Stephens v. LJ PARTNERS
Plaintiff filed an action in state court against Defendants Drake Leddy and LJ Partners, alleging breach of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), among other claims, stemming from a dispute over compensation for work performed under a SAMDA contract. Defendants removed the case to federal court, citing original subject matter jurisdiction over the FLSA claim and supplemental jurisdiction over state law claims. Plaintiff subsequently filed a motion for remand, arguing for discretionary remand under 28 U.S.C. § 1367(c) and § 1441(c). The District Court denied the motion for remand, holding that it lacked discretion to remand federal causes of action and found that remanding state law claims would not promote economy, convenience, or fairness given their close relation to the federal FLSA claim.