Court “Rolls” Back Attorney Fee Award in Sushi Worker FLSA Settlement

As we have noted in previous posts, courts have been paying increasingly close attention to the terms of FLSA settlements and, on occasion, refusing to approve agreements where they are concerned by, for example, the amount of attorneys’ fees as compared to money going to the plaintiffs.

 

In Fujiwara v. Sushi Yasuda, Judge William H. Pauley III of the Southern District of New York jumped into the fray.  The parties reached an early class-wide settlement and made a joint motion for approval of the terms of the agreement.  As part of a $2.4 million settlement amount, plaintiffs’ counsel originally sought $800,000.  After Judge Pauley questioned that amount, counsel lowered their request to $600,000.

 

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