Jury Finds Dallas Lawyer, Debt Settlement Companies Liable in Federal Unpaid Overtime Lawsuit

DALLAS, Sept. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A unanimous federal court jury in Dallas has awarded a verdict of more than $180,000 against a pair of debt settlement companies, their CEO Lloyd Regner and local attorney Lloyd Ward after finding that they refused to pay employees for overtime hours.

Dallas trial attorneys Charles W. "Trey" Branham III and Corinna Chandler of Branham Law LLP won the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) case on Sept. 12 for the former employees in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas before Judge Jorge Solis.

Prior to trial, the Court found that Mr. Ward, Mr. Regner, ABC Debt Relief Ltd. Co., Lloyd Ward P.C. and The Debt Answer LLC all were joint employers of the plaintiffs. The State Bar of Texas recently suspended Mr. Ward's law license for disciplinary reasons, according to the bar's website.

Mr. Branham's clients worked overtime for an average of five to 25 hours per week in order to meet sales and customer service goals, but were never paid overtime as required by law.

"Ultimately, the jury did not believe what Mr. Ward had to say," says Mr. Branham, lead counsel for the employees. "Mr. Ward baldly challenged the credibility of our clients and, in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, asked the jury to award nothing. I am pleased that the jury awarded my clients almost the entire requested amount."

Under the FLSA, damage awards are doubled unless the court designates a lesser amount. The employees' attorneys plan to seek hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorneys' fees.

"Mr. Ward and the other defendants defended this case with a scorched-earth policy. He never offered a penny to settle my clients' claims," Mr. Branham says. "Judge Solis found as a matter of law that Mr. Ward's employees were entitled to overtime payment, and the jury decided the amount."

Dallas-based Branham Law represents clients in wage and hour litigation as well as a variety of commercial litigation matters, and catastrophic personal injury claims. Led by noted courtroom lawyer Trey Branham, the firm provides extensive legal expertise and exceptional value for every client. Visit www.branham-law.com.

For more information or to interview Mr. Branham, please contact Dave Moore at [email protected] or 800-559-4534.

SOURCE Branham Law LLP