Randy Renick specializes in complex cases and class action litigation, including wage and hour, antitrust, employment, civil rights, and public interest litigation. He is uniquely regarded as a leading class action trial lawyer, having tried three class action cases in the last decade to verdict. Mr. Renick was selected as a “Rising Star” by the Los Angeles Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine for 2004 and has also been selected as a “Super Lawyer” by Los Angeles Magazine and Law & Politics Magazine each year since 2005. He was one of only a few Plaintiff-side Employment Lawyers selected for the “Best Lawyers in America” each year since 2007. He is regularly asked to give lectures regarding public interest and class action litigation to lawyers, law students, and public interest organizations.
During his career, Mr. Renick has served as Lead or Class Counsel in many of the largest and most significant class action and individual cases brought on behalf of workers in California, including:
Wang v. Chinese Daily News, Case No. CV-04-1498 CBM, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Served as Lead Counsel in a jury trial representing a class of hourly newspaper employees involving claims of unpaid overtime and other wage and hour violations. After a jury and bench trial, obtained a judgment in favor of his clients for more than $5,200,000 in 2015. Opinion at (Wang v. Chinese Daily News, Inc. (9th Cir. 2010) 623 F.3d 743.).
Diaz v. Grill Concepts Services, Inc., dba Daily Grill, Case No. BC 542720, Los Angeles Superior Court. Served as Lead Counsel in bench trial to recover back wages, interest, and waiting for time penalties against hotel restaurants under the City of Los Angeles' Airport Hotel Living Wage Ordinance. In January 2017, plaintiffs prevailed on all claims at trial and received a favorable judgment of $864,756.84. The verdict was approved on appeal. Diaz v. Grill Concepts Services, Inc. (2018) 23 Cal. App.5th 859.
Paige v. State of California, Case No. CV 94-0083 CBM U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Served as Co-Lead Trial Counsel in the two-month class action trial involving claims against California Highway Patrol alleging discrimination in promotions against Non-White Officers
City of Los Angeles Service Charge Cases, Lead Case BC377050, Los Angeles Superior Court, Judge William Highberger. Class Counsel in five separate actions on behalf of hourly workers against various Century Boulevard hotels alleging violations of the City of Los Angeles Service Charge Ordinance. Defended the constitutionality of the Ordinance on Appeal in the published decision of Garcia v. Four Points Sheraton LAX (2010) 188 Cal. App. 4th 36
Craig, et al. v. Corteva, Inc., et al., Case No. 3:17-cv-07923-JCS, United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Serving as Co-Class Counsel in an action brought on behalf of 207 class members. Preliminary Approval was granted in 2021 for $3,900,000.
Class Action v. Major Oil Refinery, United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Served as Co-Lead Counsel in action brought on behalf of Oil Refinery Operators for rest break violations. The matter was settled in 2019 for $15,250,000.
Berlanga, et al. v. Equilon Enterprises LLC, et al., Case No. 4:17-cv-00282-MMC, United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Rest break case brought on behalf of Refinery Operators. The matter settled in 2019 for $7,750,000 with 497 class members receiving a check averaging over $11,000.
Clack v. Chevron Corporation, Chevron U.S.A. Inc. dba Chevron Products Company, and ChevronTexaco Global Lubricants, Case No. BC649514. Los Angeles Superior Court. Served as Co-Lead Counsel in action brought on behalf of approximately 1,500 Oil Refinery Operators for rest break violations. The matter was settled in 2020 for $ $17,375,000. It was the largest labor and employment settlement in California in 2020.
Kendig, et al. v. ExxonMobil Oil Corp, et al., Case No. 2:18-cv-9224 MWF (SSx), United States District Court for the Central District of California. Served as Co-Class Counsel in an action brought on behalf of 338 class members. The matter was settled in 2020 for $4,391,585.
Buzas v. Phillips 66 Company, Case No. 4:17-cv-00163-YGR, United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Served as Co-Lead Counsel in action brought on behalf of 500 Oil Refinery Operators for rest break violations. The matter was settled in 2018 for $5,500,000.
Murphy v. CVS Caremark, BC 464785, Los Angeles Superior Court. Class Counsel in wage and hour class action brought on behalf of more than 70,000 hourly employees. The suit alleged various violations, including the failure to pay employees while subject to employer control during security checks. The matter was settled in 2017, prior to trial, for $12,750,000. It was the second-largest wage and hour violation settlement obtained in California in the year 2017.
Aguilar v. Flying Foods Group Pacific, Inc., Case No. BC 553539, Los Angeles Superior Court. Lead Counsel in the class action of employees with claims of unpaid overtime and other wage and hour violation failures. As Class Counsel, sought damages, restitution, and other relief for the Class for the time period from August 1, 2010, to the present. The matter was settled in 2018 for $4,150,000. It was the ninth-largest labor and employment settlement and among the top 20 Class Action settlements obtained in California in the year 2018
Barrientos v. Hilton Los Angeles Airport, Case No. BC403925, Los Angeles Superior Court. The Lawsuit was filed on December 16, 2008, and the alleged class period dated back to December 16, 2004. Parties agreed to resolve the Lawsuit by way of settlement in 2011. Defendants paid $2,500,000.
USW v. ConocoPhillips Company, CV 08-2068 PSG, United States District Court. Class Counsel brought on behalf of refinery operators for on-duty meal periods. The case was settled in 2013, prior to trial, for $15,500,000. Published opinion can be found at (United Steel, Paper & Forestry, Rubber, Mfg. Energy v. ConocoPhillips Co. (9th Cir. 2010) 593 F.3d 802.)
Navarro v. Pacifica Hosts Hotels, Inc. (2008), Case No. BC352017, Los Angeles Superior Court. Class Counsel for class of more than 4,000 hourly employees at 19 hotels in California with claims of unpaid overtime, missed meals,s and rest breaks. The matter was settled in 2008 for $6,500,000.
Ruiz v. Jackson (2004), Case No. SC076090, Los Angeles Superior Court. In 2004, obtained a jury verdict of $825,000 on behalf of a Philippine plaintiff brought to Los Angeles and forced to work 18 hours per day for more than one year without pay. Prevailed on all claims including false imprisonment, fraud, assault, battery, and negligence against defendants, one of whom was a lawyer and executive at Sony Pictures. The jury found that the defendants had wrongfully imprisoned Plaintiff by means of violence and threats.
Mesfun v. Hagos, Case No. CV 93-02182 MMM U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Served as Lead Counsel in a jury trial involving allegations of False Imprisonment and Labor Code Violations in front of Judge Margaret Morrow. Obtained a jury verdict on Labor Code claim against Defendant.
Mr. Renick also has substantial experience litigating antitrust class action cases in both state and federal courts. Mr. Renick is intimately familiar with the management and organization required to aggressively litigate complicated class action cases involving multiple cases and numerous co-counsel. Some of the antitrust matters in which he has served as counsel include:
In Re TFT-LCD (Flat Panel) Antitrust Litigation, MDL 7269 (Judge Illston) United States District Court, Northern District of California. Antitrust class action on behalf of direct purchasers of LCD screens alleging a nationwide class for price-fixing. The case settled for more than $400,000,000.
In Re Dynamic Random-Access Memory Antitrust Litigation, MDL 1486 (Judge Hamilton) United States District Court, Northern District of California. Antitrust class action on behalf of direct purchasers of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) alleging a nationwide class for price-fixing. The case settled for more than $330,000,000.
In Re Vitamin Cases, J.C.C.P. No. 4076, San Francisco Superior Court. Antitrust class action on behalf of California indirect purchasers of vitamins. The case was settled for $96,000,000.
In Re California Indirect Purchaser MSG Antitrust Cases, Master File No. 304471, San Francisco Superior Court. Antitrust class action on behalf of California indirect purchasers of Monosodium Glutamate. The case settled for more than $11,000,000.
In Re Methionine Antitrust Litigation, MDL 1311, CRB, United States District Court, Northern District of California. A nationwide class action on behalf of direct purchasers of methionine alleging price-fixing. The case was settled for $107,000,000.
In Re California Polychloroprene Cases, J.C.C.P. 4376, Los Angeles Superior Court. Statewide class on behalf of indirect purchasers of Polychloroprene. The matter settled for in excess of $4,500,000.
In Re Urethane Cases, J.C.C.P. No. 4367, San Francisco Superior Court. Settlements of over $9,000,000 in an antitrust class action on behalf of all California indirect purchasers of urethane and urethane chemicals. Served as Co-Liaison Counsel for Plaintiffs and investigated and vetted the 42 California organizations that were approved as recipients of the nearly $8 Million allocated by pres.
In Re Richard Villa et al. v. Crompton Corporation et al., Consolidated Case No. CGC-03-419116, San Francisco Superior Court. Settlements of over $2,000,000 antitrust class action on behalf of California indirect purchasers of EPDM.
In Re Smokeless Tobacco Cases I-IV, J.C.C.P. Nos. 4250, 4258, 4259 and 4262, San Francisco Superior Court. Certified antitrust class action on behalf of California consumers of smokeless tobacco products. The case settled for $99,000,000 with over $25,000,000 allocated cy pres.
In Re Compact Disk Cases, J.C.C.P. No. 4123, Los Angeles Superior Court. Antitrust class action on behalf of California consumers of prerecorded compact disks. Settled for more than $100,000,000.
In Re Purchaser Auction House Cases, Master Case No. 310313. San Francisco Superior Court. Antitrust class action on behalf of California auction buyers and sellers.
In Re Western States Wholesale Natural Gas Litigation, MDL 1566. Settlements of over $150,000,000 in an antitrust class action on behalf of California buyers of natural gas.
Recent Developments in Class Actions, National Employment Lawyers Association Annual Symposium, 2009.
Wage and Hour Class Actions, Successfully navigating the Pretrial Process, Los Angeles County Bar, November 11, 2010.
Brinker, Is it really a Victory for Employers? Pasadena Bar Association, July 10, 2012
Advanced Class Action Seminar, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section, June 15, 2013
"Tis the season: Vacation time battles between employers and employees" Guest on Air Talk by Larry Mantle, KPCC, November 4, 2014
Developing a Trial Plan After Duran, Los Angeles County Bar 35th Annual Labor and Employment Law Symposium, February 12, 2015
"Tenants sue over Airbnb conversion in LA", Guest on Air Talk by Larry Mantle, KPCC, December 17, 2015,
"Tenants Sue after Landlord Rents out Apartments on Airbnb" Guest on Which Way LA, KCRW, December 17, 2015
California’s Gig Economy, What’s the Path Forward?, Los Angeles County Bar Symposium, March 11, 2020.
