Lisl Duncan '08 Wins Wage & Hour Case for Truckers

Lisl Duncan ’08 has won what employment lawyers said is only the second ruling to apply the Brinker v. Superior Court decision to interstate commerce.  The Court’s judgment should become final on November 9, 2012.

Duncan won the tentative ruling from Alameda County Judge Robert B. Freedman in a case on behalf of more than 70 truck drivers employed by AB Trucking. Duncan said it was one of the first cases assigned to her when she joined the Weinberg firm, which represents unions and workers in labor and employment matters.

“I hope this serves as a lesson to employers, especially those operating out of our ports, that they must play by the rules, obey the laws of this state and treat their workers with dignity and respect,” Duncan told the Daily Journal in an Oct. 9 story.

The suit alleged the trucking company deducted an hour from the truckers’ pay for lunch breaks they never took. The case is Godfrey v. Oakland Port Services Corp., RG08379099, Alameda County Superior Court. 

“I am very lucky that I get to wake up every day and do something meaningful, especially as a young lawyer,” Duncan said. “I’m thankful to the tireless mentors who’ve taught, guided and trusted me with this responsibility—both at my law firm and at UC Hastings.”

One of her UC Hastings professors, Richard Boswell, added, “I am not surprised about Lisl’s success on this case. She took courses that prepared her well for her work as an advocate. She is a great example of how we try to prepare our graduates with a strong grounding in both theory and practice.”