Jackson Walker Wins Victory for Client in Overtime Pay Dispute

June 21, 2014 | Client Results



Jackson Walker won a victory for its clients, Meritage Homes Corp. and Meritage Homes of Texas, LLC, when the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Galveston granted summary judgment in favor of the homebuilder in an employment lawsuit regarding overtime pay.

The case involved seven former construction managers at Meritage Homes who claimed that they were misclassified as exempt from overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In its opinion issued on May 23, 2014, the court granted Meritage Homes’ motion for summary judgment, finding that Meritage Homes had correctly applied the Administrative Exemption in classifying the plaintiffs as exempt from overtime requirements. The court further ordered that all taxable costs be assessed against the plaintiffs.

Earlier in the legal proceedings, Jackson Walker successfully defeated the plaintiff’s motion for collective action conditional certification in the case.

A Jackson Walker team including Scott McLaughlin, Marlene Williams, Amanda Zimmerman, Mallory Beck, and Chevazz Brown represented Meritage Homes in the case, which demonstrates the depth of experience in the firm’s Labor & Employment practice group in mediating, arbitrating, and litigating the defense of individual and class action employee claims and suits involving a wide range of matters and issues.