O&S Achieves $15,350,000 Settlement Against Jani-King California, Inc.

In July 2022, O&S along with co-counsel Lichten & Liss-Riordan P.C., and The Sturdevant Law Firm, obtained final approval of a class action settlement that provides a settlement fund of $15,350,000 to be paid to a class of over 1,100 janitors through California and to the State of California. The settlement resolves two cases, Juarez v. Jani-King of California, et al., and Chavez v. Jani-King of California, et al., which were pending in federal and state courts in Northern California. The initial case was filed in 2009. O&S, co-counsel, and their brave and hardworking clients prosecuted their claims for over a decade, including litigating matters before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, before achieving this incredible outcome. The lawsuits asserted claims of the company’s wage theft through a scheme of misclassifying its janitorial workforce as independent contractor “franchisees.” The settlement returns significant monies to janitors who paid thousands of dollars in fees to maintain their “franchises,” while working low-wage janitorial jobs. Under the terms of the public settlement, Jani-King also has agreed to significant changes in its business practices, including transitioning the ownership of cleaning accounts directly to franchisees who wish to continue performing cleaning services. The settlement was featured in the Daily Journal’s Top Verdicts & Settlements ($15 MILLION | Alameda Superior).