The Huseby-Esquire “Wash-Their-Hands” Buyout – A Case Study in Corporate Dodging and Reporter Exploitation

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When a multimillion-dollar acquisition leaves frontline workers unpaid, that’s not just bad accounting — it’s a warning flare for the entire court-reporting industry. The buyout of Huseby Global Litigation by Esquire Deposition Solutions, quietly financed by Gridiron Capital in mid-2024, has become a textbook example of how major players can “wash their hands” of responsibility, leaving reporters holding the bag for thousands in unpaid work.

This is more than a clerical dispute. It’s a pattern — one that’s bleeding through our profession like ink through tissue paper.

A Familiar Story – The Unpaid Reporter

One California reporter summed up the experience many are now echoing in Facebook threads and private groups:

“I have several bills that remain outstanding going back to April that total several thousand dollars. It’s my understanding that Huseby was bought by Esquire — which somehow is related to DEG (Digital Evidence Group). All of them are washing their hands of responsibility to pay me.”

That sentence — washing their hands — struck a nerve. Because this tactic isn’t new. It’s classic M&A risk-shielding, often achieved by structuring a deal as an asset purchase instead of a stock purchase. In plain English: the buyer takes the profits and clients but dodges the debts.

Under federal and state law, though, the story doesn’t end there.

The Legal Backdrop – WARN, WHD, and Successor Liability

In corporate buyouts, successor liability determines whether the acquiring company inherits the seller’s unpaid obligations — wages included. Buyers often claim that because they purchased assets, not ownership, they’re exempt. But courts have long ruled otherwise under certain conditions:

• If the new entity is a mere continuation of the old,
• If it maintains the same operations, clients, or personnel, or
• If the deal was structured to evade liability.

When those factors exist, successor liability can attach.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor, unpaid work completed before the close of a sale may still be enforceable — especially when integration was immediate and continuous. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act also requires notice before mass layoffs or significant operational shifts.

So if reporters worked right up to the transition — and invoices went unpaid — they may still have a case.

Inside the Transaction – What the Record Shows

According to business filings and announcements:

• July 26, 2024 – ABF Journal reports that Esquire, backed by Gridiron Capital, acquired Huseby as an “add-on” acquisition. Debt financing came from TPG Twin Brook Middle Market, with no price disclosed.
• June 21, 2025 – Esquire’s site confirms “full integration” of Huseby’s clients and operations into its own platform.
• LinkedIn updates from executives Alan M. Peeper and Jimmy Huseby frame it as seamless continuity, not closure.

In other words, the operations continued — same people, same clients, same portal — but somehow the debts vanished into a corporate fog.

The Reporter’s Fight – From Invoices to Retaliation

Several reporters, including this writer, have documentation showing weeks of unpaid invoices — in one case totaling $73,000 — for trials completed before and during the handoff period. After repeated emails and resubmissions, the company acknowledged receiving the invoices but blamed “address confusion” between Huseby’s Salesforce system and Esquire’s NetSuite system.

When pressed for payment updates, the response was the kind of bureaucratic shuffle familiar to every freelancer:

“Please email invoices to reporterinvoices @ esquiresolutions.com. Jobs covered with Huseby should continue as before.”
— Lauren Grupper, Accounts Payable, Esquire Deposition Solutions

Weeks later, the same department claimed the invoices hadn’t been received — until they were “found” and “under review.” Then came silence. Then, quietly, retaliation: removal from job notifications, lost trials, exclusion from assignments worth tens of thousands.

That’s not a clerical error. That’s coercion.

California’s SB 988 – Freelance Worker Protection Act

Luckily, California’s SB 988 (Freelance Worker Protection Act) — effective January 1, 2025 — changes the game. It requires clients to pay freelancers within 30 days of completed work, even without an invoice. Failure to do so allows the worker to recover double the amount owed, plus attorney’s fees and statutory penalties.

Under this law, a reporter owed $73,000 could claim $146,000 plus legal costs. The statute also forbids retaliation — meaning those pulled-job emails could become smoking-gun evidence.

The Act aligns California with New York City’s Freelance Isn’t Free Law and marks a turning point for reporters who have long been treated as disposable contractors. It’s time to use it.

“Washing Hands” Tactics and Legal Workarounds

Corporate entities like Esquire and Huseby aren’t breaking new ground — they’re following a well-rehearsed playbook:

1. Acquire a struggling firm, taking its clients and goodwill.
2. Rebrand or migrate operations to the parent company’s system.
3. Deny responsibility for pre-integration obligations.
4. Blame accounting confusion while stalling.
5. Blacklist those who demand payment.

It’s efficient, calculated, and devastatingly effective — unless workers push back with documentation, public exposure, and legal leverage.

Remedies and Recourse

Grok AI, queried about the case, suggested these concrete steps (summarized for all reporters facing similar situations):

1. Document everything. Keep invoices, emails, and proof of submission.
2. Send certified letters to the registered agents of both entities:
   • Esquire Deposition Solutions, LLC
     c/o Corporation Service Company
     2 Sun Court, Suite 400, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092
   • Huseby Global Litigation (search NC Secretary of State registry)
3. File a WHD claim at dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints.
4. Submit consumer complaints to:
   • NC Attorney General: 1-877-5-NO-SCAM
   • Georgia Office of Consumer Protection: consumer.georgia.gov
5. Consider small-claims court: up to $8,000 in NC or $15,000 in GA.
6. If retaliation occurred, contact the California Labor Commissioner’s Office and cite SB 988.

And for reporters beyond California: this situation crosses state lines. Interstate commerce violations and fraudulent misrepresentation could open the door to federal jurisdiction — particularly if multiple reporters join forces.

A Collective Response – Turning Exploitation into Accountability

This isn’t just about one paycheck. It’s about an industry structure that rewards opacity and punishes transparency. Reporters must stop absorbing corporate losses as personal defeats.

Agency owners who pay on time should be shouting it from the rooftops — marketing honesty as their competitive edge. Reporters must refuse work from any entity that doesn’t commit to clear payment timelines. And professional associations should publicly track delinquent agencies, not hide behind “we don’t get involved in business disputes.”

Silence is complicity.

Lessons and Leverage

Here’s what this case teaches every reporter:

• If you owe them, they’d come after you. So demand the same accountability in reverse.
• Hold the product until paid. The transcript is your leverage.
• Bill upon receipt and require acknowledgment in writing.
• Direct-bill law firms when agencies prove unreliable.
• Share names, not rumors. Facts protect the next reporter.

As one veteran said bluntly:

“We work too hard to work for free.”

A Call to Action

To every freelancer reading this: treat unpaid invoices as emergencies, not annoyances. File, follow up, and escalate. Each ignored invoice normalizes exploitation. Each complaint filed pushes the industry toward accountability.

To Esquire, Gridiron Capital, and TPG Twin Brook: if your acquisition model depends on leaving court reporters unpaid, you are not expanding a “national footprint.” You are expanding liability exposure — and reputational risk.

The transcript belongs to the person who wrote it. And in this industry, the record always survives the redline.

References:

FLSA / WHD & Successor Liability (Unpaid Work Before Sale)

• “Wage and Hour Liability — the Hidden Danger in Asset Acquisitions” (WI Law) — discusses how even when a buyer disclaims liability in an asset purchase, courts may impose successor liability under FLSA for unpaid wages or overtime.
• “Navigating Employment Liability Issues for Successor Employers” (GM & LLP) — explains how a successor may be held liable for predecessor’s FLSA violations under federal common law. gm-llp.com
• “FLSA Successor Liability — More Than You Bargained For” (HR Legalist) — addresses how a purchaser of assets can still be held liable under the FLSA under certain doctrines. Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP
• “Third Circuit Articulates Theories of Successor Liability under FLSA” (Ogletree) — explains how the Third Circuit has applied successor liability to enforce unpaid wage claims against a successor. Ogletree
• “Employer Successor Liability in US Asset Acquisitions” (Employment Law Worldview) — general overview of how successor liability arises in asset acquisitions, including under wage & hour statutes. Employment Law Worldview

These show that even if a buyer tries to avoid past liabilities, under FLSA and federal common law, courts may still hold them responsible if the business is seen as a continuation or if sufficient integration exists.

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WARN Act — Notice Requirements Before Mass Layoffs / Closures

• WARN Act Compliance Assistance — U.S. Department of Labor — the official federal source on WARN, explaining employer obligations to give advance notice in qualifying closures or mass layoffs. DOL
• WARN Advisor (elaws) — the interactive tool from DOL that explains when notice is required (60 days) under WARN. DOL Web Apps
• 20 CFR Part 639 — WARN regulations (eCFR) — the regulatory text requiring 60 days’ notice for covered plant closings and mass layoffs. eCFR
• Schneider Wallace: “Mandatory 60-Day Notice for Mass Layoffs and Business Closures” — summaries and legal perspectives on the 60-day requirement. Schneider Wallace Cottrell Kim LLP
• WARN Act Basics — Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg — description of the scope, who is covered, and how the 60-day notice rule works. Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg LLP

These establish the legal requirement that employers give affected employees 60 days’ advance written notice of plant closings or mass layoffs under certain triggering conditions.

StenoImperium
Court Reporting. Unfiltered. Unafraid.

Disclaimer

This article reflects my perspective and analysis as a court reporter and eyewitness. It is not legal advice, nor is it intended to substitute for the advice of an attorney.

This article includes analysis and commentary based on observed events, public records, and legal statutes.

The content of this post is intended for informational and discussion purposes only. All opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are based on publicly available information, industry standards, and good-faith concerns about nonprofit governance and professional ethics. No part of this article is intended to defame, accuse, or misrepresent any individual or organization. Readers are encouraged to verify facts independently and to engage constructively in dialogue about leadership, transparency, and accountability in the court reporting profession.

• The content on this blog represents the personal opinions, observations, and commentary of the author. It is intended for editorial and journalistic purposes and is protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
• Nothing here constitutes legal advice. Readers are encouraged to review the facts and form independent conclusions.

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