FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2020
Contacts: Gregg Kelley, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, [email protected], 202-319-1070
Ann C. Westover, Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP, [email protected], 202-721-5411
Isabella failed to pay wages for weeks despite public statements that his restaurant Requin was successful
October 30, 2020: Greenbelt, M.D. – Today, three restaurant workers have filed a lawsuit against Mike Isabella and three executives who ran Requin, a high-end restaurant that was located at the Wharf in Southwest Washington, D.C., alleging that the restaurant withheld wages during 2018. In addition to Mr. Isabella, the suit names Johannes Allender, Taha Ismail and Dhiandra Olson as defendants. Plaintiffs Lucas Delcid, Danielle Harris and Milena Radulovic are represented the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (“Washington Lawyers’ Committee”) and Axinn.
A few months after the opening of Requin in 2017, Mr. Isabella’s once successful restaurant empire began to show serious signs of financial trouble. Several of Isabella’s restaurants experience exponential declines in revenue and filed for bankruptcy. Despite these growing financial problems, Mr. Isabella publicly proclaimed that Requin was successful and would not be part of the bankruptcy proceedings.
Starting in November 2018, payment of wages to Requin employees became sporadic and inconsistent, and ceased to meet legal requirements. The checks that were issued were no longer coming from the regular payroll company, but from multiples sources including personal checks. Some of the paychecks received by Plaintiffs were returned for insufficient funds or lack of authorization. One defendant offered cash to a plaintiff in place of bounced or never received paychecks. The plaintiff refused the offer. Many checks did not reflect employee tax withholding, did not include any detail for hours worked and rate of pay, and did not breakout wages and tips, all in violation of D.C. law. Thus, it was difficult for employees to determine whether they had received the proper amount of pay for hours worked. By the end of December 2018, Defendants permanently shut down Requin without prior notice to employees.
“Many of us were excited to come work for Mike based on his successful career. We would never have guessed that we would be treated so unfairly. Restaurant jobs are incredibly hard, and demand real loyalty from your staff. We kept our part of the deal, but were rewarded with stolen wages and promises that were not true,” said plaintiff Lucas Delcid.
“Wage theft of restaurant workers and other low wage workers by unscrupulous owners is a rampant problem,” said Daniel A. Katz, Senior Counsel at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee. “Mr. Isabella’s exploitation of his employees reflects a callous indifference to the well-being of those on whom his ultimately failed empire depended.”
Axinn Partner Nick Gaglio added, “We are pleased to work with the Washington Lawyers’ Committee to ensure that these hard-working individuals get the compensation they deserve. We hope this suit will discourage employers from withholding wages from employees who have rightfully earned them.”
A copy of the complaint can be accessed here.
PRESS:
Eater DC
Law360
Washington Post
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ABOUT THE WASHINGTON LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE: Founded in 1968, The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs works to create legal, economic and social equity through litigation, client and public education and public policy advocacy. While we fight discrimination against all people, we recognize the central role that current and historic race discrimination plays in sustaining inequity and recognize the critical importance of identifying, exposing, combatting and dismantling the systems that sustain racial oppression. For more information, please visit www.washlaw.org or call 202.319.1000. Follow us on Twitter at @WashLaw4CR.
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