PAYBACK FOR LITTLE GUY
Philip Gordon
Gordon has made a career of what are known as wage-and-hour cases. That may sound dry  but the issues involved strike at the heart of the relationship between employees - particularly low-income employees - and the people they work for. As Gordon explains it  this a population that is often at the mercy of the people they work for. The benefits at stake here are typically small - two hours of overtime here  a lunch break there - but they add up.
 He entered the Wal-Mart suit earlier this year. Mills Law Firm  a law firm based in California  had been appointed by the court to represent the plaintiffs. Mills is one of the nation's preeminent class-action law firms but needed local counsel. Gordon became that counsel  the lawyer on the ground in Boston.
 That the case has taken eight years to resolve speaks to the difficulty of suing a behemoth. Though Gordon was not at liberty to talk about Wal-Mart specifically  he talked generally about the difficulty of suing a big company.
 "They have so many resources " he said. "If you need records  like timecards that prove how much your client worked  they have the records. If you need to talk to a manager who can explain what went on  the manager works for them. They can tie up cases  knowing that employees have no resources and need lawyers who can take cases on contingency " meaning they get paid only if they win the case.
 Asks Gordon: "How many lawyers can afford to do that?"
 Gordon refers to the settlement as a "mini-stimulus" for the affected workers  who will receive an average of $734. "It's direct assistance - cash - to people who really  really need it."
 He argues that the settlement will be good for low-wage workers  whose employers will be less likely to exploit them  and to employers. Law-abiding employers  he said  will no longer have to compete against companies that derive an unfair advantage by underpaying their workers.
 Gordon delivers this message  like many of his statements  with something approaching messianic zeal. He is David battling Goliath  and this case is proof that sometimes David can win.
 "I'm a lucky guy " he said. "I get to do what I love to do.”
"[TGT] has made a career of what are known as wage-and-hour cases. That may sound dry  but the issues involved strike at the heart of the relationship between employees - particularly low-income employees - and the people they work for. As [TGT] explains it  this a population that is often at the mercy of the people they work for. The benefits at stake here are typically small - two hours of overtime here  a lunch break there - but they add up.
 [TGT] entered the Wal-Mart suit earlier this year. Mills Law Firm  a law firm based in California  had been appointed by the court to represent the plaintiffs. Mills is one of the nation's preeminent class-action law firms but needed local counsel. [TGT] became that counsel  the lawyer on the ground in Boston.
 That the case has taken eight years to resolve speaks to the difficulty of suing a behemoth. Though [TGT] was not at liberty to talk about Wal-Mart specifically  [TGT] talked generally about the difficulty of suing a big company.
 "They have so many resources " [TGT] said. "If you need records  like timecards that prove how much your client worked  they have the records. If you need to talk to a manager who can explain what went on  the manager works for them. They can tie up cases  knowing that employees have no resources and need lawyers who can take cases on contingency " meaning they get paid only if they win the case.
 Asks [TGT]: "How many lawyers can afford to do that?
 [TGT] refers to the settlement as a "mini-stimulus" for the affected workers  who will receive an average of $734. "It's direct assistance - cash - to people who really  really need it."
 He argues that the settlement will be good for low-wage workers  whose employers will be less likely to exploit them  and to employers. Law-abiding employers  he said  will no longer have to compete against companies that derive an unfair advantage by underpaying their workers.
 [TGT] delivers this message  like many of [TGT] statements  with something approaching messianic zeal. [TGT] is David battling Goliath  and this case is proof that sometimes David can win.
 "I'm a lucky guy " [TGT] said. "I get to do what I love to do.""