SAN DIEGO (May 30,2019): Attorney Jason Hartley, Principal of San Diego plaintiff’s firm Hartley LLP, was selected as co-lead trial counsel in an antitrust case on behalf of managers and tax preparers against national tax preparation service Jackson Hewitt.
Hartley, along with Joseph Saveri and Paul LLP, was selected to serve as co-lead counsel on the case by Judge Susan Wigenton of the District of New Jersey. The complaint against Jackson Hewitt alleges a conspiracy among corporate and franchise locations to depress employees’ wages by agreeing not to hire or solicit each other’s employees.
Tax preparers at Jackson Hewitt’s nearly six thousand locations undergo over seventy hours of specialized training before they are skilled enough on Jackson Hewitt’s proprietary system to work as senior tax preparers, according to the complaint. However, also according to the complaint, the effect of the conspiracy depresses the wages of those tax preparers to 30% of the wages earned by tax preparers of other employers. Following a criminal investigation by the Attorney General of the State of Washington, Jackson Hewitt agreed to, among other things, remove its no-poach agreement from franchise agreements going forward.
“This is a case of significant importance to a large group of tax preparers,” said Hartley. “I’m looking forward to sheperding this case through trial and obtaining justice for our clients.”
Hartley exclusively represents plaintiffs in commercial contingency representation, class action litigation, antitrust, and unfair competition. He is involved in all aspects of civil litigation and has handled cases in both federal and state courts, in litigation and at trial. He often represents the largest plaintiff class members in nationwide antitrust actions, from Fortune 100 companies to local small businesses.
About Hartley LLP
Hartley LLP represents victims of anticompetitive conduct like price fixing agreements, unfair competition, tying agreements and monopolization. Its attorneys have worked to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for their clients. For more information about their practice, visit https://hartleyllp.com/results/.