We are pleased to announce that The Institute received a $75,000 cy pres award from the Minneapolis based law firm of Nichols Kaster, PLLP.

“We hope this helps ‘The Institute’ hit the ground running,” said NELA member Paul Lukas (MN) in the firm’s letter to The Institute. The contribution was made possible from a cy pres fund established in a class and collective action case that Nichols Kaster settled in late 2007 involving violations under the FLSA and California law.  The firm represented loan officers who were employed by First NLC Financial Services, and who were not provided overtime compensation, accurate itemized wage statements, and rest breaks and meal periods. (Stanfield, et al. v. First NLC Financial Services (N.D. CA)).