TAMPA – A Florida paralegal is suing her former employers, alleging she was not compensated for overtime hours and was retaliated against by the law firms.
Plaintiff Christine Winsor, who worked remotely from Bradenton, Fla., filed her lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida’s Tampa Division Oct. 15.
The named defendants are the Law Offices of Berman & Berman PA and 10XLAW.COM Florida PLLC.
According to Winsor’s filing, she was employed by the defendants from Nov. 18, 2024 through April 11, 2025 as a pre-suit paralegal. She was paid a salary of $75,000 a year.
However, she claims the firms knowingly misclassified her as exempt – meaning she was exempt from overtime requirements despite not meeting the legal criteria.
“Defendants willfully misclassified Plaintiff as an exempt employee when she was actually a non-exempt employee subject to Defendants' control and direction,” the eight-page complaint states.
She claims she “regularly” worked in excess of 40 hours per week, but was not compensated for her overtime.
The defendants operate as coordinated law firms serving the same client base, providing personal injury legal services. The firms have a gross annual income “well in excess of” $500,000 per year, Winsor’s complaint noted.
According to her filing, the defendants started using an ADP timekeeping system in March 2025. Under the system, she was only permitted to clock 40 hours – despite working 55.5 hours weekly, regularly.
“Plaintiff expressed her objections to Defendants about the unpaid overtime and her working conditions after her termination via email to HR,” the complaint states.
“In response to Plaintiff's complaints about unpaid wages, Defendants told her that her claim was a ‘fraudulent claim’ and constituted ‘blackmail.’”
Her employment was terminated April 11, 2025.
“Defendants have thus violated the FLSA by failing to pay overtime wages due to Plaintiff and violated the FLSA by retaliating against her after she engaged in statutorily protected activity,” the complaint states, referring to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Winsor seeks payment of all unpaid overtime wages; liquidated damages equal to the unpaid overtime wages; attorneys’ fees and costs; back pay and other compensation for employment she would have received, plus interest; front pay, including raises and benefits; reimbursement of all expenses and financial losses she has incurred as a result; and compensatory damages.
Benjamin H. Yormak of Yormak Employment & Disability Law in Bonita Springs, Fla., is representing Winsor.
