Representing clients in serious employment disputes has been Jesse Young’s calling throughout his legal career. He represents individuals and businesses in matters involving severance negotiations, discrimination, retaliation, whistleblowing activity, employment contracts, terminations, and compliance.
As a founding member of the firm’s national wage-and-hour practice, Jesse has also appeared in hundreds of wage-and-hour lawsuits and hundreds more arbitrations arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and similar state laws. In this regard, he represents clients dealing with the payment of minimum wages and overtime, employee classification, “off-the-clock” work, meal and rest breaks, tip pooling, donning and doffing of protective work equipment, recordkeeping, and other issues peculiar to a wide variety of industries. He is a Chapter Editor of the American Bar Association’s leading FLSA treatise entitled “The Fair Labor Standards Act” and is a recurring speaker on wage-and-hour topics at The Institute of Continuing Legal Education (Michigan), the American Association for Justice, and other national legal conferences.
Jesse has been appointed to leadership positions in dozens of complex class actions across the country. In these positions, he has secured multi-million dollar recoveries on behalf of thousands of employees.
Jesse’s dynamic practice takes him around the country to represent his clients. He has briefed and argued cases in Michigan state courts, the Michigan Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and dozens of federal U.S. District Courts nationwide. He has also attended several arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Accomplishments
- $11.3 million collective action settlement on behalf of exotic dancers working at Déjà Vu gentlemen’s clubs in an action brought in Michigan under the Fair Labor Standards Act for failure to pay minimum wage.
- $9.95 million class action settlement for 2,574 hourly managers who alleged Lowe’s Home Centers withheld overtime pay for “off-the-clock” work.
- $7.5 million settlement in nationwide wage and hour collective action involving call center employees who were not paid for their pre-shift computer login and boot-up time.
- $6.55 million collective action settlement on behalf of exotic dancers working at “gentleman’s clubs” that misclassified them as independent contractors, forced them to pay “rent,” and failed to pay minimum wage.
- $6.25 million class settlement on behalf of “advice nurses” who were not properly paid wages and overtime for off-the-clock work in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- $4.5 million settlement in a nationwide wage and hour class action involving at-home call center employees who alleged they were not paid for time spent working “off-the-clock” while experiencing system downtime.
- $3.6 million jury verdict against a city that discriminated against a property owner in violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection clause (second chair).
- $3.5 million class action settlement on behalf of home-based customer service agents who claimed their employer unlawfully withheld compensation in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- $3.0 million class action settlement involving restaurant employees who alleged they were not properly paid minimum wage and overtime.
- $1.6 million settlement in a collective action on behalf of hundreds of salaried recruiters who alleged they were not paid overtime after their employer misclassified them as exempt employees.
- $1.4 million wage and hour collective action settlement involving call center employees who alleged they were not paid for their pre-shift computer login and boot-up time.
- $1.1 million settlement in a nationwide wage and hour class action involving at-home call center employees who alleged they were not paid for their pre-shift computer login and boot-up time and for time spent working “off-the-clock” while experiencing system downtime.
- $1.075 million class action settlement for at-home customer service representatives who alleged that their employer failed to pay wages and overtime for “off the clock” work.
- $835,000 settlement on behalf of restaurant employees who alleged they were forced to perform non-tipped work at the tipped minimum wage and to share tips with ineligible employees.
- $805,000 settlement in a collective action on behalf of salaried blue-collar workers who alleged they were not paid overtime after their employer misclassified them as exempt employees.
- $725,000 settlement on behalf of at-home call center employees who alleged unpaid wages and overtime in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and several state wage laws.
- $680,000 class action settlement involving restaurant employees who alleged they were forced to share tips with ineligible employees.
- Numerous judgments and verdicts in favor of employees on claims of unpaid wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- Summary judgment for an employee on claims of improper denials of insurance benefits and breach of fiduciary duty under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.
Memberships
- State Bar of Michigan
- American Association for Justice
- National Employment Lawyers Association
- American Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- Kalamazoo County Bar Association
- Oakland County Bar Association
- YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo
- Board of Directors (2022 to present)
- Habitat for Humanity (Western Wayne County Affiliate)
- Past President (2018-2022)
- Board of Directors (2012-2022)
- Volunteer of the Year (2011)
Testimonials
Alana Karbal and Jesse Young did an excellent job fighting a giant for my wages. They pushed me to get what they needed from me and were amazing at communicating with me at all times. I won my arbitration and was so excited when I got more than what I expected. Sommers Schwartz has obviously great attorneys and a great reputation. Thank you, Alana and Jesse, for being great attorneys and for handling my case and winning!
Jesse Young worked an employment case for me that ended with almost 700 people getting their unpaid wages back. He and his team are incredible. From the first communication to the last, they never missed a single beat – consistent and clear communication, quickly replying to my communication, and always making me feel like my case was at the top of their list.
After finding out my employer had been adjusting employees’ time cards to pay them less than what they actually earned, I decided to seek legal counsel. Jesse not only won the case, but he relentlessly pursued these people and showed absolutely no mercy. What started with me and two other people turned into a class action with everyone getting their money back.
Recent Posts
- Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, Juris Doctorate, cum laude
- Member, WMU Cooley Law Review
- Western Michigan University, B.A., Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Residential Builders License, State of Michigan No. 2101171400
- Michigan
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court of Colorado
- Pro hac vice admissions in various state and federal courts, including the states of Kentucky and Washington, and U.S. District Courts in the Northern District of Alabama, the Central, Northern, and Southern Districts of California, the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, the Middle and Northern Districts of Georgia, the Northern and Southern Districts of Illinois, the Northern District of Indiana, the Western District of Kentucky, the District of Maryland, the District of Minnesota, the Southern District of Mississippi, the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri, the Western District of North Carolina, the District of New Jersey, the Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of New York, the District of Nevada, the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio, the Eastern and Western Districts of Tennessee, the Southern District of Texas, the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, and the Western District of Washington.
- Class Action & Mass Tort
- Employment Law
- Unpaid Wages & Overtime