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The Woodlands Villager:

DALLAS - Several technical services workers have filed a federal lawsuit against The Woodlands-based Moody International Americas Inc., over claims that the company required them to work in excess of 40 hours each week without paying overtime compensation as required by federal law.

Dallas attorney Charles W. "Trey" Branham III of the Law Offices of Charles W. Branham, III, L.P. filed the Fair Labor Standards Act class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Lufkin on behalf of current and former Moody International employees John Williams, Herbert "Jay" Fontenot and Tye Adair.

Williams, of Lubbock, works for Moody International as a pipeline inspector. His pay records show he often works 100 or more hours each week including one week when he worked 160 hours. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act mandates that employers pay overtime to non-exempt hourly employees who work more than 40 hours per week at a rate equal to one-and-a-half times their regular straight-time pay rate. Fontenot and Adair worked as inspectors and technicians for the company, and have asserted similar claims.

Moody International is a subsidiary of UK-based Moody International Limited, which provides services to companies in oil and gas, power, mining and other industries.

"I'm concerned that what happened to John and the others in this case happened to other Moody International employees as well," Branham said. "With thousands of technical workers in the U.S., it could be that these three are just the tip of the iceberg."

Branham says Moody International's own employee handbook may become a key piece of evidence, including statements about the payment of overtime that may run counter to federal law.

The Law Offices of Charles W. Branham, III, L.P. is a Dallas-based trial law firm representing businesses and individuals in cases involving intellectual property, contract disputes, labor disputes, securities law and personal injury.

For more information, visit www.branhamlegal.com.

http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/01/19/woodlands_villager/news/wv-n_moody_suit.txt

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