# Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw Sues El Pollo Loco Over Unreimbursed Cell Phone Costs

> Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw filed a class action against El Pollo Loco in Riverside County Superior Court over alleged unpaid wages and expenses.

- Published: 2026-11-14T13:48:30+00:00
- Section: Legal & Disputes
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-14/blumenthal-nordrehaug-el-pollo-loco-class-action
- Source: [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/employment-law-attorneys-at-blumenthal-nordrehaug-bhowmik-de-blouw-llp-file-suit-against-el-pollo-loco-inc-for-alleged-failure-to-reimburse-employees-business-expenses-302939423.html)

## Key takeaways

- Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw filed a class action against El Pollo Loco in Riverside County Superior Court, Case No. CVRI2606104.
- The complaint alleges El Pollo Loco failed to reimburse employees for personal cell phone expenses and did not pay minimum and overtime wages.
- El Pollo Loco reported Q3 2026 revenue of $126.3 million, up 3.9% year on year, according to FinancialContent Business Page.

[Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0006nyl/blumenthal-nordrehaug-bhowmik-de-blouw) LLP filed a class action complaint against El Pollo Loco, Inc. in Riverside County Superior Court on November 14, 2026, alleging violations of the California Labor Code. The suit, Case No. CVRI2606104, claims the restaurant operator failed to reimburse employees for business expenses, including personal cell phone costs, and did not pay minimum and overtime wages. [PR Newswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/employment-law-attorneys-at-blumenthal-nordrehaug-bhowmik-de-blouw-llp-file-suit-against-el-pollo-loco-inc-for-alleged-failure-to-reimburse-employees-business-expenses-302939423.html) carried the announcement.

## Blumenthal Nordrehaug's Claims Against El Pollo Loco

The complaint alleges El Pollo Loco failed to pay minimum wages, failed to pay overtime wages, failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, failed to reimburse for required expenses, failed to pay sick wages, and failed to provide wages when due. The filing cites California Labor Code Sections 201-203, 226, 226.7, 233, 246, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 2802, and applicable Wage Orders, and states that the alleged conduct gives rise to civil penalties.

The complaint further alleges the plaintiff was required by the defendant to use personal cellular phones, incurring unreimbursed business expenses for the benefit of the company. Under California Labor Code Section 2802, employers are required to indemnify employees for all expenses incurred in the course and scope of their employment. [El Pollo Loco](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0002551/el-pollo-loco) operates restaurants and food service. The case is pending in the Riverside County Superior Court of the State of California.

## Blumenthal Nordrehaug's Litigation Record

According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in La Jolla. The same records state the firm has obtained over $1.3 billion in awards for employees, consumers, and investors in individual and class action lawsuits, and cite over 80 years of combined experience among its attorneys. The firm's leadership includes co-founding partners Kyle Nordrehaug, Norm Blumenthal, Aj Bhowmik, and Nicholas De Blouw.

## Earlier Blumenthal Nordrehaug Filings

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw filed a class action against CMRE Financial Services, Inc. in Mendocino County Superior Court on October 31, 2026, alleging California Labor Code violations, according to PR Newswire. On the same date, the firm filed a class action against Redtail Technology, Inc. in Sacramento County Superior Court over alleged meal and rest period violations, PR Newswire reported. On October 22, 2026, the firm filed a class action against Ecology Auto Parts, Inc. in San Bernardino Superior Court alleging violations of California Labor Code sections, PR Newswire reported.

## El Pollo Loco's Third-Quarter Results

El Pollo Loco reported Q3 2026 revenue of $126.3 million, up 3.9% year on year and in line with analyst estimates, according to FinancialContent Business Page. The company's own site is [elpolloloco.com](http://www.elpolloloco.com).

## Companies in this story

- [Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0006nyl/blumenthal-nordrehaug-bhowmik-de-blouw) · website: https://www.bamlawca.com
- [El Pollo Loco company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0002551/el-pollo-loco) · website: http://www.elpolloloco.com

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