In this interview with KLIF-AM's Kurt Gilchrist, Dallas trial attorney Charles "Trey" Branham III discusses the news story of Atmos Energy inadvertently making excessive withdrawals from the auto-pay accounts of thousands of its natural gas customers. According to media reports, the major public utility made excessive withdrawals from nearly 40,000 customer accounts. "When you sign up for auto-pay that comes out of your account, that is going to be governed by a document that the customer has signed. What their rights are, or -- more candidly, at this point -- are not, is going to be governed by that contract. It wouldn't surprise me to see that there's an arbitration clause in it, which would prevent you from going to a courtroom. You might have to go to an arbitrator. There may be a class-action waiver. In situations like this ... it will be hard to justify paying a lawyer if the only damages are $400. If Atmos doesn't come back, and make things right -- like they said they would do, to their credit -- these people's rights will be defined by the contact they signed."
2nd Circ. To Weigh FLSA Class Waivers In Citigroup Case
By Scott Flaherty
Law360, New York (March 18, 2013, 7:58 PM ET) -- The Second Circuit is set to hear arguments Wednesday in Citigroup Inc.'s appeal of a ruling that blocked the company from enforcing an arbitration agreement that required employees to waive their collective action rights — a case experts say could help clarify whether employers can force wage disputes into individual arbitration.
At oral arguments Wednesday in Raniere et al. v. Citigroup Inc. et al., the financial services company is expected to challenge a ruling that it can't compel arbitration of claims that it misclassified home lending specialists as exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
"The whole issue in this is, 'Can an employment arbitration agreement preclude an FLSA class action?'" said Brandon McKelvey, a partner in Seyfarth Shaw LLP's labor and employment practice.
Although several federal appeals courts have found in favor of employers looking to enforce class waivers in arbitration pacts, the issue has seen "mixed results" in federal district courts. The question now is whether the Second Circuit will align itself with the others, according to McKelvey.
"I think what this [case] does is it adds another piece to the arbitration-collective action puzzle," he said. "This is just one step along the way of figuring out this issue."
The Citigroup appeal comes after the U.S. Supreme Court's 2011 decision in AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion, in which the high court upheld class arbitration waivers in a dispute between the company and consumers. With the Citigroup case, the Second Circuit is poised to address whether similar waivers are valid in the realm of employment disputes, particularly those involving FLSA claims.
Citigroup has maintained that an arbitration pact it reached with two of the named plaintiff employees — an agreement that incorporated a collective action waiver — is enforceable.
The home lending employees, on the other hand, are expected to argue that a collective action waiver runs counter to the FLSA's intent, and that the New York federal court was right when it denied Citigroup's bid to arbitrate.
For employers, arbitrating disputes with employees on an individual basis is a way to minimize the risks posed by class or collective actions, according to Ellen Kearns, a partner with employment firm Constangy Brooks & Smith LLP. Those risks have only increased in the past decade, which has seen an "explosion of FLSA litigation," she said.
"Because of the risk," Kearns said. "That's the primary reason that an employer attempts to get out from any class process."
But employees who are forced into individual arbitration may have trouble finding attorneys willing to work on their behalf, according to Trey Branham of Branham Law LLP, who has experience representing workers in wage-and-hour actions. The possible recovery from an individual wage dispute is often less than the costs of pursuing those claims, he said.
"The danger here for the employee is that you really begin to lose the ability to get lawyers to take the case," said Branham.
The dispute underlying the Citigroup appeal dates to April 2011, when the home lending specialists sued the company, as well as its Citibank NA and CitiMortgage Inc. units, claiming they had been misclassified as overtime-exempt.
In May 2011, Citigroup asked the district court to compel arbitration of claims brought by two of the named plaintiffs, Tara Raniere and Nichol Bodden, who had signed pacts promising to arbitrate FLSA disputes on an individual basis, according to court filings.
U.S. District Judge Robert Sweet denied the motion, ruling in November 2011 that FLSA collective action rights could not be waived through an arbitration agreement. Although the Second Circuit hadn't yet ruled on the issue, the judge concluded that there was a strong case that FLSA collective action waivers are "per se" unenforceable.
On appeal at the Second Circuit, Citigroup said the lower court had created "unprecedented" rules that were out of step with both the FLSA and the Federal Arbitration Act.
"It is difficult to overstate the implications of the district court's ruling," Citigroup said in a brief filed in February 2012.
In response, the employees argued that the general FAA policy favoring arbitration could not be used to wipe out rights under the FLSA.
"The legislative history and congressional record leading to the enactment of the FLSA, Supreme Court precedent, and the analogous statutes addressing employees' rights unquestionably establish the primacy of collective action rights to the overall statutory scheme of the FLSA," the employees said in an April brief.
The outcome of the case could impact the way wage disputes are resolved, as well as employers' policies, experts said.
If the employees prevail, it could "strengthen the concept and use of a class action in certain kinds of employment cases," said David Lewin, professor of management at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Lewin, who has served as an expert witness in wage-and-hour cases, added that a victory for the employees might "cause companies to reexamine their employment policies, and especially their internal dispute policies."
On the other hand, if Citigroup prevails, employers may be more likely to use arbitration agreements that incorporate class waivers.
"Employers who have been sitting on the fence regarding whether to adopt an arbitration program for its employees will now give such a program serious consideration if they can avoid class arbitrations with a class action waiver," said Kearns, the Constangy Brooks attorney.
An attorney for the employees, Douglas H. Wigdor of Thompson Wigdor LLP, said he was looking forward to arguing in front of the Second Circuit on Wednesday, "and answering any questions from the panel as to why Judge Sweet’s thoughtful decision denying CitiMortgage's motion to compel arbitration should be affirmed."
An attorney for Citi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The employees are represented by Douglas H. Wigdor of Thompson Wigdor LLP.
In this interview on NBC 5 (KXAS-TV), Dallas plaintiff’s attorney Charles “Trey” Branham III says the City of Dallas would benefit from detailed rules to govern when police officers can type on their mobile computers while driving. NBC 5’s Scott Friedman reports that cities like Arlington and Fort Worth have specific guidelines to limit the use of electronic devices by officers who are driving, while the City of Dallas doesn’t. When asked what his advice to the City of Dallas would be, Mr. Branham tells Friedman, “Get real specific (in developing these rules). What’s the harm? You can make exceptions and you can make specific exceptions, if you feel like you need them, but there’s no harm at all in being very specific about what you want your officers doing, and what you don’t want them doing.”
In this interview with KLIF-AM radio show host Kurt Gilchrist, Dallas trial attorney Charles “Trey” Branham III discusses the requirements for employers to pay overtime under federal law and the various rights and remedies for individuals who are not receiving overtime. As an example, Trey and the host discuss, as an example, a current case in which Chicago Police Officers have instituted a class action for failing to pay overtime for off the clock work, including the use of cellular phones and pagers. "Employees who are working off the clock are entitled to pay under Federal Law," say Branham, founder of Branham Law, LLP. "We handle these cases all the time and I am very confident that that officer will win his lawsuit as the law is clear."
Originally aired on KLIF-AM (570 AM), Thursday, 10 January 2013
In this interview with KLIF-AM’s Kurt Gilchrist, Dallas securities attorney Trey Branham says the media explosion over AIG considering a lawsuit against the U.S. government that saved it was largely overblown. According to media accounts, former AIG CEO and shareholder Maurice "Hank" Greenberg has sued the government for $25 billion in a derivative case,
claiming the terms of the federal bailout of AIG were too costly, and he's asked AIG's board of directors to join his suit. Says Branham: “The (AIG) board of directors didn’t have any choice but to listen to Mr. Greenberg, because they have an obligation to shareholders to consider claims like this, regardless of whether they decide that the claims are valid or not.” If the board didn’t consider the claims, it could have faced charges of breach of fiduciary duty, Branham says.
AIG 's Retreat From Starr Suit Seen As Only Real Option
By Bibeka Shrestha
Law360, New York (January 09, 2013, 7:59 PM ET) -- American International Group Inc. made a smart move Wednesday by shunning Starr International Co.'s $25 billion lawsuit against the government, according to experts, who say the heavy reputational costs associated with partnering up with Starr far outweighed any benefits.
Under much public scrutiny, AIG's board of directors decided not to stand behind former chief Maurice "Hank" Greenberg and Starr in their legal challenge to aspects of the U.S. government's bailout of the insurer during the financial crisis.
Starr — which was AIG's largest shareholder when the government grabbed an 80 percent stake in AIG — is arguing that the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal ReserveBank of New York violated the Fifth Amendment by not providing just compensation while seizing private property.
Trey Branham, a securities lawyer at Branham Law LLP, said AIG had no choice but to consider joining the suit, even as the insurance giant runs a massive public relations campaign thanking taxpayers for its financial rescue in 2008. Actually pursuing the suit against the government, though, would come as a major surprise, Branham said.
"From a practical perspective, they couldn't," Branham said. "From a legal perspective, the board [believed] they didn't do anything wrong. They cut the best deal they could. They didn't hurt the company. In fact, they saved it."
Taking up Starr's lawsuit over the bailout might have had dire consequences for AIG and its current board, according to John James, a professor and executive director of the Center for Global Governance, Reporting and Regulation at Pace University.
"The reputational risk here is in the billions," James said. "If I were a shareholder, I'd sue them for failing to protect my fiduciary interest by taking an action which endangered the company's reputation."
Starr brought the lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in November 2011, making derivative claims on AIG's behalf, as well as direct claims against the government on behalf of itself and other similarly situated shareholders.
In a Tuesday statement confirming that its board would mull joining the lawsuit, AIG said that if it didn't join Starr's suit and Starr prevailed or raked in a substantial settlement on its direct claims, the insurer would not get a piece of that recovery.
AIG said its board had an obligation to seriously consider Starr's demand and respond in a way that fit the company's best interests. The insurer could have taken over the claims, allowed Starr to pursue the claims on the company's behalf or prevented Starr from prosecuting the claims, a decision AIG acknowledged Starr would likely challenge.
If AIG's directors went with the first option, shareholders could have accused the board of taking unnecessary reputational risks, according to James.
"The present shareholders are the main concern of the current board, not money but the shareholders' value," James said.
Branham agreed with James that some shareholders could have taken legal action against the AIG board for joining Starr's suit.
"If the board had made that decision, I think the suit against the board then becomes a much better one," Branham said. "Then you really are hurting the company."
Now that AIG has decided to oppose Starr's derivative claims, Starr will likely be arguing that the the board of directors has breached its fiduciary duties to shareholders by not taking up the claims, according to Branham.
On Tuesday, AIG said it would make its decision in the next few weeks, but wound up acting much more quickly, after lawmakers and other critics lambasted the company for entertaining the idea of suing the government over the bailout.
Steve Miller, chairman of the AIG board, said Wednesday that the board had properly executed its fiduciary and legal obligations to AIG and its shareholders by considering and ultimately refusing Starr's demand.
According to Miller, AIG has returned $205 billion to taxpayers since the bailout, including a profit of $22.7 billion.
"We have kept our promise to rebuild this great company, repay every dollar American invested in us, and deliver a profit to those who put our trust in us," Miller said. "We continue to thank America for its support."
Corinna Chandler obtained a verdict on behalf of a city of Dallas Employee on Monday October 29, 2012
A federal jury awarded a former city of Dallas electronic technician $209,000 on Tuesday, upholding his claim that city officials fired him in retaliation for a series of grievances he made.
The verdict capped a three-year fight for Bruton Stephens, whose grievances started when he accused a fellow employee of theft. He says his complaints led his bosses to strip away his supervisory position and finally discharge him during layoffs in 2009.
“I feel great,” he said, smiling broadly after Tuesday’s verdict.
It was not just a victory for Stephens, but also for the young attorney and two Southern Methodist University law students who represented him.
His lead attorney, Corinna Chandler, is an SMU law school graduate who received her Texas Bar card in 2009. It was her first federal case, and she tried it with the help of law students Marie Rovira and Gregory Brassfield. They worked under the supervision of a professor, Eliot Shavin, as part of an SMU law school program.
“We are thrilled,” Chandler said. “It’s been a lot of hard work. We couldn’t be more excited. We appreciated that the jury paid attention and ultimately did what they thought was right.”
City attorneys said they were looking into whether to appeal.
“The city is respectfully disappointed in the jury’s decision and is assessing its post-trial options,” City Attorney Tom Perkins said by email.
The city hired Stephens in 2003 as a senior electronic technician in the Department of Public Works and Transportation. He worked on school-zone traffic blinkers, often in a supervisory capacity.
In late 2008, other employees came to him about a city employee whom they accused of stealing wood and metal poles from the city. City attorneys said it was later determined the material was scrap and had been abandoned.
Stephens took the theft allegation to his superiors, but he said he came to believe that they didn’t take his complaint seriously. As he continued to complain about this and other issues, he said, he was stripped of his supervisory duties, assigned to menial jobs such as sweeping parking lots, and, eventually, let go during the layoffs.
Among those who testified in his trial was City Manager Mary Suhm, who said that the 2009 layoffs were equitably handled and that Stephens’ dismissal was not retaliatory. She and other city officials who testified said city officials based their layoff decisions on positions, not specific employees. They said Stephens was one of 800 employees let go under drastic budget cuts, and their action had nothing to do with his complaints.
Grim but polite, Suhm was not an easy witness for Chandler to question. The city manager often said she couldn’t remember specifics about a matter from several years ago.
City attorneys tried to paint Stephens as evasive when he took the stand last week.
The jury awarded him $13,000 for back pay and benefits, $1,000 for medical expenses and $195,000 for mental anguish.
“All I know is I was nervous and had butterflies,” Stephens said about waiting for the jury’s verdict, which followed several hours of deliberation. “I didn’t know what to expect.”
Brassfield, one of the law students who worked on the case, commended Chandler for her persistence in working more than two years to get the case in front of a jury.
Originally aired on KDFW FOX 4 In this FOX4 (KDFW)
In this FOX4 (KDFW) News broadcast, Dallas courtroom attorney Charles “Trey” Branham III says that it appears top-level officials of the Boy Scouts of America organization failed to disclose sexual abuse committed by scout leaders for decades. An Oregon court is forcing the Irving-based Boy Scouts of America organization to release files detailing the accounts of sexual abuse, according to news reports. Some of those records go back to 1925, according to FOX4. Branham, who isn’t involved in the Boy Scouts litigation, says “You’ve got a situation where at least apparently, lots of the upper management of the Boy Scouts knew this was going on and at a bare minimum not reporting it, and in some of the files, in some instances, it appeared there was an active cover-up going on.”
Dalllas business attorney Charles W. “Trey” Branham has earned a place on the 2012 Texas Super Lawyers list, an honor reserved for less than 5 percent of all attorneys in the state.
This is Mr. Branham’s second consecutive appearance on the Texas Super Lawyers list, which is produced by Thomson Reuters legal division and highlights the legal profession’s most-respected attorneys in Texas. The 2012 list appears in Texas Super Lawyers magazine and the October issue of Texas Monthly.
Honored attorneys in the Texas Super Lawyers list are nominated by other lawyers who have personally witnessed them in action. The final selections are made after a review of nominees by Texas Super Lawyers’ research staff, which considers the attorneys’ legal accomplishments and contributions to the community.
“I take great pride in the work I do for my clients, who are engaged in a wide range of legal issues, from complex commercial disputes to class-action lawsuits to compensation for catastrophic injuries,” says Mr. Branham, founder of Branham Law LLP. “It’s nice to see the efforts for my clients have been noticed by the same lawyers who I work with and against on a daily basis.”
Mr. Branham, who was listed among Texas’ most promising young lawyers in the Texas Rising Stars list from 2007-2010, represents clients on both sides of the docket.During the course of his 13 year legal career, he has handled more than 40 courtroom trials in jurisdictions across the country, including Texas, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, South Carolina, and Illinois.
Branham Law provides clients with a broad range of practice areas, including labor and employment litigation, partnership and shareholders’ rights, corporate governance and officer and director liability and catastrophic injury litigation.
Dallas-based Branham Law LLP represents clients in a variety of commercial litigation matters, as well as helping individuals in catastrophic personal injury claims. Led by noted courtroom lawyer Trey Branham, the firm provides extensive legal expertise and exceptional value for every client.
Dallas, Texas- August 24, 2012, Branham Law, LLP is investigating certain officers and directors of Enterprise Financial Services Corp. (NASDAQ:EFSC) (“Enterprise” or the “Company”) for possible breaches of fiduciary duties in connection the Company’s financial statements of the company.
Current long-term investors in Enterprise have certain options and should contact attorney Trey Branham at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or toll free at (855) 722-5910. This investigation is prompted by a lawsuit against Enterprise filed by shareholders who purchased Enterprise shares between April 20, 2010 and January 25, 2012.
According to a suit filed in Missouri federal court, Enterprise Financial Services Corp. and certain its executive officers violated the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by issuing allegedly false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose material adverse facts about Enterprise's business, operations and prospects.
On Thursday, January 25, 2012, Enterprise announced that it was restating its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2010 and for the first three quarters of 2011 and 2010. Enterprise said the restatements were a result of an accounting error resulting in an inadvertent overstatement of income on loans covered by FDIC loss share agreements during those periods.
Enterprise further acknowledged that its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010 and the interim financial statements included in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for each of the periods ended March 31, June 30, and September 30, for 2010 and 2011, respectively, were not reliable.
Branham Law, LLP has significant experience in shareholder representation nationwide.
