Matthew Herman has filed a lawsuit against his former employer, Rock Gate Capital, LLC, and its CEO, Steve Gold, alleging violations of labor laws and breach of contract. The complaint was filed on January 31, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Herman accuses Rock Gate Capital of failing to pay him overtime wages and commissions he earned while working as a Business Development Representative (BDR) from April 2022 to June 2024.
According to the complaint, Herman's role involved selling job postings and services for Trucker’s Network, a platform operated by Rock Gate Capital. Despite being one of the top earners in his position and securing significant enterprise contracts for the company, Herman claims he was denied rightful commissions. He alleges that Rock Gate Capital misrepresented the number of qualified drivers available through their network and retaliated against him when he raised concerns about these discrepancies.
Herman further asserts that his employment agreement was unilaterally altered without proper notice or consent. In early 2024, after making substantial sales contributions including what was touted as the second-largest deal in company history, Herman faced shifting commission plans that reduced his earnings potential. Despite promises from CEO Steve Gold regarding compensation for enterprise sales, Herman alleges he never received full payment.
The lawsuit outlines multiple legal claims against Rock Gate Capital and Steve Gold. These include breaches of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and New York Labor Law (NYLL), failure to pay earned commissions timely under NYLL § 191, retaliation under FLSA § 215 and NYLL §§ 215 and 740, fraudulent inducement regarding promised commissions on enterprise sales, and breach of contract related to commission agreements.
Herman seeks various forms of relief from the court: unpaid wages at overtime rates under both federal and state law; liquidated damages; lost wages due to alleged retaliatory termination; front pay; pre-judgment and post-judgment interest; attorneys’ fees; costs; and any other relief deemed just by the court.
The case is represented by attorneys Laura Luisi and Jamie Holz from Luisi Holz Law based in Chicago. It is filed under Case ID: 1:25-cv-01088 with jurisdiction claimed on both federal question grounds due to FLSA claims and diversity jurisdiction given Herman's residence in Texas versus defendants' location in Illinois.