SETTLEMENT APPROVED
On July 1, 2015, we filed a lawsuit against Anna’s Linens, Inc. (“Anna’s Linens”). We sought to recover 60 days wages and benefits for former employees under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (“WARN”) Act and the California WARN Act. We contended that Anna’s Linens ordered mass layoffs on or about June 19, 2015, without providing its employees with advance written notice. The case was heard in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California.
On March 14, 2016, the Court certified the WARN case as a class action. Subsequently, the settlement administrator mailed notice of the class action to class members on March 30, 2016. On March 30, 2016, the Debtor’s case converted from chapter 11 to chapter 7, and a chapter 7 trustee was appointed.
The parties agreed to settle the class action subject to Court approval. On October 13, 2020, after a hearing, the Court granted preliminarily approval of the settlement. The Court scheduled a fairness hearing for December 9, 2020 to decide whether to grant final approval of the settlement. The settlement administrator mailed notice to class member that month with information about the terms of the proposed settlement.
The Bankruptcy Court granted final approval of the WARN settlement on December 9, 2020. The Chapter 7 Trustee sought Bankruptcy Court approval to fund the WARN settlement.
The Court on July 13, 2021, granted the Anna’s Linens Trustee’s formal request to pay the $1.2 Million WARN Settlement as soon as it was practicable. The settlement administrator then mailed checks to eligible class members on September 7, 2021. This interim distribution represented approximately 75% of the $1.2 million WARN settlement.
Settlement checks, for the second and final distribution, were mailed to eligible members of the WARN class on November 8, 2023.
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WARN ACT
Raisner Roupinian LLP will provide you with information regarding your rights in this WARN class action. The federal WARN Act requires companies with 100+ full-time employees to provide them with 60 days’ written notice in advance of a mass layoff or plant closing. Additionally, certain states also have WARN Acts.
Without the required notice, an employer may be liable for 60 days’ wages and benefits to each affected employee.
CONTACT US
Please contact Raisner Roupinian LLP with any questions regarding this matter. Or, to update your address, email address, and/or telephone number.