Countrywide Home Loans
Butler, et al. v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. Goldstein, Demchak, Baller, Borgen & Dardarian reached a $30 million settlement in this class action lawsuit under the California Labor Code and Unfair Competition Act for overtime and other compensation on behalf of all individuals who worked as Account Executives in Countrywide's call centers in California at any time between February 14, 1998 and December 31, 2004. This case was filed by GDBBD in Los Angeles Superior Court on February 14, 2002, seeking payment of overtime compensation, reimbursement of wages that Countrywide improperly deducted from Account Executives' earnings for errors made during customer calls and in filling out paperwork, and payment for requiring Account Executives to work through their meal periods. Notice of the Settlement was mailed to all class members on April 28, 2005. Before settling the case, plaintiffs scored several significant victories by defeating Countrywide's motion to compel this case into arbitration, by having the case certified as a class action including all Call Center Account Executives and Team Leaders since February 14, 1998, by defeating Countrywide's motion for an order finding that Account Executives are exempt from the overtime pay requirements, and by defeating Countrywide’s request that the court find its policy and practice of taking wage deductions for production errors and deficiencies is legal. At hearing on June 27, 2005, the Court granted final approval to the settlement.