Opinion
07-CV-3956 (JS) (AKT).
September 17, 2010
Erik Harald Langeland, Esq., Erik H. Langeland, P.C., New York, NY, James B. Zouras, Esq., Ryan F. Stephan, Esq., Stephan Zouras LLP, Chicago, IL, Attorneys For Plaintiff. Timothy Mayette, Jeffrey H. Weinberger, Esq., New York, NY, Helene DeCillis, Joseph A. Vogel, Esq., Kravet Vogel, LLP, New York, NY, Michael Primeau, Michele Kahn, Esq., Kahn Goldberg LLP, New York, NY, Michael Ashley, Philip R. Schatz, Esq., Wrobel Schatz, LLP, New York, NY, Attorneys For Defendants.
MEMORANDUM ORDER
SEYBERT, District Judge:
Pending before the Court is Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson's Report Recommendation ("R R"), issued August 23, 2010. For the foregoing reasons, the Court ADOPTS this R R in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
Plaintiffs brought this action under the Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA"), 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq., on behalf of themselves and all other current and former employees of Lend America, Inc. who worked as loan officers during the applicable limitations period, to recover unpaid wages from Ideal Mortgage Bankers, Ltd d/b/a Lend America, Inc. ("Lend America"), and Lend America officers Michael Ashley, Timothy Mayette, Helene Decillis and Michael Primeau.
Lend America answered Plaintiffs' Complaint, First Amended Complaint, and Second Amended Complaint, asserting various defenses to Plaintiffs' claims. But, in December 2009, Lend America's attorneys moved to withdraw as counsel, and the Court granted this motion in January 2010. One week later, Plaintiff moved for a default judgment against Lend America, arguing that a default was warranted because Lend America was no longer represented by counsel, and a corporation cannot appearpro se.
The Court referred Plaintiffs' motion to Magistrate Judge A. Kathleen Tomlinson. On August 23, 2010, Judge Tomlinson issued the R R recommending that: (1) Plaintiffs' motion be denied; but (2) an Order be issued directing Lend America to retain counsel by a date certain. No party has filed any objections to this R R.
DISCUSSION
In reviewing an R R, a district court "may accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the findings and recommendations made by the magistrate judge." 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(C). If no timely objections have been made, the "court need only satisfy itself that there is no clear error on the face of the record."Urena v. New York, 160 F. Supp. 2d 606, 609-10 (S.D.N.Y. 2001) (internal quotations omitted).
Here, no party has objected to Judge Tomlinson's R R. And the Court finds her R R to be correct, comprehensive, well-reasoned, and free of any clear error. Accordingly, the Court ADOPTS it in its entirety.
CONCLUSION
Plaintiffs' motion for a default judgment (Docket No. 179) is DENIED. Lend America is ORDERED to retain counsel by October 15, 2010. Lend America is further WARNED that failure to retain counsel by October 15 may result in the entry of a default judgment against it. Plaintiffs are ORDERED to serve a copy of this Order upon Lend America, and Lend America's former counsel-of-record.
SO ORDERED.
Dated: September 17, 2010
Central Islip, New York