Atlanta attorney Andrea L. Pawlak of Schulten Ward Turner & Weiss, LLP has secured multiple summary judgment victories for nightclub client Cheetah. The latest marks her second summary judgment win on a Fair Labor Standards Act case reaffirming that the club's tip policies comply with federal law.
ATLANTA, Aug. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Andrea L. Pawlak, a partner at Atlanta-based law firm Schulten Ward Turner & Weiss, LLP, has secured summary judgment for a second time on a Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) case brought against her client, Cheetah, a well-known Atlanta nightclub. (Order, Civil Action No. 1:21-cv-02421-VMC, 8/1/2025, attached)
The case centered on claims by a former worker that Cheetah violated the FLSA by allowing certain non-dancer employees—specifically "house moms" and "floor managers"—to receive a share of the tips given to dancers. (First Amended Complaint, Civil Action No. 1:21-cv-02421-ELR, 12/30/2021, attached), Factual Allegations, page 5, attached)
Pawlak first won summary judgment in March 2023, when the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ruled in Cheetah's favor. (Order, Civil Action No. 1:21-cv-02421-VMC, 3/27/2023, attached.) The plaintiff appealed, and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals sent the case back to the trial court for further ruling after a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year (Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, 144 S. Ct. 2244 (2024)) overturned Chevron, a doctrine requiring courts to defer to agency interpretation of ambiguous statues.
On August 1, 2025, Pawlak won again. The court found that floor managers—despite the title—were essentially "bouncers" who maintained order, not statutory managers or supervisors under the FLSA. The court also ruled that there was no proof Cheetah knowingly allowed house moms to receive tips in violation of the law, noting the club had clear written policies that excluded house moms from tip pools and required dancers to report any pressure to share tips improperly.
This is not Pawlak's first success for Cheetah in FLSA matters—she has secured multiple summary judgments for the club in the past. (Order, Civil Action No. 1:19-CV-01512-ELR, 7/12/2021, attached)
About Andrea L. Pawlak: Pawlak has been with Schulten Ward Turner & Weiss, LLP for 18 years, focusing on commercial litigation for businesses and individuals. She has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Honoree for the past four years, after twelve consecutive years on the Rising Stars list.
About Schulten Ward Turner & Weiss, LLP: Since 1986, Schulten Ward Turner & Weiss, LLP has delivered excellent legal services to its clients in a modern format focused on three basic objectives: Respect, Competence, and Efficiency. The firm assists clients in achieving their goals in a wide range of legal matters, including those related to business transactions and litigation, commercial real estate, and employment law.
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SOURCE Schulten Ward Turner & Weiss, LLP
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