed 08/19/19 PageID.<pageID> Page 15 of 15