Villegas et al v. Painting Firm LLC et al

Filing 21

ORDER approving settlement, REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS Recommending that the case be dismissed with prejudice and that the Court retain jurisdiction until 8/21/2017 to enforce the settlement terms.(Objections to R&R due by 7/5/2017). Signed by Magistrate Judge John J. O'Sullivan on 6/21/2017. (mkr)

Case 0:17-cv-60665-UU Document 21 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/21/2017 Page 1 of 2

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
CASE NO. 17-cv-60665-UNGARO/O’SULLIVAN
MELVIS JUAN BERLANGA VILLEGAS
and PEDRO JOSE SERRANO,
Plaintiffs,
v.
PAINTING FIRM LLC,
CHARLES R ANSAROFF and
JENNIFER L ANSAROFF,
Defendants.
______________________________/
ORDER APPROVING SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND
RECOMMENDING THAT THE CASE BE DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE
THIS MATTER came before the Court following a settlement conference before
the undersigned and the Court having conducted a hearing concerning the settlement.
THE COURT has heard from counsel and considered the terms of the settlement
agreement, the pertinent portions of the record, and is otherwise fully advised in the
premises.
This case involves claims for unpaid overtime compensation under the Fair
Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. §201, et seq. ("FLSA"). In reviewing a settlement of an
FLSA private claim, a court must "scrutiniz[e] the settlement for fairness," and
determine that the settlement is a "fair and reasonable resolution of a bona fide dispute
over FLSA provisions." Lynn Food Stores v. United States, 679 F.2d 1350, 1352-53
(11th Cir. 1982). A settlement entered into in an adversarial context where both sides
are represented by counsel throughout litigation "is more likely to reflect a reasonable
compromise of disputed issues." Id. The district court may approve the settlement in

Case 0:17-cv-60665-UU Document 21 Entered on FLSD Docket 06/21/2017 Page 2 of 2

order to promote the policy of encouraging settlement of litigation. Id. at 1354.
In this case, there is a bona fide factual dispute over the number of hours, if any,
for which the plaintiffs were not properly compensated. The Court has reviewed the
terms of the settlement agreement including the amount to be received by each plaintiff
and the attorney’s fees and costs to be received by counsel and finds that the
compromise reached by the parties is a fair and reasonable resolution of the parties'
bona fide disputes. Accordingly, it is
ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that the parties' settlement agreement (including
attorney’s fees and costs) is hereby APPROVED. It is further
RECOMMENDED that this case be dismissed with prejudice and that the Court
retain jurisdiction until August 21, 2017 to enforce the terms of the settlement.
DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at Miami, Florida this 21st day of June,
2017.

________________________________
JOHN J. O’SULLIVAN
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
Copies provided to:
United States District Judge Ungaro
All counsel of record

2