Media

Author: Schneider Wallace

Congress Passes and President Signs the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021

The Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act prohibits the enforcement of arbitration clauses for cases alleging sexual assault or alleging sexual harassment.

$7.2 Million in Back Wages and Damages for 1,100 Nurses in Virginia

The United States Department of Labor announced a federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia entered a judgment of $7.2 million in back wages and liquidated damages on behalf of 1,105 employees of a staffing agency. The Department of Labor alleges that the medical staffing agency intentionally violated federal law and denied the eleven hundred plus nursing aids, practical nurses and registered nurses overtime wages.

The Eastern and Southern Districts of New York Charge Multiple Cryptocurrency Coin Founders with Securities Fraud, Money Laundering

On March 8th, 2022 the Southern District of New York announced charges of securities fraud and wire fraud against the founder of Ormeus Coin. The charges allege the coin was falsely presented to investors as backed by a $250 million cryptocurrency mining operation with $5 million in monthly revenue, despite neither being true.

On the same day, the Eastern District of New York announced indictments against three owners and operators of ECoinPlus, EmpowerCoin, and Jet-Coin.  The indictment includes charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Two of the three owner operators were also charged with attempting to destroy evidence and obstruct justice.

Embassy Suites and Hilton Franchise Holding to Face New York Class over Unpaid Gratuity

The judge noted that the employers failed to include information required by New York Wage Theft Prevention Laws: “The statements failed to provide the employer’s phone number… did not even identify the name of the employer… simply provided ‘Embassy Suites’ as the employer’s name without naming the actual individual or legal name of the company”.

Cryptocurrency Exchange Founders to Pay $10 Million Fine, Plead Guilty to Crimes

The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York released a statement that two founders of BitMEX would plead guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and failing to maintain anti-money laundering programs at their BitMEX cryptocurrency exchange.  The founders agreed to pay a $10 million fine.

Federal Judge Allows Criminal Charges For No-Poach Wage Fixing

The DOJ and state Attorneys General have become more active in investigating and enforcing action against companies who illegally agree to not poach employees from each other. When competitors in a market seek to collude, whether on prices paid by customers or prices they pay for labor, both federal and state antitrust laws can be violated.

Schneider Wallace Represents Therapists in Potential Class Action for Unpaid Overtime 

Schneider Wallace is representing two occupational and physical therapists in their potential class action against Cantex Continuing Care Network, for allegations of unpaid forced overtime. Cantex Continuing Care is headquartered in Texas with skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation, home health, hospice and assisted living facilities in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico. 

NY Nurses Request Class Certification For Unpaid Work During Breaks

Over 1,200 nurses represented by Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky requested a federal judge grant class certification to their allegations of unpaid wages at Arnot Health New York hospitals. The nurses claim automatic deductions for breaks occurred even as they worked through meals and breaks.

Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky Opens Los Angeles Office, Adds Four Partners

Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky LLP, a national plaintiff side law firm, is pleased to announce the March 14, 2022 opening of its new office in Los Angeles, California. The firm’s new office – its second in California and fifth nationwide – will focus on complex litigation involving employment, consumer protection, and antitrust matters. The Los Angeles office, located on 300 S. Grand Avenue, is within walking distance to both state and federal courthouses.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Discloses Terms of Daraprim Antitrust Settlement

On February 10, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York preliminarily approved a class settlement between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, on behalf of a putative class of health care payors, and Vyera and two of its executives, including Martin Shkreli, over their alleged anticompetitive conduct to protect exorbitant price increases for Daraprim.