| Case | County / Judge | Motion | Ruling | Indexed | Hearing |
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Motion to be relieved as counsel
Plaintiff has not presented an analysis of how counsel valued the PAGA claims in this litigation. The record presented to the court must allow "an understanding of the amount that is in controversy and the realistic range of outcomes of the litigation," given the strength of claims and the risks and expense of litigating them. (Munoz v. BCI Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Los Angeles (2010) 186 Cal.App.4th 399, 410-11.)
Plaintiff's counsel has not explained the estimated maximum exposure for civil penalties, calculation of estimated reduction on the amount of potential total liability, such that the Court can finds that, the settlement amount is fair and reasonable, given the risks and expenses of further litigation.
Problem: The named Plaintiff seeks a $10,000 Service Award, but has not provided a supporting declaration to justify this amount. Counsel estimates that Plaintiff contributed 30 hours of time to assisting counsel in this matter. (Kharatian Decl., ¶ 18.) This works out to about a $333.33 hourly rate for Plaintiff and less than four works days' worth of work. The Court is inclined to reduce this amount of $5,000 absent justification in the form of a Declaration submitted by the named Plaintiff.
Nevertheless, named plaintiffs, as opposed to designated class members who are not named plaintiffs, are eligible for reasonable incentive payments. The district court must evaluate their awards individually, using "relevant factors includ[ing] the actions the plaintiff has taken to protect the interests of the class, the degree to which the class has benefitted from those actions, . . . the amount of time and effort the plaintiff expended in pursuing the litigation . . . and reasonabl[e] fear[s of] workplace retaliation." Cook, 142 F.3d at 1016. (Staton v. Boeing Co. (9th Cir. 2003) 327 F.3d 938, 977.)
The hearing on the motion for approval of the PAGA settlement is CONTINUED to July 29, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. The parties are to submit a revised settlement and supporting Declarations, as well as proof of service upon the LWDA, by July 15, 2026.
The following tentative ruling is issued pursuant to Rule of Court 3.1308 at DATE \@ "h:mm am/pm" 4:45 PM on DATE \@ "MMMM d, yyyy" May 13, 2026. Notice of intent to appear is REQUIRED pursuant to California Rule of Court 3.1308
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The high volume of telephone calls to Department 734 may delay the Court's receipt of notice, so telephonic notice to 213-830-0776 should be reserved for situations where parties are unable to give notice by email. Per Rule of Court 3.1308, the Court may not entertain oral argument if notice of intention to appear is not given.
Plaintiff argues that Defendants acted as Plaintiff's real estate agent and induced Plaintiff to sell the subject property for below market to an entity in which Defendant held an interest, without disclosing such to Plaintiff. Defendant Forward Sunset d/b/a Keller Williams Hollywood Hills' filed a Cross-Complaint for indemnity. Defendants Jason Blaylock and 11211 Laurie Drive, LLC filed a Cross-Complaint alleging that Plaintiff Hijazi breached the purchase agreement and misrepresented to third parties that Blaylock was Plaintiff's realtor, which undermined his professional credibility and relationships.
Attorney Jamileh Hawatmeth, Esq. moves to be relieved as counsel for Defendant Forward Sunset Inc. d/b/a Keller Williams.
TENTATIVE RULING
For the reasons set forth in the moving papers, Attorney Jamileh Hawatmeh, Esq.'s motion to be relieved as counsel for Defendant Forward Sunset Inc. d/b/a Keller Williams is GRANTED. The order shall not become effective until the filing of the proof of service of the signed order upon the client An order to show cause re: striking the answer of the entity Defendant, and entry of its default, is set for August 10, 2026 at 8:30 a.m., as an entity may not represent itself, and must be represented by a licensed attorney. Home -->)" -->