Justin Henry, a former intern with Atlantic Records, filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, as well as parent company Warner Music Group, over his unpaid internship.
The number of lawsuits against music, movie, and entertainment companies for work from an unpaid internship has steadily increased in recent years and may play a bigger role in labor and entertainment law in the coming years, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Henry claims that he was never compensated for the work he performed for the company between October 2007 through May 2008, which he says violates labor laws. He argues that he was required to work more than 40-hour work weeks, and sometimes required to stay late into the evening. In the lawsuit, Henry notes that the work tasks he performed were not educational or vocational in nature and that the roles performed would have needed to be done by employees if he was not doing the work for free, the Post-Dispatch reports. The former intern seeks to recover claimed unpaid minimum wages and overtime wages for himself and other individuals facing similar circumstances. The latter class is believed to be greater than 100 individuals.
This is not the first case of the entertainment industry abusing those in an unpaid intersnhip, and in recent weeks, a federal judge sided with the plaintiff in a case revolving around unpaid internships. U.S. District Judge William Pauley III ruled against Fox Searchlight Pictures when an intern who worked on the hit “Black Swan” filed a suit after failing to be compensated for the work. Pauley ruled that the film company violated minimum wage and overtime laws by not paying interns who did the same work as regular employees, the news source reports.
The ruling may have also sparked another recent lawsuit against Conde Nast Publications from two interns who were not paid minimum wage. A separate lawsuit is also ongoing against Hearst Publications for related reasons.
What Business Owners Get Wrong Before Meeting a Litigation Attorney
What should you expect when meeting a litigation attorney about a business dispute? You should expect to describe the dispute in your own words, hand over the most important documents, flag any deadlines or immediate threats, and leave with a clearer picture of the problem, what information is still needed, and the likely next steps. […]
Arbitration vs. Litigation vs. Mediation: What New Jersey Businesses Should Know Before Signing a Contract
Arbitration resolves disputes privately before an arbitrator whose decision is usually final, while litigation resolves them in court with full rights of appeal. Whether a business ends up in arbitration or litigation is often decided when it signs the contract, long before any dispute arises. Key Takeaways When facing a contract dispute, carefully consider your […]
Can You Own Part of a New Jersey Business Without a Written Agreement?
Can you own part of a business in New Jersey without a written agreement? Yes, it is possible. Under New Jersey’s Uniform Partnership Act, a partnership can arise when two or more people carry on a business as co-owners for profit, whether or not they ever intended to form one. Ownership doesn’t necessarily depend on […]
Crisis-Proofing Your New Jersey Business: Building a Crisis Response Plan Before You Need One
For New Jersey businesses, crisis preparedness should be viewed as a legal and operational function, not simply an emergency-management exercise. A well-designed crisis response plan can help preserve evidence, protect confidential communications, meet reporting obligations, limit unnecessary exposure, and prevent an already difficult situation from becoming a larger legal problem. Key Takeaways A serious crisis […]
Monmouth County's Next Development Wave: What Developers and Investors Need to Know
Monmouth County is entering a significant new phase of development. For those looking to acquire property or undertake a new project, understanding the market opportunity is only the beginning. The more important question is whether a particular property can actually be developed as contemplated and what approvals, agreements, and other conditions will be required to […]
Are Your Conversations with AI Shielded from Discovery? Courts Are Split
Whether a client’s prompts to a generative AI tool and the documents it produces are protected from disclosure depends on the case type, who claims protection, and whether counsel was involved. In United States v. Heppner, a New York federal judge ruled that a criminal defendant’s communications with an AI platform were protected by neither […]
No Aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Sign up to get the latest from our attorneys!
Explore What Matters Most to You.
Consider subscribing to our Firm Insights mailing list by clicking the button below so you can keep up to date with the firm`s latest articles covering various legal topics.
Stay informed and inspired with the latest updates, insights, and events from Scarinci Hollenbeck. Our resource library provides valuable content across a range of categories to keep you connected and ahead of the curve.
Let`s get in touch!
Sign up to get the latest from the Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC attorneys!
