Dallas Business Lawyer Blog

Office Worker Sexually Harassed By Boss Wins At Trial - Dallas, Texas

An office worker who claimed that her boss subjected her to myriad instances of sexual harassment during her five months of employment was awarded $868,000. In 2006, Lynda Beck, then 42, worked for Guardian Leasing Inc. in Houston. Beck claimed that her boss, who was the vice president, made sexually suggestive gestures with his tongue and put his hands on her. The last straw, she said, was when he fell to his knees, rubbed and sniffed her leg, and asked her, “Do you shave it?” She said she told him to “get the hell out” of her office, and she complained to the owner. Beck said she was fired after a one-day investigation. The company claimed she was fired for poor job performance. Of the award, $750,000 was for punitives.

For more information about sexual harassment, go to www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com or call 214-855-0034.

Do You Have A Will Prepared For The State of Texas?

If you reside in the State of Texas and do not have a will, your family may not be protected in the event of your death.  For more information as to why you should have a will go to www.willslawyerdallas.com or call 214-855-0034.

Citigroup Agrees to Pay Millions For Investment Fraud Claim - Dallas, Texas

As the housing market began its collapse, Wall Street firms and sophisticated investors searched for ways to profit. Some of them found an easy method: Stuff a portfolio with risky mortgage-related investments, sell it to unsuspecting customers and bet against it. 

Citigroup on Wednesday agreed to pay $285 million to settle a civil complaint by the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had defrauded investors who bought just such a deal. The transaction involved a $1 billion portfolio of mortgage-related investments, many of which were handpicked for the portfolio by Citigroup without telling investors of its role or that it had made bets that the investments would fall in value.

In the four years since the housing market began its steady descent, securities regulators have settled only two cases related to the financial crisis for a larger sum of money. This is also the third case brought by the S.E.C. accusing a major Wall Street institution of misleading customers about who was putting together a security and about their motive. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase & Company both settled similar cases last year.

If you need help with a civil fraud claim in Texas, call 214-855-0034 or jonathan@theleblanclawfirm.com or go to www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com

Do You Need A Business Attorney Located In Dallas or Throughout Texas To Represent You?

If you have a business matter that requires legal consultation or the hiring of a lawyer to represent you or your business, please call 214-855-0034 or jonathan@theleblanclawfirm.com or www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com for more information or assistance. 

Woman Recovers For Sex Discrimination For Being Fired Due To Pregnancy - Dallas, Texas

 

A jury awarded $113,830 to a consultant who alleged George Lucas' company rescinded a job offer because of her pregnancy. In 2008, Julie Gilman Veronese accepted a job offer from Lucasfild Ltd., as an assistant to a manager at Lucas' estate in San Anselmo. Veronese claimed the manager withdrew the offer for the 30-day position, for which Veronese had signed a contract, when she disclosed that she was pregnant. Veronese sued Lucasfilm, alleging pregnancy discrimination, as well as retaliation and failure to accommodate a pregnancy-related disability. Lucasfilm denied that its decision to withdraw the offer had anything to do with Veronese's pregnancy, but the jury found otherwise.

For more information about sex discrimination and pregnancy discrimination in Texas, go to www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com or call 214-855-0034 or jonathan@theleblanclawfirm.com

Know Your Rights Under The Fair Debt Collection Act - Dallas, Texas

 

If you owe money and are being harassed by a debt collection agency, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act offers you various forms of protection.  The Act applies to family, personal, and household debts.  Debt collectors can be prohibited from contacting you at work and are limited as to how often and when they can contact you.  To know more about your rights when facing a debt collection, call 214-855-0034 or go to www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com or jonathan@theleblanclawfirm.com

Sales Director Fired For Retaliation For Filing Worker Compensation Claim Awarded Compensation

 

A judge awarded $765,000 to a regional sales director who claimed Hertz wrongfully fired him in retaliation for filing a workers' compensation claim. In 2007, Kyle Barousse, then 43, was let go. Hertz claimed that the decision to terminate him was part of a workforce reduction. The plaintiff noted that all of his fellow regional sales directors were offered alternative positions when they were notified of the reduction in force. Barousse was involved in an on-the-job car crash in 2006. When he was ready to return to work, he claimed that he was fired and offered an enhanced severance plan in exchange for a full release of claims against Hertz.

For more information about retaliation, go to www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com or jonathan@theleblanclawfirm.com

 

Supreme Court Makes Non-Compete Agreements More Enforceable In Texas

 

The Texas Supreme Court has determined that, under the Texas Covenants Not to Compete Act, a covenant not to compete signed by a current employee in consideration for stock options is not unenforceable as a matter of law.  The Court found the consideration is reasonably related to the company’s interest in protecting its goodwill, a business interest the Act recognizes as worthy of protection.  Marsh USA v. Cook, No. 09-0558 (Tex. June 24, 2011).

For more information about non-compete agreements in Dallas, Texas go to www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com or call 214-855-0034 or e-mail jonathan@theleblanclawfirm.com

 

Wal-Mart Wins Sex Discrimination Lawsuit Involving Female Workers - Dallas, Texas

 

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that a huge class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores alleging sex discrimination cannot proceed, reversing a decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The lawsuit could have involved up to 1.6 million current and former Wal-Mart employees and billions of dollars in damages.

The plaintiffs can still pursue their suit on their own, but not as a class action, the court ruled, meaning that much less money would be at stake. The court said the proposed class would be too unwieldy and diverse and that there were other problems with the way the case was filed.

For more information about sexual harassment in Texas, go to www.businesslawyerdallastexas.com or call 214-855-0034 or e-mail jonathan@theleblanclawfirm.com

 

AT&T Sued Over Secretly Charging Clients Including Iphones - Dallas, Texas

 

Telecommunications giant AT&T is being sued for allegedly overcharging iPhone users to the tune of millions. The class-action lawsuit, filed last Thursday in the Northern District of California, alleges the company has been overstating data downloads by 7 to 14 percent, leading to excessive charges for those customers who aren’t signed up for the iPhone’s unlimited data plan.

The suit also accuses AT&T of charging customers for “phantom” downloads, or downloads that never occurred. The company is even alleged to have charged consumers for downloads taking place when the Internet connection was off.

The lawsuit accuses AT&T of breaking federal and state consumer protection laws, stating that the company committed “unlawful, unfair and fraudulent business practices.”

 

Do you have a claim?  For more information call 214-855-0034 or e-mail at jonathan@theleblanclawfirm.com