Phoebe Medeiros, a former business development manager at Reed Smith, filed a lawsuit claiming she was misclassified as exempt, which led to unpaid overtime for weeks often totaling 90 hours. Despite tracking only eight hours daily, she routinely exceeded that, sometimes working seven days and up to 36-hour shifts. Medeiros sought at least $50,000 in compensation, arguing she did not have the discretionary authority typical of exempt employees. Reed Smith stated they are currently reviewing the allegations in the lawsuit.
"Although her timesheets state she worked eight-hour days, five days a week, plaintiff regularly worked 90-hour workweeks, including working seven days per week and sometimes working up to 36-hour shifts."
"Medeiros said she should have been classified as a nonexempt employee, entitling her to wage protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act."
"Medeiros began work at Reed Smith in New York in October 2021. About a year later, she transferred to the firm's Los Angeles office, where she worked under the 'clear and specific directions' of a partner who spent all his time pitching potential clients."
"Reed Smith responded to the ABA Journal's request for comment with a statement. 'We are reviewing the allegations in the complaint and will respond in our court filings,' a firm spokesperson said."
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