Employment, POOF!: $1.691 Million Fee Award Gets Reversed Upon Reversal Of A Merits Determination On A Wage/Hour Statement Merits Judgment

Generally, Fee Award Does Not Stand If A Serious Merits Judgment Reversal Occurs.

In Palamino v. Northrup Gruman System Corp., Case Nos. H051676 et al. (6^th Dist. Oct. 14, 2026) (unpublished), the appellate court was reviewing a wage hour statement sizable award to plaintiff of about $2 million for class damages, $3.16 million for PAGA penalties, and $1.691 million for attorney’s fees.  Because there was a reversal on issues relating to the PAGA penalties, the fee award had to be reversed depending on resolution of those issues on remand.