We prosecute consumer, tenant, and employment class actions in California state and federal courts. Our cases have secured more than $55 million in total relief for over 300,000 California class members, including a $27.95 million proposed settlement pending court approval—the largest tenant security-deposit recovery in California history.
We represent consumers, tenants, and employees across California. Our practice focuses on tenant protection and consumer class actions. We also handle high-value employment class and representative PAGA actions.
Tenant
Our partners were among the first lawyers to successfully pursue claims under California’s security-deposit statute, Civil Code § 1950.5, in class action proceedings, a field the plaintiffs’ bar had largely ignored for nearly thirty years. We have built a practice aimed at the country’s largest institutional landlords, representing classes of hundreds of thousands of renters over heavy opposition and securing tens of millions of dollars in relief between refunded deposits and debt forgiveness. Our results include a proposed settlement of $27.95 million in total relief—the largest security-deposit class action recovery in California history—and an approved class settlement for $12.5 million, reflecting 135% of class damages—the second largest.
Consumer
Alongside tenant work, we prosecute consumer class actions involving corporate fraud, data breaches and privacy violations, junk fees, and deceptive practices. We select cases with clean liability theories and build them for certification and trial from the outset.
Employee
We also handle selected employment matters, including FLSA collective actions, California PAGA proceedings, and WARN Act claims, generally where damages exceed $5 million.
Class action against a publicly traded apartment real estate investment trust (REIT) with over $17 billion in market capitalization for systematic unlawful deductions from tenant security deposits across its California properties under Civil Code § 1950.5. Resolved for $27.95 million in total relief, including $19.25 million in cash and $8.7 million in automatic debt forgiveness for more than 200,000 California renters. The largest security-deposit class action recovery in California history (proposed settlement pending court approval).
Certified class of approximately 33,000 California renters against one of Southern California’s largest institutional landlords for systematic misappropriation of security deposits under Civil Code § 1950.5. Class certification was obtained over opposition from more than twenty defendants. The settlement provided $12.5 million in total relief ($10 million in cash and $2.5 million in debt relief), returning approximately 135% of class damages.
Class action for unlawful withholding of security deposits and excessive late fees under Civil Code §§ 1950.5 and 1671. Settled for $9.8 million in total relief on behalf of a putative class of more than 80,000 California renters.
Class action for unlawful withholding of security deposits under Civil Code § 1950.5. Resolved for $4.75 million in total relief on behalf of the certified class.
FLSA collective action on behalf of 206 Los Angeles County child social workers for unpaid overtime. Settled for $2.5 million.
The firm is currently prosecuting major tenant class actions in California federal and state courts against three of the largest residential landlords in the state, each for systematic unlawful deductions from residential security deposits:
Class actions benefit from focused teams and active lead counsel. We take fewer cases than most class action firms, and the ones we take get sustained partner attention from filing through resolution. The partner who files the case argues the certification motion, takes the key depositions, negotiates the settlement, and tries the case if it goes that far.
Few class action firms are built to try the cases they file. We take a selective docket so the partners who file the case take the key depositions, argue certification, and try the case.
When the facts call for it, we partner with other trial firms on coordinated multi-firm teams across California and nationally. The practice scales when the case requires it.
Jimmie represents tenants in class actions against some of the largest corporate landlords in the country. His work includes the proposed settlement in Norman v. Essex Property Trust, Inc., which would provide $27.95 million in total relief and is pending court approval. His active matters include class actions against Greystar, AvalonBay, and the Nijjar landlord network. He began his career in class action defense at Gordon & Rees.
Full biographyTrial and appellate litigator in the Essex Property Trust ($27.95M in total relief, pending court approval), GHP Management ($12.5M in total relief), Greystar, and Nijjar class actions, as well as consumer privacy, data-breach, and wage-and-hour matters. Eighteen years in high-stakes litigation; former law clerk to the Hon. David O. Carter (C.D. Cal.).
Full biography