WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A Florida woman is suing her former employer, a Boca Raton-area law firm, for unpaid wages.
Plaintiff Heather Ronan filed her lawsuit February 27 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, West Palm Beach Division.
The named defendants are the firm of Lavalle Brown & Ronan PA, or LBR, and Kenneth J. Ronan, the firm’s owner and director.
According to the firm’s website, LBR is a family-owned and family-run practice that represents clients in all types of personal injury, business, criminal defense, family law, probate and real estate disputes.
It is unclear from the filing whether Heather Ronan is related to defendant Kenneth Ronan. Heather Ronan and Kenneth Ronan are married, but there is a divorce case pending.
Heather Ronan alleges the firm violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and has breached an oral contract.
According to her eight-page complaint, she was employed by the defendants from November 2009 through December 2023. She held the position of office manager.
She claims that in exchange for performing “compensable work,” LBR agreed to pay her a salary of $100,000 a year, payable in bi-monthly pay periods, i.e. every two weeks.
“Plaintiff fully performed all duties required by LBR and satisfied all conditions for payment of the agreed upon $100,000/year salary,” the complaint states.
However, Heather Ronan contends the defendants did not pay her wages for work she performed during the pay periods ending on Feb. 28, 2023, March 15, 2023, Nov. 15, 2023, and Dec. 15, 2023.
“During the above stated pay periods, Plaintiff performed full-time work for LBR, and worked approximately forty (40) hours each week during those pay periods,” the filing states.
Heather Ronan claims LBR and Kenneth Ronan knew she worked during the above-stated pay periods.
“Defendants were aware of the work performed by Plaintiff during above stated pay periods but still failed to pay any compensation whatsoever to Plaintiff for the work she performed during the above stated pay periods,” the complaint states.
“Defendant willfully and intentionally refused to properly pay Plaintiff minimum wages as required by the law of the United States as set forth above and remains owing Plaintiff these wages.”
Heather Ronan alleges the defendants also never posted any notice – as required by the FLSA and state law – to inform employees of their federal rights to minimum wage payments.
She seeks a decree that LBR violated the FLSA and has done so “willfully, intentionally and with reckless disregard” for her rights.
She also seeks actual damages for the unpaid minimum wages for the hours she worked, along with interest; an award of equal amount in double damages/liquidated damages; and costs of the action, including attorneys’ fees.
Entin Law Group PA and MLE Law, both in Fort Lauderdale, are representing the plaintiff in the lawsuit.
