A former senior account director is taking legal action against her employer for unpaid commissions, alleging breach of contract and violations of state wage laws. Renee Poda filed the complaint on July 3, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Phoenix Infrastructure, LLC, doing business as Centersquare.
According to the court documents, Poda was employed by Phoenix Infrastructure starting in August 2021. Her role involved a variety of responsibilities including investment and asset management, partnering with investors and developers, risk management, and providing clients with long-term investment opportunities. On April 3, 2024, she signed a commission-based compensation plan that outlined her earnings based on completed work with various clients. Despite fulfilling her duties under this agreement, Poda claims she has not received the commissions owed to her.
The lawsuit cites multiple breaches of contract and violations of Illinois state laws such as the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (IWPCA) and the Illinois Sales Representative Act (ISRA). The plaintiff alleges that Phoenix Infrastructure failed to pay her earned commissions totaling $797,688.46 for work completed with several clients including Jones Land Lasalle ($35,497), First National Technology Solutions ($4,326), CME Group ($3,490), Akuna ($2,008.02), Foundever ($28,786.50), ULINE ($1,659.56), CoreWeave ($21,921.38), and TCV ($700,000).
Poda's attempts to resolve the issue internally were met with resistance from Phoenix Infrastructure. She provided detailed documentation to support her claims but received no satisfactory response from her employer. Instead of honoring their contractual obligations, Phoenix Infrastructure allegedly introduced new compensation structures outside of their original agreement.
In her complaint, Poda argues that Phoenix Infrastructure's actions have caused significant financial distress and emotional suffering. She is seeking a judgment for the unpaid commissions along with liquidated damages and reasonable attorneys' fees.
Representing Poda are attorneys Chad W. Eisenback and Nathan C. Volheim from Sulaiman Law Group Ltd., based in Lombard, Illinois. The case has been assigned Case ID: 1:24-cv-05630.