A New Jersey federal judge has approved a $2.7 million settlement resolving claims from a group of sales specialists who accused pharmaceutical giant Teva of withholding overtime pay during an extensive training program.
U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton gave the green light to the settlement on Monday, officially closing the lawsuit filed by Barry Kushelowitz and Kerri Baldwin. The plaintiffs argued that Teva violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the New York Labor Law (NYLL) by wrongly classifying sales specialists as overtime-exempt during their training.
Teva $2.7M Unpaid OT Deal : Court Finds Settlement Fair
“The court finds that the parties’ settlement is fair, reasonable, and just in all respects,” Judge Wigenton noted in her ruling.
Under the settlement terms, $900,000 will be allocated to cover attorney fees for the workers, represented by Paolo Meireles and Tamra Givens of Shavitz Law Group PA. Kushelowitz and Baldwin will each receive $10,000 as service awards for their role in the lawsuit.
