Court Declines to Order Dept. of Labor to Pay Prevailing Employer's Attorney Fees

SEATTLE - A federal judge has denied a Washington company's motion for attorneys' fees as the prevailing party in a whistleblower suit brought by the federal Department of Labor, finding that the government made a good faith effort to investigate the employee's claims before filing suit. Solis. v. Consolidated Gun Ranges, et al., No. C10-338Z (W.D. Wash.).

Judge Thomas S. Zilly of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington issued the ruling on May 27, rejecting defendants' argument that the testimony relied on by the government was so blatantly false the case should not have been brought.