Mario Batali Settles Consumer Fraud Lawsuit Over Tips

Mario Batali has settled a class action consumer fraud lawsuit that was filed by former employees who claimed they were illegally withheld tipswhen they worked at the celebrity chef’s restaurants.

According to USA Today, the former employees filed their class action in 2010, claiming that Joseph Bastianish and Batali’s restaurants had a policy of deducting four to five percent from the pool of tips at the end of each night.

Batali and his business partner agreed to pay $5.25 million to resolve charges of wage and hour violations. The settlement will compensate as many as 1,100 employees, including runners, servers, busboys, and bartenders who worked at their restaurants since 2004.

If you were wronged by an employer, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation.