Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger Successfully Defends Grill Manufacturer in Overtime Case

IRVINE, Calif. - Sept. 12, 2014 - PRLog -- Leading California labor and employment law firm Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP (http://www.cdflaborlaw.com/) (CDF) announces a victory in a recent and significant failure to pay overtime and misclassification case. The firm protected Lynx Grills, Inc (http://www.lynxgrills.com/). (Lynx) from exposure to potential lawsuits with a skillful and vehement defense against legal action brought by former employees.

“Many California labor laws are drafted in favor of employees, including those related to the payment of overtime wages,” said Todd Wulffson (http://www.cdflaborlaw.com/attorneys/bio/todd-wulffson), lead trial counsel and partner at CDF. “CDF advocates compliance with these laws, and is well-prepared to defend our clients when a disagreement ends in litigation.”

In less than three hours, a federal jury in the United States District Court, Central District of California in downtown Los Angeles returned a unanimous defense verdict in favor of Lynx. The jury decided that plaintiff Marcus Edwards, the former director of information technology for Lynx, was properly classified as an exempt employee under California’s administrative exemption and not entitled to overtime pay.

Lynx CFO Mike Doyle, who attended all three days of the trial, served as a key witness in the case and contributed to the company’s defense.

“Justice has been served and Lynx is pleased to prevail against a lawsuit that was groundless from its inception,” said Lynx CEO Jim Buch. “We believe the verdict was reached in good faith.”

Edwards’ case relied on a spreadsheet he created and allegedly recorded his daily hours, despite the fact that he was a salaried employee. During several hours of questioning, Edwards admitted on numerous occasions that spreadsheet entries were inaccurate, including a 13.75 hour entry on his wedding day. In addition to the suspect spreadsheets, his case was further damaged when it was revealed that this was the third legal action Edwards had brought against a former employer for wage and hour disputes.

CDF Associate Ashley Halberda (http://www.cdflaborlaw.com/attorneys/bio/ashley-halberda) provided valuable assistance to the defense and represented Lynx in the federal court trial.

“At CDF, we provide California employers with comprehensive employment law services on which they can confidently rely,” said Halberda. “Whether arguing at trial or counseling employers on policies to prevent the risk of litigation, our aim is to prevent meritless lawsuits such as this.”

For more information the case, contact Todd Wulffson or Ashley Halberda at (949) 622-1661.  Case No. 2:13-cv-05102 DMG (MRWX).

About Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP

For 20 years, Carothers DiSante & Freudenberger LLP has distinguished itself as one of the top employment, labor and immigration firms in California, representing employers in single-plaintiff and class action lawsuits and advising employers on related legal compliance and risk avoidance.  The firm has five offices throughout California- in Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.  In 2014, in celebration of its 20 year anniversary, CDF activated a charitable partnership comprised of community events and services in support of Wounded Warrior Project® at its offices statewide.  For more information, visit: www.CDFLaborLaw.com.

About Lynx Grills, Inc.

Lynx is a manufacturer of high-end professional grills, offering customers a complete line of outdoor kitchen products with which to build their dream outdoor kitchen. Lynx continuously strives to improve its product and is committed to innovating technology that helps its customers cook better tasting food and makes grilling easier and safe. Among its groundbreaking products is the Lynx Concept Grill™ (aka Smart Grill) that will text you when your food is ready.  For more information on Lynx and its products, visit: www.lynxgrills.com.