Erika Lane

          Erika has fifteen years of professional experience litigating individual and class action employment disputes, including wage and hour, discrimination, family and medical leave issues, and unemployment matters.  She has tried cases in both state and federal courts, including Washington and California, among others and successfully briefed and argued cases before the Washington State Court of Appeals and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Other key accomplishments include:

• Co-lead counsel in multi-state wage and hour class action alleging violations under Washington and California law, and the Fair Labor Standards Act, in which we negotiated a multi-million-dollar settlement that was recently granted court approval.

• Defeated motion for summary judgment in class action alleging cell phone carrier failed to properly track and pay commissions to retail sales employees, and negotiated settlement to return unpaid wages.

• Obtained certification in numerous state and federal court class actions on behalf of truck drivers who alleged they were not paid for all work, including rest breaks.

• Co-lead counsel in consumer class action alleging defendants charged fees for debt adjusting services in excess of those permitted by state consumer protection statutes. On appeal from the district court’s post-Concepcion denial of a motion to compel arbitration, successfully briefed and argued before a Ninth Circuit panel, which affirmed denial of the motion to compel arbitration.

• Co-lead counsel in class action trial on behalf of drywall workers alleging failure to pay for overtime work and unlawful deductions from pay.

• Negotiated confidential pre-litigation settlements for two executive-level employees and one hourly employee, who alleged they were not being paid wages and benefits as they became due from scientific computing and engineering company.