Deschamps v. Nova Hardbanding, LLC, et al.

Filing 13

STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING NOTICE TO POTENTIAL PLAINTIFFS by Magistrate Judge Stephan M. Vidmar. (am)

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO
LOUIE DESCHAMPS, and all others
similarly situated under 29 USC § 216(b),

Plaintiff,
v.

Civil Action No. 2:17-cv-00493-GBW-SMV

NOVA HARDBANDING, LLC, and KEN
BROMLEY, individually,

Defendants.

COLLECTIVE AND CLASS ACTION
COMPLAINT

STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING NOTICE TO POTENTIAL PLAINTIFFS
Plaintiff, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, and the above-named
Defendants (“Defendants”) (collectively, the “Parties”) hereby file this Stipulation and Proposed
Order Regarding Notice to Potential Plaintiffs (“Stipulation”) and request Court approval of the
Stipulation by signing below in the space provided.
To preserve resources and in the interest of judicial economy, the Parties have reached an
agreement that this case should be and, by this Stipulation when signed by the Court, is conditionally
certified as a collective action under the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 216(b). The Parties
stipulate that the Notice and Consent Form (“Consent”) (attached hereto as Exhibits A and B,
respectively) are timely, informative, and accurate. The Parties agree to use this form as the exclusive
means to inform the Class Members of their right to opt into this lawsuit. Nothing in this
Stipulation or in the Notice and/or Consent shall be interpreted as limiting, waiving, or modifying
any of the Parties’ claims and/or defenses. Despite this stipulation, Defendants continue to deny
that they have violated the FLSA in any respect.

ORDER REGARDING NOTICE TO POTENTIAL PLAINTIFFS

Defendants are ordered to produce the names, last known email addresses, phone numbers
and addresses (collectively, “Employee Information”) of the following Class Members:
All field personnel paid on a salary or salary plus bonus basis whose primary duties
involved the performance of technical or manual labor to provide Defendants’
services at job sites employed by Defendants over the previous three years.1
Defendants shall provide the Employee Information in an electronic form that can be used by
Plaintiff in mailing out the Court-approved Notice. If the information is not stored electronically,
Defendants shall provide it in written form. The Employee Information must be provided within
seven days of the entry of this Stipulation and Order. If Defendants fail to provide the Employee
Information within seven days of the date this Order is signed, the statute of limitations is tolled for
each day after the seventh day that Defendants fail to provide the Employee Information.
The Court authorizes that the “Notice” (Exhibit A) may immediately issued to the Class
Members in accordance with the below-provided procedure. Plaintiff shall enclose the “Consent
Form” (Exhibit B) with a self-addressed, postage paid return envelope for U.S. postal mailing. The
Notice and Consent Forms shall be sent by first class mail, overnight delivery or electronically at
Plaintiff’s attorney’s cost. Plaintiff may send the Notice electronically by utilizing the following
language by text message and email: “Nova Mud records show that you provided services to Nova
Mud and may be eligible to join this lawsuit. Click below for more information.” The text and email
messages shall contain a link to electronic versions of the Notice and Consent Form. The Potential
Plaintiffs shall be provided forty-five (45) days after the date the Notice and Consent are initially
mailed to file a Consent form opting-in to this litigation. A Consent postmarked on the deadline is
considered timely. Consents received by mail without postmarks shall be considered timely if
received within four (4) business days of the deadline. Plaintiff shall provide the Court and

This definition specifically includes, but is not limited to, Defendants’ drill pipe inspectors, hardbanders,
hardbander operators, inspection helpers, inspectors, inspector helpers, or other job titles that perform similar
duties as the proposed class.
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ORDER REGARDING NOTICE TO POTENTIAL PLAINTIFFS

opposing counsel with a notice indicating the date on which the Notice forms were initially mailed
so the Court and the Parties are advised of the beginning of the opt-in period.
Plaintiffs’ counsel shall date stamp the returned consents on the day they are received in
counsel’s office and retain any envelope or other evidence showing the date the Consent Form was
postmarked, fax-stamped, or received. Within 10 days after the close of the Opt-In Period,
Plaintiff’s counsel will file the consent forms for the Opt-In Plaintiffs, noting the received date for
each individual on the Notice of Filing. The received date will constitute the date the consents forms
will be considered filed with the Court for statute of limitations purposes.

Signed this _27th_ day of _July_, 2017.

_______________________________
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

AGREED AS TO FORM AND SUBSTANCE:

/s/ Jack Siegel
J. DEREK BRAZIEL
Texas Bar No. 00793380
J. FORESTER
Texas Bar No. 24087532
LEE & BRAZIEL, L.L.P.
1801 N. Lamar St. Suite 325
Dallas, Texas 75202
[phone] phone
[phone] fax
www.overtimelayer.com
ORDER REGARDING NOTICE TO POTENTIAL PLAINTIFFS

JACK SIEGEL
[e-mail]
Co-Attorney in Charge
Texas Bar No. 24070621
SIEGEL LAW GROUP PLLC
2820 McKinnon, Suite 5009
Dallas, Texas 75201
P: [phone]
www.siegellawgroup.biz
ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFFS
BUSTOS LAW FIRM, P.C.
/s/ Fernando M. Bustos
FERNANDO M. BUSTOS
E-mail: [e-mail]
MATTHEW N. ZIMMERMAN
Email: [e-mail]
1001 Main Street, Suite 501
Lubbock, Texas 79401
Phone: [phone]
Facsimile: [phone]
COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANTS
ATTORNEYS FOR DEFENDANTS

ORDER REGARDING NOTICE TO POTENTIAL PLAINTIFFS

Why Am I Getting This Notice?

What Are My Choices?

You have been identified as an individual who worked for
Nova Hardbanding, LLC. (“Nova”) who received pay:
On a salary basis or salary plus bonus basis with no
overtime pay for working over 40 hours per week

If you join this lawsuit, you will be bound by the case’s
result—whether favorable or unfavorable. If you join
the case, you will not have to pay the lawyers anything
out of pocket, win or lose.

between ________ and today. If you have received this
Notice, this lawsuit may affect you.

If you do not join this lawsuit as a plaintiff, you are free
to take action on your own or do nothing.

What’s is The Lawsuit About?

What Can I Get?



A former Nova employee filed a state and federal
overtime lawsuit seeking unpaid overtime pay for working
over 40 hours per week. The lawsuit claims that Nova
failed to pay him and other employees overtime for all
overtime hours worked during their employment.
Specifically, the lawsuit claims that Nova:


Misclassified field personnel as exempt from overtime
and paid them on a salary basis; and



Failed to pay them overtime for all overtime hours
worked (hours worked over 40 per week).

Nova denies the allegations. Nova recently settled claims
with the United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) that
alleged overtime violations that resulted in Nova sending
settlement checks to current and former Nova employees
that Nova and the DOL agreed were entitled to overtime
pay for overtime work performed between April 22, 2013
and April 21, 2015.
The receipt or acceptance of the settlement check does not
prevent you from participating in this case. However,
cashing a settlement check may result in a waiver of your
federal overtime claims (but not state law claims)
exclusively for the following time period:
April 22, 2013 to April 21, 2015
Am I eligible?
You are eligible to join this case to pursue unpaid overtime
pay if:


You worked for Nova performing work at job sites;



Worked over 40 hours in at least one week; &



If the workers win, you may get an amount up to two
times the unpaid wages you should have received plus
attorneys’ fees and costs.
If nothing is recovered in the case, you will get nothing
and court costs (but not attorneys’ fees) may possibly
be assessed against you.
Can I be Fired or Retaliated Against?
It is unlawful for Nova, or your current employer to
terminate or take any adverse action, as defined by the
law, as a result of your participation in this suit.
How Do I Join the Lawsuit?
If you want to participate in the lawsuit, fill out the
enclosed Consent to Join form and mail or fax it back. It
must be mailed and received by [TBA].
Can I Get More Information?
To learn more, call the workers’ attorneys toll free at
866-949-1400. There is no charge for the consultation
and the call is confidential.
Or write or email:
Lee & Braziel, LLP
Nova Hardbanding Unpaid Overtime Claims
1801 N. Lamar St., Suite 325
Dallas, TX 75202
[e-mail]
www.overtimelawyer.com

Received a salary or salary-plus-bonus, but no
overtime pay
at any time between __________ and the present.

You have a choice to assert your legal rights in this case if
you desire to do so. If you do not do so, you will not
share in any money awarded in the case.

THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO APPROVES
THIS NOTICE BUT TAKES NO POSITION ON THE MERITS OF THE CASE.

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO
LOUIE DESCHAMPS, and all others
similarly situated under 29 USC § 216(b),

Plaintiff,
v.

Civil Action No. 2:17-cv-00493-GBW-SMV

NOVA HARDBANDING, LLC, and KEN
BROMLEY, individually,

Defendants.

COLLECTIVE AND CLASS ACTION
COMPLAINT

NOTICE OF CONSENT TO BE A PARTY PLAINTIFF
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, 29 U.S.C. 216(b)
I hereby consent to be a party plaintiff seeking unpaid wages and overtime pay in the case in
which this consent is filed. By joining this lawsuit, I designate the named plaintiff(s) in which this consent
is filed, and his/her attorneys (and other persons those individuals designate as necessary) as my
representatives to make all decisions on my behalf, to the extent permitted by law, concerning the method
and manner of conducting the case including settlement, the entering of an agreement with Plaintiff’s
counsel regarding payment of attorneys’ fees and court costs, and all other matters pertaining to this
lawsuit. I further acknowledge that I intend for this consent to be filed in order to recover overtime wages
against my current/former employer whether in this action or in any subsequent action that may be filed
on my behalf for such recovery, and this consent may be used in this case or in any subsequent case as
necessary. For purposes of pursuing my unpaid wage and overtime claims I choose to be represented by
Lee & Braziel, LLP, the Siegel Law Group PLLC, and other attorneys with whom they may associate.

Date:

Printed Name:

Signature:

PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
This information will NOT be made part of any public record and is necessary for your
attorney’s files for litigation and possible settlement purposes.
Name:
Any other Name(s) used or known by:

Dates of Employment with Company:

Beg:
End:

Estimated Monthly Compensation:
Your Mailing Address:
City, State & Zip Code:
Social Security No. (last 4 digits ok):
Daytime Telephone:
Evening Telephone:
Cellular Telephone:
E-Mail Address:

Return this form to:

Nova Hardbanding Overtime Lawsuit
Lee & Braziel, LLP
1801 N. Lamar St., Suite 325
Dallas, Texas 75202
Facsimile: 214-749-1010
Phone: [phone]
[e-mail]

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