Los Angeles, CA – Atticus Law Group, a leading California plaintiff’s employment law and civil rights firm, has secured a complete trial victory in an overtime exemption misclassification case, winning a $504,938.63 judgment for its client, Elias Castro Roman. The San Bernardino County Superior Court ruled entirely in favor of Mr. Castro, rejecting the employer’s claims of an exemption defense and awarding full compensation for unpaid overtime, meal and rest period violations, wage statement penalties, and prejudgment interest.
“This case was about fundamental fairness—our client put in long hours under grueling conditions, and the employer failed to pay him for that time. The Court saw through the employer’s attempts to evade its legal responsibilities and rightfully awarded every penny we requested,” said Jeff Ranen, Founding Partner of Atticus Law Group.
The lawsuit, Castro v. Nextgen Associates, Inc. et al., stemmed from the employer’s misclassification of Mr. Castro as an “exempt” employee under the administrative exemption. Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Mr. Castro worked upwards of 70 hours per week performing manual labor, often responding to after-hours service calls with no additional compensation. The employer failed to produce credible evidence that Mr. Castro’s job duties met the legal test for exemption.
In its Final Statement of Decision, the Court unequivocally rejected the employer’s defense, citing a total failure to maintain required time records and an inability to prove that Mr. Castro’s job met the exemption’s criteria. The Court’s ruling ordered full payment of all unpaid wages, statutory penalties, and attorneys’ fees.
“This is an important win not just for Mr. Castro, but for all California workers who are misclassified and denied the wages they rightfully earned,” said Parisa Khademi, Managing Partner of Atticus Law Group. “Employers who try to manipulate job titles to skirt wage and hour laws will be held accountable.”
Atticus Law Group remains at the forefront of California employment litigation, advocating for workers who have been wronged by unlawful employment practices. This case underscores the firm’s commitment to ensuring that employees receive every dollar they are owed under the law. Mr. Ranen and Ms. Khademi also thanks Nick Ebrahimian of Lavi & Ebrahimian LLP who associated the Atticus Law Group in as lead trial counsel for this important case.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact Parisa Khademi at (213) 886-7172 or pkhademi@atticuslawgroup.com.