Wedbush Ordered to Pay Attorneys Fees After Untimely Payment of Attorneys Fees

Incentive Program Claims:

Considering the facts and the laws presented under a preponderance of evidence standard, the Panel finds that the "Division Incentive Pool" and the "Unallocated Executive Incentive Pool" were discretionary as to what amount Respondent would pay to Claimant. Although Respondent transferred money to the incentive pools based on profitability, there was no evidence other than Claimant's testimony that Respondent promised orally or in writing to pay Claimant all money transferred into the incentive accounts. There was no formal incentive pay policy in any employee handbook; whereas the handbook expressly stated incentive pay was discretionary. Claimant did not have a formal, signed employment contract guaranteeing incentive pay based on profitability. No other employee testified that Claimant was guaranteed incentive pay based on profitability. To the contrary, the evidence demonstrated that just because money was placed into the incentive pool accounts that was not a guarantee of payment or entitlement to payment. Instead, any payments to Claimant from those pools were at the sole discretion of Respondent.

Claimant testified that a memorandum Respondent sent in 2009 was a contractual agreement by Respondent to give incentive pay based on profitability; and, once the money was put in the pool, Claimant was entitled to the payments. Claimant, however, admitted that he believed Respondent had discretion as to "when" to pay Claimant the money. The memorandum Claimant asserts is a contract does not mention the discretionary nature of the program, which begs the question: "where did Claimant's understanding that there was some discretionary element to the program come from?" There is no evidence to support Claimant's understanding, as every document that mentions the discretionary nature of the incentive program does not qualify that discretion.

Claimant further asserted that said memorandum was confirming the terms of the incentive pay that were in place from 2007 - 2009. As of around December 2010, however, there was approximately $264,000.00 in the Division Incentive Pool (which accumulated sometime between 2007-2010), so the course of dealings evidences that the full amount transferred to the incentive pool was not being paid out to Claimant. Further, Claimant's testimony is outweighed by the fact that other witnesses testified that Respondent's incentive program was discretionary and that the course of dealings was consistent with the incentive program being discretionary, without qualification. Several documents evidence both that Respondent disclosed the discretionary nature of the incentive program and that Claimant understood the discretionary nature of the incentive program, without qualification. While the Panel found both Edward Wedbush and Claimant less than credible in certain aspects of their testimony, the preponderance of the evidence demonstrated that the incentive program was discretionary. The use of profitability was just a starting point for how much money Respondent might consider paying out, versus a guarantee of how much would be paid.

Respondent presented case law that holds a bonus or incentive program will be upheld by the terms of the program, unless those terms are otherwise unlawful. Claimant did not present law to suggest that a discretionary incentive program, as present in this case, is unlawful under California law. Thus, the Panel cannot hold as a matter of law or equity that the discretionary nature of the incentive programs at issue here was unlawful, as Respondent was following the designated terms of the program.

Based on the above-findings, the remaining issues regarding the incentive program are rendered moot; and, the Panel finds Claimant is not owed any money from the "Division Incentive Pool" or the "Unallocated Executive Incentive Pool."

Failure to reimburse attorneys' fees expended:

The Panel finds under California Labor Code §2802 that Respondent failed to timely reimburse Claimant attorneys' fees that Claimant had to pay relative to his employment duties working for Respondent. Although Respondent reimbursed Claimant the amounts due after the Statement of Claim was filed, Respondent is liable for Claimant's attorneys' fees in having to pursue reimbursement of said business expenses.

Claimant waived any rights or claims under California Labor Code §203 during the hearing of this matter.

Claimant did not introduce an accounting of the number of hours his counsel expended pursuant to this issue, so by law the Panel may assign a number and hourly rate it deems reasonable. To that end, the Panel awards Claimant $37,500.00 in attorneys' fees relative to this issue.

SIDE BAR: California Labor Code Section 2802.

  

(a) An employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties, or of his or her obedience to the directions of the employer, even though unlawful, unless the employee, at the time of obeying the directions, believed them to be unlawful.

(b) All awards made by a court or by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement for reimbursement of necessary expenditures under this section shall carry interest at the same rate as judgments in civil actions. Interest shall accrue from the date on which the employee incurred the necessary expenditure or loss.

(c) For purposes of this section, the term "necessary expenditures or losses" shall include all reasonable costs, including, but not limited to, attorney's fees incurred by the employee enforcing the rights granted by this section.

(d) In addition to recovery of penalties under this section in a court action or proceedings pursuant to Section 98, the commissioner may issue a citation against an employer or other person acting on behalf of the employer who violates reimbursement obligations for an amount determined to be due to an employee under this section. The procedures for issuing, contesting, and enforcing judgments for citations or civil penalties issued by the commissioner shall be the same as those set forth in Section 1197.1. Amounts recovered pursuant to this section shall be paid to the affected employee.

• FINRA
• Arbitration
• Bell
• Wedbush
• Constructive Discharge
• Attorneys Fees
• California Labor Code
• BrokeAndBroker
• Bill Singer