Alberto Gatica-Castro vs Specialty Team Plastering Inc

Case Number

22CV01120

Case Type

Hearing Date / Time

Mon, 08/18/2025 - 10:00

Nature of Proceedings

Status of Accounting Final Accounting

Tentative Ruling

Alberto Gatica-Castro v. Specialty Team Plastering, Inc.         

Case No. 22CV01120

           

Hearing Date: August 18, 2025                                                          

HEARING:              Final Accounting Hearing

ATTORNEYS:        For Plaintiff Alberto Gatica-Castro: Matthew J. Matern, Matthew W. Gordon, Vanessa M. Rodriguez, Matern Law Group, PC

For Defendant Specialty Team Plastering, Inc.: Kenneth P. Roberts, Ryan P. Tish, K.P. Roberts & Associates

TENTATIVE RULING:

Appearances at the final accounting hearing are not required.

Pursuant to the court’s order of October 8, 2024, the court granted, after a hearing, plaintiff Alberto Gatica-Castro’s motion for final approval of a class action and “PAGA” Settlement (the settlement), finding that the settlement was entered in good faith, fair, adequate, and reasonable. In that order, the court, among other things, ordered that the parties to implement the settlement according to its terms, and retained jurisdiction over the parties with respect to all matters related to the administration of the settlement. In addition, the court set a final accounting hearing for August 18, 2025, and directed the Matern Law Group, PC, who the court confirmed as class counsel, to submit a final accounting report no later than August 11, 2025.

On August 11, 2025, plaintiff submitted a declaration of Jonathan Paul (Paul), who is the Chief Executive Officer of settlement administrator Xpand Legal. In that declaration, Paul provides information regarding: the funding of the settlement account; the mailing of settlement checks representing individual settlement awards to class members and aggrieved employees; the payment of administration fees, attorney’s fees and costs, employer-side payroll taxes, and the class representative service award from the settlement account; and settlement checks which have been cashed and remain uncashed, among other things. (Paul Decl., ¶¶ 3-14.)

The information appearing in the Paul declaration is sufficient to show and satisfy the court that the settlement was administered and implemented according to its terms. For this reason, the court will not require appearances at the final accounting hearing.