· · · · · · · · · ·UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

· · · · · · · · · ·SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

· 

· · · · · · · CASE NO. 1:22-CV-22671-ALTONAGA/TORRES

· 

· 

· · ·DELIO BATISTA, CARLOS LOPEZ,

· · ·MARIANA LOPEZ, and RAFAELA VALIENTE,

· 

· · · · · ·Plaintiffs,

· 

· · ·vs.

· 

· · ·AVANT ASSURANCE INC., REINIER CORTES,

· · ·and ANDREA GONZALEZ QUINTERO,

· · · · · ·Defendants.

· · ·___________________________________/

· 

· 

· 

· 

· · · · · · · · · ·DEPOSITION OF REINIER CORTES

· · · · · · · · ·TAKEN ON BEHALF OF THE PLAINTIFFS

· · · · · · · · · · · · · APRIL 11, 2023

· · · · · · · · · · ·10:04 A.M. TO 02:20 P.M.

· 

· · · · · · · · · ·ALL PARTIES APPEARED REMOTELY

· · · · · · · · · · · · · ·PURSUANT TO

· · · · · · · ·FLORIDA SUPREME COURT ORDER AOSC20-23

· 

· 

· 

· 

· · ·REPORTED BY:

· · ·ASHLEY CRAFT, COURT REPORTER

· · ·NOTARY PUBLIC, STATE OF FLORIDA

Case 1:22-cv-22671-CMA Document 77-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/12/2023 Page 1 of 11
·1· · · · · · · · · · APPEARANCES OF COUNSEL

·2· ·ON BEHALF OF THE PLAINTIFFS:

·3· · · · TOUSSAINT CUMMINGS, ESQUIRE

· · · · · FAIR LAW FIRM

·4· · · · 135 SAN LORENZO AVENUE, SUITE 770

· · · · · CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA 33156

·5· · · · (305) 230-4884

· · · · · TOUSSAINT@FAIRLAWATTORNEY.COM

·6· · · · (REMOTELY VIA ZOOM)

·7· ·ON BEHALF OF THE DEFENDANTS:

·8· · · · SANTIAGO CUETO, ESQUIRE

· · · · · CUETO LAW GROUP

·9· · · · 2100 PONCE DE LEON BOULEVARD, SUITE 1250

· · · · · CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA 33134

10· · · · (305) 777-0377

· · · · · SC@CUETOLAWGROUP.COM

11· · · · (REMOTELY VIA ZOOM)

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Case 1:22-cv-22671-CMA Document 77-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/12/2023 Page 2 of 11
·1· · · · · · · · · · ·INDEX OF EXAMINATION

·2· ·WITNESS:· REINIER CORTES

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·PAGE

·3· ·DIRECT EXAMINATION

· · · · ·BY TOUSSAINT CUMMINGS, ESQUIRE· · · · · · · · · · ·5

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Case 1:22-cv-22671-CMA Document 77-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/12/2023 Page 3 of 11
·1· · · · · · · · · · · ·INDEX OF EXHIBITS

·2· ·EXHIBIT· · · · · · · ·DESCRIPTION· · · · · · · · · ·PAGE

· · ·PLAINTIFF'S:

·3

· · ·EXHIBIT A· · ·INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR AGREEMENT· · · · 54

·4

· · ·EXHIBIT B· · ·E-MAIL FROM J. MANJARRES 7/8/2022· · · ·57

·5

· · ·EXHIBIT C· · ·E-MAIL FROM J. MANJARRES 7/8/2022· · · ·63

·6

· · ·EXHIBIT D· · ·2022 COMPENSATION PLAN· · · · · · · · · 81

·7

· · ·EXHIBIT E· · ·AGENTS SCHEDULE 5/9/22 - 5/13/22· · · ·120

·8

· · ·EXHIBIT F· · ·AGENTS SCHEDULE 5/23/22 - 5/27/22· · · 124

·9

· · ·EXHIBIT G· · ·AGENTS SCHEDULE 5/30/22 - 6/3/22· · · ·124

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· · ·EXHIBIT H· · ·AGENTS SCHEDULE 6/27/22 - 7/1/22· · · ·125

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· · ·EXHIBIT I· · ·E-MAIL CHAIN 6/16/22· · · · · · · · · ·126

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Case 1:22-cv-22671-CMA Document 77-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/12/2023 Page 4 of 11
·1· · · · · ·VIDEOTAPED DEPOSITION OF REINIER CORTES

·2· · · · · · · · · · · · APRIL 11, 2023

·3· · · · · · ·THE COURT REPORTER:· Good morning.· We are now

·4· · · · on the record.· We are here today April 11th, 2023.

·5· · · · The time is approximately 10:04 a.m.

·6· · · · · · ·We are here for the video deposition of

·7· · · · Reinier Cortes in the matter of Delio Batista,

·8· · · · Carlos Lopez, Mariana Lopez, and Rafaela Valiente

·9· · · · vs. Avant Assurance Incorporated, Reinier Cortes

10· · · · and Andrea Gonzalez Quintero.· Case number for that

11· · · · is 1:22-CV-22671-Altonaga-Torres.

12· · · · · · ·The Court Reporter for today is Ashley Craft

13· · · · with Universal Court Reporting.

14· · · · · · ·Would Counsels please introduce themselves for

15· · · · the record?

16· · · · · · ·MR. CUMMINGS:· Toussaint Cummings on behalf of

17· · · · Plaintiffs.

18· · · · · · ·MR. CUETO:· Santiago Cueto on behalf of the

19· · · · Defendants.

20· · · · · · ·THE COURT REPORTER:· Thank you, Counsel.

21· ·Thereupon:

22· · · · · · · · · · · · REINIER CORTES

23· ·was called as a witness, and after having been first

24· ·duly sworn, testified as follows:

25· · · · · · · · · · · DIRECT EXAMINATION

Case 1:22-cv-22671-CMA Document 77-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/12/2023 Page 5 of 11
·1· ·in Kendall, what do they do to start their day?

·2· · · · A· · I guess they will need to turn on their

·3· ·devices in order to start getting calls.

·4· · · · Q· · What types of devices are you referring to?

·5· · · · A· · A computer.

·6· · · · Q· · What kind of computer did the sales agents use

·7· ·back in 2020?

·8· · · · A· · So, we had desktop computers that were

·9· ·available at the office, and some agents brought their

10· ·own laptops, so they could use either one or the other.

11· · · · Q· · Now whether the agents brought their own

12· ·laptops or they were using a computer that was already

13· ·provided by Avant, was there a certain type of software

14· ·that the agents had to use?

15· · · · A· · So, we have just like Uber, Uber manages a

16· ·platform.· We have a platform for the leads.

17· · · · Q· · What's the name of the platform?

18· · · · A· · It's called Radius BOB.

19· · · · Q· · R-A-D-I-U-S B-O-B?

20· · · · A· · Yes, it's a CRM, yes.

21· · · · Q· · All right.· And is Radius BOB, is that a

22· ·program that is licensed from that company?

23· · · · A· · Licensed meaning?

24· · · · Q· · Yeah.· Do you have to lease that software or

25· ·do you just pay for it once?

Case 1:22-cv-22671-CMA Document 77-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/12/2023 Page 6 of 11
·1· · · · Q· · And Rafaela Valiente, did she ever sign an

·2· ·independent contractor agreement with Avant Assurance?

·3· · · · A· · I wouldn't know.

·4· · · · Q· · And even though Delio Batista, Rafaela

·5· ·Valiente, Carlos Lopez and Mariana Lopez did not sign

·6· ·independent contractor agreements or you're not sure if

·7· ·they did you still considered them independent

·8· ·contractors?

·9· · · · A· · Yes.

10· · · · Q· · Okay.· Why is that?

11· · · · A· · That was their request.

12· · · · Q· · When did they make that request?

13· · · · A· · In multiple occasions.

14· · · · Q· · Did they make that request directly to you?

15· · · · A· · Yes.

16· · · · Q· · Did they make that request in writing?

17· · · · A· · They did.

18· · · · Q· · And in writing, was that through an e-mail?

19· · · · A· · Yes.

20· · · · Q· · Do you know if you've sent any of those

21· ·e-mails where they requested to be independent

22· ·contractors over to us or my law firm?

23· · · · A· · I'm not sure.

24· · · · Q· · Do you still have access to those e-mails

25· ·where the Plaintiffs are requesting to be considered

Case 1:22-cv-22671-CMA Document 77-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/12/2023 Page 7 of 11
·1· · · · Q· · If an agent had a dispute about the amount of

·2· ·money they received, who would they make that complaint

·3· ·to at Avant?

·4· · · · A· · To me.

·5· · · · Q· · And do you keep a record of all of the

·6· ·payments, the commission payments that you make to all

·7· ·of the agents?

·8· · · · A· · Yes.

·9· · · · Q· · How do you keep that record?

10· · · · A· · In an excel form.

11· · · · Q· · And as far as you know, have you already

12· ·turned over all of the payments that were made to the

13· ·Plaintiffs' in this case?

14· · · · A· · Yeah, I believe so.· The ones that we have.

15· · · · Q· · Now, you said that you keep it in a -- in an

16· ·excel form, is that right?

17· · · · A· · Correct.

18· · · · Q· · Okay.· So, explain that process to me.· When

19· ·you receive payment from an insurance company, do you

20· ·look to see which agent sold that particular policy?

21· · · · A· · That is correct.

22· · · · Q· · Okay.· Now, once you find out which agent

23· ·sold -- well, how do you know which agent sold the

24· ·policy?

25· · · · A· · The CRM.

Case 1:22-cv-22671-CMA Document 77-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/12/2023 Page 8 of 11
·1· · · · Q· · So, you go on the Radius and the Radius tells

·2· ·you which agent sold that policy?

·3· · · · A· · Exactly.

·4· · · · Q· · Okay.· So, let's just use Ambetter as an

·5· ·example.· Ambetter sends Avant Assurance a policy

·6· ·through what, e-mail or through regular mail?

·7· · · · A· · A policy?

·8· · · · Q· · Yeah.

·9· · · · A· · They don't send the policy to us.

10· · · · Q· · What do they sent just payment?

11· · · · A· · A commission statement.

12· · · · Q· · Commission statement.· Okay.

13· · · · A· · Similar to the one that you saw that we had

14· ·sent to the -- to your clients.

15· · · · Q· · How do you receive that commission statement,

16· ·is that through e-mail?

17· · · · A· · No, they post it in their portal, it's in an

18· ·Excel form.

19· · · · Q· · Okay.· All right.· So, now does the -- so, the

20· ·statement doesn't say the commission statement from the

21· ·insurance company does not say which one of Avant's

22· ·agents sold the policy, right?

23· · · · A· · It's going to have an agent's name attached to

24· ·the policy but it's not necessarily the agent who sold

25· ·the policy.

Case 1:22-cv-22671-CMA Document 77-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/12/2023 Page 9 of 11
·1· · · · Q· · What is an NPN?

·2· · · · A· · National Producing Number.

·3· · · · Q· · All right.· What does it identified though?

·4· · · · A· · An agent.

·5· · · · Q· · Does the commission statement have a NPN on

·6· ·it?

·7· · · · A· · In some cases.

·8· · · · Q· · How would the insurance company know the NPN

·9· ·for an agent?

10· · · · A· · That's public record.· Just like your license

11· ·might be public record.

12· · · · Q· · Okay.· Are -- does each agent that works for

13· ·Avant have their own NPN?

14· · · · A· · Yes.

15· · · · Q· · Do you have an NPN?

16· · · · A· · Yes.

17· · · · Q· · All right.· Now, you previously mentioned that

18· ·the agent that sold the policy may not be the agent

19· ·who's on the commission statement, is that what you

20· ·said?

21· · · · A· · That is correct.

22· · · · Q· · How would that happen?

23· · · · A· · Because I will be the one in the -- as the

24· ·agent of record for the company.

25· · · · Q· · So, sometimes your name is on the commission

Case 1:22-cv-22671-CMA Document 77-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/12/2023 Page 10 of 11
·1· ·statement for a policy?

·2· · · · A· · For the most part, it should be my name.

·3· · · · Q· · All right.· Now, once you get a commission

·4· ·statement, what do you do with it, from an insurance

·5· ·company?

·6· · · · A· · I pay all the agents.

·7· · · · Q· · So, just walk me through that step by step.

·8· ·You get a commission statement the commission statement

·9· ·has a customer's name on it?

10· · · · A· · Yes.

11· · · · Q· · Okay.· That customer's name then you reference

12· ·that back through Radius?

13· · · · A· · Correct.

14· · · · Q· · And then how do you pay the agents, is that

15· ·just a check or is that through direct deposit?

16· · · · A· · Mostly it would have been direct deposit.· It

17· ·could be that one of them received a check once or

18· ·twice, yeah or even a Zelle payment.

19· · · · Q· · And how long of a delay is there between when

20· ·you get a commission statement back and when you issued

21· ·a check out to the agent?

22· · · · A· · It's a couple days for the most part.

23· · · · Q· · All right.· Now, aside from commission, do

24· ·agents earn any other type of compensation that you know

25· ·like you would consider a salary or like an hourly

Case 1:22-cv-22671-CMA Document 77-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/12/2023 Page 11 of 11