Daily Journal: Appeals Court Reverses US$43M Wage Case After 19-Year Legal Odyssey

A California appeals court panel on May 29 reversed a nearly US$60 million plaintiffs’ judgment in a closely watched wage-and-hour class action. According to the stunning 138-page opinion authored by Fifth District Court of Appeal Justice Rosendo Pena, the 19-year Cortina odyssey is even more “rare and beastly” than the 2015 California Supreme Court case at the center of the opinion. O’Melveny partner David Marroso said: “There are only a handful of appellate decisions in wage-and-hour cases decertifying a class after a full trial. Because of the unusual posture and the breadth and depth of the court’s legal analysis, we anticipate Cortina will become one of the guiding legal opinions in this area of law in California.” The O’Melveny team handling the appeal also included partners Anton Metlitsky and Adam Karr, and counsel Jenya Godina.

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