Pumped for Compensation

Guilty of underserving?

This is the second time in recent months that restaurant owners, Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd, were named in a lawsuit concerning unpaid wages.  In the first most recent lawsuit, filed in January, the owners were accused by one of their former employees, Adam Pierce Antoine, for adjusting time records to show less time worked.  The plaintiff also claims that if employees worked any overtime hours per day or more than 40 hours in a week, they were not lawfully compensated. At the end of July, both Vanderpump and Todd were named in a new lawsuit of a similar nature. This class action was filed by former hostess, Olivia Hanson, who alleges that herself and other employees were inadequately compensated for overtime worked and were not allotted appropriate breaks.  While the two lawsuits are still ongoing, the claims mentioned in each are fairly comparable. Continue reading →

Estate of Artist Pops Back into Court

Will a museum ever be built?

The reproduction rights for the artwork of deceased artist, Robert Indiana, will be determined in a court of law. Michael McKenzie filed the lawsuit in Portland, Maine this month and claims that he is fully entitled to the reproduction rights.  McKenzie worked with Indiana for many years as an art publisher and collaborator.  Indiana was known for creating pop-style art.  Despite the deal made while Indiana was alive, the executor of the late artist’s estate contends that McKenzie’s rights to reproduce ceased as soon as Indiana died. Continue reading →

Facebook Settles for a Brighter Future

Recognize this?

Illinois Facebook users are finding some relief in the most recent legal settlement against the social media company.  According to Illinois law, companies may not collect facial recognition information and data without prior consent of the detected individual.  One of Facebook’s features tags photos through the use of software that distinguishes facial similarities.  The lawsuit reached class action status and was originally filed in 2015.  Claimants argued that Facebook did not obtain prior authorization of Illinois residents who use Facebook.  Instead the social media company implemented the feature as a default for users. Continue reading →

Burger King Reigns in Court

Victorious

In the case of Williams v. Burger King Corp, the plaintiffs are invited to amend their initial complaint if they so wish.  However, their current claim against Burger King has been dismissed by a federal judge.  The plaintiffs identify themselves as vegans who were led to believe that Burger King’s “Impossible Whopper” was specifically cooked on a separate grill, away from the chicken and beef products.

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A Rented Legal Disaster

Temporary eviction ban

Landlords all across the country are fighting government orders that afford leniency to tenants and temporarily ban evictions.  About nine states, including New York, Kentucky, Connecticut, Arizona, and Illinois, are entertaining lawsuits filed by suffering landlords.  The argument in many of the lawsuits relates to the unconstitutional nature of the orders in regard to contract impairment.  While many landlords have devised workable plans with their tenants, other landlords are dealing with tenants who are taking advantage of the opportunity to not pay rent.  While current measures are protecting tenants, landlords are still expected to pay their mortgages. Continue reading →