The PAGA settlement in Ramirez Benitez v. Premium Packing resolved claims across 13+ Labor Code sections for a settlement amount of $109,530. The approval motion I drafted was designed to preemptively address every basis on which PAGA settlement motions are typically challenged or rejected. The structure applied the Moniz v. Adecco three-part purpose test (remediation, deterrence, enforcement maximization) as an organizing framework, then preemptively distinguished Kullar v. Foot Locker — the leading authority reversing settlements for inadequate investigation — by documenting the specific discovery conducted, the time records reviewed, and the analytical methodology employed. A claim-by-claim litigation risk analysis identified the evidentiary burden for each violation category: which claims required individualized proof (meal period waiver defenses under Brinker), which turned on scienter (wage statement penalties requiring 'knowing and intentional' violation under § 226(e)), and which were susceptible to the Donohue presumption. The fee application demonstrated a negative lodestar multiplier of 0.237 — counsel's actual time exceeded the fees requested. Exhaustive research across Westlaw, Lexis, and Trellis.Law confirmed no publicly available PAGA-only settlement approval motion of comparable analytical depth.
Settlement
Agricultural Employer — PAGA Approval
20-page motion. 41 citations. No comparable PAGA-only settlement motion found in public records.
No Comparable Motion in Public Records
This matter description is for illustrative purposes only. Details have been generalized to protect client confidentiality. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.