George Hallak v. L3 Communications Corp. ( 2012 )


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  •                                                                            FILED
    NOT FOR PUBLICATION                              JUN 14 2012
    MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK
    UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS                       U .S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS
    FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
    GEORGE HALLAK, an individual;                    No. 10-56100
    ZHANGAR SOFY; KHILAT
    MOHAMMED AGID; DIA ALDIN;                        D.C. No. 2:10-cv-00794-R-JC
    MUNA THAMER; AMAD HANA;
    ALADIN AL-JABIRI; MUDALAL AL-
    JABIRI; LATIF OBAID; ABDUL                       MEMORANDUM *
    RAZZOOK; MOURAD CHIHI; LEE
    HANNA; HASAN KHAZEL;
    MUHAMAD SHIFA AHMED; FAKHIR
    HAKIM; PERWAR ALMISSOURI;
    AYAD ALMISSOURI; HAFSA DELENE
    ALMISSOURI; LABIEB MUSSA;
    SAMYA SELEVANI; ZAKY AHMED;
    SAGVAN SALIH; NARIMAN
    MOHAMMAD; AZAD SADIG; ALI
    ISMAIL; JOHN KALABAT; JULIET
    SELIM; REIKAN ALEBADI; DIAR
    MOHAMMED; GAZWAN ALEBADI;
    NESSER SALMAN; WISAM HINDI;
    DHAFIR YOUSIF; BOTAN HAWLERY;
    KADHIM ALBUMOHAMMED;
    REHAM MAJEED; JAAFAR NASSER;
    HAITHAM ORAHA; ALFONS ATTIA;
    KOSAR SHIRO; SUHAM MARROGI;
    SAMY MONA; KAMIL YOUSIF;
    NABIL ISAA; HANNA RIAN; SAM
    KASHIT; YASSER YALDA; SERWA
    BARZANGI; SHOWBO BERZANGI;
    *
    This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent
    except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.
    FAWZIA HEIDARI; ESMAEL OBAID;
    MUKHLES GORGES; MARK SAKO;
    ANDY CHOLAGH; SARAH MEWLUD;
    THAMER GORGEES; MAHIR
    GORGES; HAWAR YOUSIF; STEVE
    ZAYA; IBRAHAM MULLA; SALIM
    HANNOSH; SIRAJALDIN
    SHAMSALDIN; HEJAR MAYI; MALI
    BREEN; BREEN MAII; REBIN
    MUSTAFA; HOJIN MUSTAFA;
    HIVIDAR KHENDARI; ISSAM JAJOU;
    ISTAIFAN MAROKI; SHIVAN
    ALMISSOURI; AHLAM ALMISSOURI;
    ZEEN ALMISSOURI; NABIL HASSAN,
    AKA Tony Valantino; HAMDI HASSAN;
    LOUIS SHAMOON; HOSHANG SABIR;
    FARHANG SABIR; HARMAN SARKY;
    SEFIN ZEKI; EMAD SHABA; BASHAR
    MALLAH; ISMAEL PUTRUS; GURAN
    FAIQ; AVEN FAIQ; JUAN FAIQ;
    SAMAN FAKI MOHAMMAD;
    HARMAN PEROMARI; MUNTASER
    ABOUNA; SHIVAN AMEEN, AKA
    Amin; SALAM TOBIA; NADRA JAJOU;
    NADER JAJOU; MUHANNAD JAJO,
    AKA Muhand Jajou; ARAM SAID, AKA
    Aram Saei; NABAZ KHDIR; TAHA
    HASSAN; SALWA SALEM; EVAIT
    SHAMOON; JANAN SHAMOON;
    BASSIM SEMAN; BERNADIT SEMAN;
    LATIF KASSAB; EASHOU M.
    MARKOS; ALAN QADIR, AKA Quidar;
    SAMIR HOUSSIN ISMAIL; MOWAFAK
    GABOORY; MEHDI SALEHI; DLOVAN
    BANAVI; HADI SALEHI; WAEL JAJO;
    BOTON KHOSHNAW; FIRAS MATTI,
    AKA Matia; MORDAN AKIRAYI;
    FERAS MATTI, AKA Matia; SALIM
    ALJUMAAILY; ALAN BAKELORI;
    WARINA BUNI; MONA FATHALLA;
    SARDAR SINDI; RAFID JEBRAEIL;
    SALLY SHAMOON; JUNAINA ABOU;
    KARWAN SADI, AKA Karway;
    BEYWAR BARWARI; NEWAR
    MUSTAFA; DAWOOD AHMED;
    SHARKIR MOHAMMED, AKA Sharkar
    Mohammad; SENAN M. JUWAIDEH,
    AKA Seman; HASSAN ALASSALY;
    MASOUD SULEVANI; SARKOU
    MAHMOOD; AHLAM AL-NASRAWI,
    AKA Aklam; MICHAEL SHAMOON;
    SANGAR MAHMOOD; ALI AL-
    AZAWY; BASSAM NAMO; HADAR
    AKRAEE; IMAD ALJABI; JAWAD
    ALAQRAWI; MASOUD HASAN;
    SWARA DELOYI; HAVAL BEDIHI;
    SAL GARDY; ISAM DAWOOD; ALI
    ALSAEED; TONY Y. PATROS; SILOVE
    BARWARI; BINYAMIN BINYAMIN;
    SABAH MARCUS; SAFAA SALEH,
    AKA Safa Saleh; ADEL HANNA;
    DURAED GABRALI; MOHAMMED
    KHILLAWI; SAMER AL-SAEGH;
    UDAY ALEA, agent of Adauy Alei;
    MUNA DAWOOD; KAHZAD SINDI;
    SALIM RAWDAH; RITA KHARAT;
    JOANE DAOOD, AKA Joan; TARIG
    MISSOURI; ABEER ALEA, AKA Abeer
    Alei; AMIR RAYIS; SALIM BINAVE;
    NIDHAL SALMAN; ALI ZADA;
    REVING TAHA; FARID AKOU; YAZI
    SAGMANI; HERISH SAEED; SEEBER
    BARWARI; TALAR BUSTANI; TARA
    BUSTANI; WATHIQ ALABOUDY;
    RASHEED BARZANGI; EMAD
    MOHAMMAD; ZOMA P. SIHAM;
    REBER TAHA; YAZI SAGMANI;
    MAGID TERWONISHE; MAHDI
    TERWANISHY; LINDA SHAMON;
    GHAZWAN SHAMOUN; NASHWAN
    GORGEES; ZIRAK AMIN; IBRAHIM
    SABBAGH; MIKE KHAZAL; AHMED
    AL-ABSI; DILOVAN MALLAH;
    AKRAM ALASADY; MISHIAR
    MISSOURI; JASON ASTIFU; ADIL
    RASOUL; SHAKHAWAN HUSSAIN;
    ADNAN FEJLEH; KINAN FATTAHI;
    TAVGAH BARRANGI; TAGHREAD
    BAHRO; SCALLA ARIZ; MUSYAD
    SOFI; SAMI AKRAEE; DORAYID
    SHAMOUN; HALIS SARKY; REVEND
    TAHA; JABAR KHOSHNAW; ZAID
    SHAMOUN; MAJID SHAIA; MAZIN M.
    OAISSO; BASSAM KALESHO; SAAD
    SHAMMAS; AYAD PATE, AKA Date;
    JAMAL TAHIR; OMAR TCHALABI;
    RAAD KERIAKOOS, AKA Kerlakoos;
    ZIRIVAN MOHAMMAD; REZAN
    KHOSHNAW; HANA DALOY; OMAR
    SHERDAH; JALAL TAHIR;
    MUHAMMAD DOSKY; SARDAR
    RAMZI; KAMAL TALIR; GOVAND
    DIZAYI; AHMED HAJI; BAYAR SOFI-
    HAJI; NADIRA CHOLAKH; RIBUR
    TAHA; ADMIRAL MIRA; AZAD
    FATTHULLAH; BARKHO
    EMMANWIEL; DAHAZ WEISY, AKA
    Weisu; JALAL TOMA; RANGEBAR
    AMEDI; ARY AHMED;
    ABDEULKARIM ZANGANA; SAMIR
    ALSALEHI; HAMEED DOHHUKY;
    JAMAL AMIN; SAMAN TALABANI;
    KUVAN PIROMARI; PISHAWA
    SHARIF; AYOUB AHMED; RAIED
    ROMAYHA, AKA Rumia; NAZAR F.
    BEDUHI; TARIK AL-TAMINI;
    NEDHAL ROMAYHA; HAYDAR
    KARIM; TARIK AL-MALKI; ARKAN
    HAJI; MAHDI AL-MALIKI; TALAL
    HILANTU; THAIR JUWAIDEH, AKA
    Suwaideh; MONA PUTRUS; HASSAN
    AL-GHIZZI; JANAN ABOOD;
    SARMAD YOUSIF; SAMI PAULS;
    NOORI HERMEZ; AZAD JAFF; MAJID
    ZORI; RONY KORKES; HONER
    TAHIR; SUHAILA IBRAHIM; HARETH
    SHOONI; HOSHANG OMAR; ALA
    BANARJI, AKA Ala Marogi; BISHAR
    SINDY; AIDA MAROUGI; SANA
    MAROUGI; AFAF MAROUGI;
    ZALDOUN JAWDAT NASHI; TONY
    RAMMO; NADA RAMMO; HIVI
    SALEH; EBA BANARJI; REIMAN
    PIROMARI; KAWAR ZUBAIR;
    KAROUZH ZUBAIR; FARIDOON
    IBRAHIM; ANDY JARJIS; ABDUL
    YASIN, AKA Yasil; HAMDIA ARIZ;
    MARK YOUNES; ZYAD KHOSHNAW;
    SULTANA YOUSIF; ZAHIR
    KHOSHNAW; KAMIL KHALIL; METIN
    MOHAMMED; KOVAN ABDUL;
    HOGER SALEH; SALAH SAFO;
    YOUSIF I. HANNA; ABDUL ALSAEDI;
    SHAKHWAN SHIRO; SAM ELSIEDEY;
    KARIM SHIRO, AKA Karin; ANN
    KAKOS; SOHAILY PUTRIS; BAHROZ
    RASHEED, AKA Bahroez; SHORASH
    SULEIMAN; RIDAR SULEIMAN;
    REBWAR BUSTANI; AHMED AL-
    RAMAHY, AKA Ramaby; SHERWAN
    TAHIR; BIZHAR AMEEN;
    MOHAMMED HAMAD; ALI HAMAD;
    NAJI MOSHI; NARIMAN KALABAT;
    ABDULSALAN MULLA; MOUNIR
    MAALMI, AKA Mounir Maanmi, AKA
    Monair; WARHEEL KHALID; ARAZ
    KHALID; MAJD NAZO; ZIAD
    JAZRAWI; ROBERT SHAMOO; FIRAS
    JUWAIDEH, AKA Siras; MAZIN M.
    ODISHO; RASHAD KATTOULA;
    MORRIF MALAKHA; CHOLI
    MUSTAFA; DEAN SABIR; HAJAR
    ABDULLA; BUSHRA BUTRES, AKA
    Haj Sirajaddin Nakashbandi; NAZAR
    AHMED; SARHAND SABIR; HUDA
    ALAMERI; QUDAMAKER MEWLUD;
    TAHA ALHABID; BUHROOZ
    MEWLUD; AZIZD ALJABBAR;
    ROSTUM MEWLUD; ARAM
    BERZENGI; SULEIMAN KIRYAKOS;
    AHMED AHMAD; ABDULRAHMAN
    MULLA, AKA Abdulrah; ZHEER
    TAWFICZ; JAMAL PIYAMARI;
    AHUED SAEDAHMAKE; KARIM
    HEIDARI, AKA Karin; DILDAR
    YOUSIF; FARIS E. SHAMON; AWAZ
    ABBAS; BESTOON DELOYI; FENIK
    KHOSHNAW; TONY KORKES;
    AYMAN FEJLEH; SHEVEEN
    MISSOURI; AHMED KADHIM; SAMIR
    MONA; ALI AL-TAMIMI,
    Plaintiffs - Appellants,
    v.
    L3 COMMUNICATIONS CORP., a
    corporation; L3 COMMUNICATIONS
    HOLDINGS, INC.; TITAN
    TRANSLATORS, a corporation; TCS
    CORPORATION, a corporation,
    Defendants - Appellees.
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Central District of California
    Manuel L. Real, District Judge, Presiding
    Argued and Submitted June 4, 2012
    Pasadena, California
    Before: TROTT and THOMAS, Circuit Judges, and SEEBORG, District Judge.**
    Plaintiffs appeal from the district court’s final judgment and orders
    dismissing their complaint with prejudice and without leave to amend. We affirm.
    Because the parties are familiar with the factual and procedural history of this case,
    we need not recount it here.
    I
    The district court did not err in concluding that the plaintiffs’ claims under
    the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (“FLSA”), 
    29 U.S.C. §§ 201
     et seq., are
    barred by the two-year statute of limitations on collective actions imposed by 
    29 U.S.C. § 255
    (a). Plaintiffs argue that the statute of limitations for collective
    actions under the FLSA is not applicable because their suit was filed as a
    consolidated action, not a collective action
    The term “collective action” is not defined under the FLSA. Legislative
    history, however, “indicates that Congress intended the term to apply only to a
    **
    The Honorable Richard Seeborg, United States District Judge for the
    Northern District of California, sitting by designation.
    -7-
    representative action.” Gray v. Swanney-McDonald, Inc., 
    436 F.2d 652
    , 655 (9th
    Cir. 1971); see also 
    id.
     (“The Conference Report states that a ‘collective action [is]
    an action brought by an employee or employees for and in behalf of himself or
    themselves and other employees similarly situated.’”) (quoting H.R. Rep. No. 326,
    80th Cong., 1st Sess. p.14) (alteration and emphasis in original)).
    The record shows that this action was brought in the name of plaintiffs who
    were suing in a representative capacity. The presence of blank spaces in the lists of
    plaintiffs filed with the district court and sent to the defendants suggests that
    plaintiffs intended to provide for future joinder of additional parties. Indeed, the
    caption contains numerous blank spaces for party names. As the district court
    observed, the possibility of such future joinder “would necessarily imply that the
    current plaintiffs are proceeding on their behalf.” Cf. Gray, 456 F.2d at 655
    (classifying FLSA suit brought by 12 tow truck drivers as a consolidated action
    because it “was not brought for the benefit of unnamed plaintiffs”) (emphasis
    added)). Plaintiffs themselves emphasized the representative nature of their suit in
    the record below. In a declaration opposing summary judgment, George Hallak,
    the only individual plaintiff whose name appeared in the caption of the complaint,
    described himself as the “lead plaintiff in this action.” Apart from Hallak’s
    declarations, no other individual claims appear anywhere in the record.
    -8-
    Furthermore, the district court judge originally assigned to this case issued a
    removal order that characterized the suit as an FLSA collective action. Plaintiffs
    never filed any motions contesting this characterization. Indeed, plaintiffs did not
    suggest that their suit was anything but a collective action until after defendants
    moved to dismiss their complaint because they had failed to meet the statutory
    deadline to file written consents from all individual plaintiffs represented in their
    suit. Because the statute of limitations to file a collective action had already run,
    plaintiffs could maintain their suit only by arguing that it was a consolidated
    action.
    Given all of these factors, the district court did not err in classifying this case
    as a collective action.
    II
    The district court did not err in dismissing the fraud claim. Plaintiffs’ theory
    was that the defendants committed fraud by leading plaintiffs to believe they were
    independent contractors rather than employees. However, fraud cannot be
    predicated upon misrepresentations of law. Miller v. Yokohama Tire Corp., 
    358 F.3d 616
    , 621 (9th Cir. 2004).
    Misrepresentations of law can result in actionable fraud in only “four special
    situations”: when “the party making the misrepresentation (1) purports to have
    -9-
    special knowledge; (2) stands in a fiduciary or similar relation of trust and
    confidence to the recipient; (3) has successfully endeavored to secure the
    confidence of the recipient; (4) or has some other special reason to expect that the
    recipient will rely on his opinion.” 
    Id.
    None of these exceptions apply in the present case. Plaintiffs argue that the
    defendants were in a fiduciary relationship with their employees because the work
    environment was isolated. But there is no authority to support the proposition that
    working in a remote location creates a special fiduciary relationship that would
    overcome the general rule that misrepresentations of law do not constitute
    actionable fraud.
    III
    The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying plaintiffs leave to
    amend. Plaintiffs’ suit was properly classified as a collective action under the
    FLSA and therefore barred, due to their failure to timely file the required written
    consents from all individual plaintiffs. Thus, any attempt by plaintiffs to amend
    their FLSA claims would be futile.
    Nor have plaintiffs suggested any amendments to their complaint that would
    save their fraud claims. Even in their proposed Second Amended Complaint,
    plaintiffs do not plead plausible allegations that could conceivably allow them to
    -10-
    take refuge in any of the exceptions to the general rule that misrepresentations of
    law cannot form the basis of a fraud action. Accordingly, the district court did not
    abuse its discretion in denying leave to amend.
    AFFIRMED.
    -11-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 10-56100

Judges: Trott, Thomas, Seeborg

Filed Date: 6/14/2012

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 11/6/2024