A judge has given preliminary approval to a $200,000 gross settlement of a suit brought by an ex-Nobu employee who alleged that he and other current and former workers had to work off-the-clock without pay as well as through meal and rest breaks at the La Cienega Boulevard location.
Angel Briones’ Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit was brought against the restaurant and hotel chain under the state’s Private Attorneys General Act, which authorizes allegedly aggrieved employees to file lawsuits to recover civil penalties on behalf of themselves, other employees and the state for purported Labor Code violations.
In granting preliminary approval to the $200,000 accord on Wednesday, Judge Elaine Lu called the resolution “fair, adequate and reasonable.”
The $200,000 gross total amount will include some deductions that will bring the net remainder to be shared by the some 430 class members to about $95,335. Another hearing date will be set later for final approval of the settlement.
In their court papers, Nobu attorneys denied any liability on their client’s part and argued the plaintiffs’ claims were barred wholly or in part by the statute of limitations.
According to the suit, Nobu failed to compensate its employees for all hours worked, including time spent getting tested for the coronavirus and time spent putting on and taking off their uniforms.
Briones and other employees regularly worked through meal breaks and were not paid for overtime, the suit alleged.
Nobu management also allegedly failed to keep and provide accurate wage statements in violation of the state Labor Code and did not reimburse employees for business expenses, including the use of their cell phones for work-related matters, and also did not promptly pay the staff money owed when they were fired or quit, the suit brought in July 2023 stated.
The Nobu restaurants were founded by chef Nobu Matsuhisa, actor Robert De Niro and producer Meir Teper, and are frequently patronized by celebrities.