Studio One Theaters Tip Pool Settlement, Check If You Qualify for a Payment, File Your Claim Now, Alexander Atkins v. VCE Theaters, LLC, dba Studio One Theaters, No. 3:23-cv-01332-SB

The Studio One Theaters tip pool settlement resolves a federal lawsuit where current and former employees claimed VCE Theaters, LLC required them to share their tips with managers, supervisors, or other statutory employers — a practice that violates federal wage law. The lawsuit is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, and VCE Theaters denies the allegations and all liability but has agreed to a settlement to avoid the costs and risks of continuing the case. If you received a paycheck from Studio One Theaters and were required to participate in a tip pool, this settlement may put money back in your pocket.

Studio One Theaters Tip Pool Settlement — Key Facts

Field	Detail
Settlement Amount	TBD — confirm at studioonesettlement.com
Claim Deadline	TBD — confirm at studioonesettlement.com
Who Qualifies	Current and former Studio One Theaters employees who received a paycheck for a pay period in which they were required to participate in a tip pool that included managers, supervisors, or other statutory employers
Estimated Payout Per Person	TBD — depends on hours worked and total valid claims filed
Proof Required	TBD — see claim form at studioonesettlement.com
Settlement Status	Proposed — pending final court approval
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court, District of Oregon — No. 3:23-cv-01332-SB
Specific Law Alleged	Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. § 216(b); Oregon wage and hour law
Presiding Judge	Hon. Stacie F. Beckerman, U.S. Magistrate Judge
Official Claim Website	www.studioonesettlement.com
Last Updated	May 30, 2026

Where Does the Studio One Theaters Tip Pool Settlement Stand Today?

• A settlement has been reached and the official claims website is live at studioonesettlement.com.
• The claim deadline, opt-out deadline, objection deadline, and final approval hearing date are posted at studioonesettlement.com — check there for current dates.
• Submitting a claim form at studioonesettlement.com is the only way to receive a cash payment. If you do nothing, you will receive no payment and give up your right to sue.

Who Is Studio One Theaters and Why Are They Facing a Tip Pool Settlement?

VCE Theaters, LLC operates as Studio One Theaters, a seven-screen luxury movie theater in Portland, Oregon. Studio One features 4K Pure Laser Projection, 128-channel Dolby Atmos sound, seven proprietary Penthouse Theaters with luxury furnishings themed around cities like New York, Paris, and Tokyo, full restaurant and bar service with farm-to-table world cuisine, over 50 wines by the glass, 12 beers on tap, and a full specialty cocktail menu.

The theater’s dine-in model means tipped service employees — servers, runners, bartenders — are central to its operation. That is exactly what makes the tip pool allegations here so direct: front-line tipped workers claim a portion of their tips was being routed to managers and supervisors who, under federal law, are not entitled to a share.

What Did Studio One Theaters Do to Its Tipped Employees?

This lawsuit is about whether Studio One required employees to participate in a tip pool that included managers, supervisors, or other statutory employers as defined by federal law.

Federal law under the Fair Labor Standards Act is unambiguous on this point: tips belong to the employees who earn them. Managers and supervisors — people with authority to hire, fire, or direct the work of other employees — cannot legally participate in a tip pool. When they do, every tipped worker in that pool loses money they earned from customers who intended those tips for them.

Plaintiff Alexander Atkins worked at VCE Theaters as a “runner” between December 2022 and February 2023. During his employment, Atkins learned that managers, supervisors, and other statutory employers were receiving funds from the line-level service employees’ tip pool. Atkins believed that managers participating in the tip pool was illegal and communicated that belief to his managers, also requesting an accounting of tip pool distributions — which he never received.

Related article: Novant Health Overtime Settlement, Did Their Timeclock Policy Shortchange You? File Your Claim by July 1, Corley v. Novant Health, Inc., No. 1:24-CV-772-WO-JEP

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Oregon in 2023, names both VCE Theaters, LLC and individual defendant Jason Lensch. For context on how FLSA wage and hour settlements work and what tipped employees can recover through a collective action, our coverage of the Merrill Lynch $4.9M unpaid wages FLSA settlement shows how collective action cases resolve when employers fail to meet their legal wage obligations. You can also read our article on the Yelp unpaid wages class action lawsuit, where hourly workers claimed they were denied pay for time spent on mandatory tasks before clocking in.

How Studio One Theaters Allegedly Violated the Fair Labor Standards Act

The FLSA (29 U.S.C. § 216(b)) was amended in 2018 to explicitly prohibit employers from keeping tips or allowing managers and supervisors to participate in tip pools — regardless of whether the employer takes a tip credit. Oregon state wage law provides additional protections for tipped workers on top of federal law.

Employees sued VCE Theaters, LLC, dba Studio One Theaters, alleging federal wage-and-hour violations. The Court allowed the lawsuit to proceed as a collective action on behalf of all employees who received a paycheck from Studio One for a pay period in which they were required to participate in a tip pool that included managers, supervisors, or other statutory employers.

If you worked at Studio One Theaters and your tips were pooled — and any part of that pool went to someone with management authority — this settlement was filed for you.

Are You Part of the Studio One Theaters Tip Pool Settlement?

Here is exactly how to know if this settlement covers you.

You may qualify if:

• You received a paycheck from VCE Theaters, LLC for a pay period in which you were required to participate in a tip pool that included managers, supervisors, or other statutory employers
• You worked at Studio One Theaters in Portland, Oregon at any point during the class period — including as a server, runner, bartender, or any other tipped position
• You were sent a notice from the settlement administrator identifying you as a potential class member

You likely do not qualify if:

• You worked at Studio One only in a management or supervisory capacity and were never a tipped line-level employee
• You never participated in a tip pool during your employment
• You validly opt out of the settlement before the deadline posted at studioonesettlement.com
• You already have your own separate wage-and-hour lawsuit against Studio One for the same federal claims at issue in this case and want to continue pursuing it independently

Studio One Employees Who No Longer Work There — Are You Still Covered?

Yes. The collective covers all employees — current and former — who received a paycheck from Studio One for a pay period in which they were required to participate in a tip pool that included ineligible participants. You do not have to currently work at Studio One to file a claim. If you worked there at any point during the class period and your tips were pooled with managers or supervisors, you are covered.

If you are unsure whether your employment at Studio One Theaters qualifies under this settlement, a free consultation with an employment discrimination attorney or wage-and-hour attorney can help you assess your options.

What Are Studio One Theaters Employees Asking the Court to Award in the Tip Pool Settlement?

The settlement resolves the federal FLSA collective claims and related Oregon state wage claims. In tip pool cases like this, the typical recovery available includes: the amount of tips each employee lost because ineligible participants shared in the pool, back pay for any period in which the tip pool arrangement caused employees to receive less than the applicable minimum wage, and liquidated (double) damages equal to the amount of unpaid tips and back wages under the FLSA.

The specific settlement fund amount and individual payout amounts are available at studioonesettlement.com. Visit the official site and review the settlement documents before filing.

What Could Studio One Theaters Employees Receive If the Tip Pool Settlement Is Approved?

Your individual payment will depend on how many pay periods you worked during the class period, the volume of tips you contributed to the pool during those periods, and the total number of valid claims filed. The more hours you worked and the more tips were pooled during your employment, the larger your proportional share of the settlement fund.

No specific dollar cap or per-person estimate can be confirmed without access to the settlement documents. Check studioonesettlement.com for the plan of allocation that explains exactly how payouts are calculated in this case.

How to File Your Studio One Theaters Tip Pool Settlement Claim — Step by Step

Step 1 — Go to www.studioonesettlement.com and click the claim form link, or follow the instructions in the notice you received by mail or email.

Step 2 — Enter your full name, current mailing address, email address, and any employee identification or notice ID provided in your settlement notice. Accurate personal information is critical — mismatches with Studio One’s payroll records are the most common reason claims are delayed or rejected.

Step 3 — Confirm your employment dates at Studio One Theaters and the pay periods during which you participated in the tip pool.

Step 4 — Review the payout options available to you. Some FLSA settlements offer a base payment for all class members and additional payment based on documented hours or tip contributions — check the claim form for what applies here.

Step 5 — Sign and submit your claim form online by the deadline posted at studioonesettlement.com, or mail your completed form postmarked by that date. Save your confirmation number and any submission email.

Takes about 5–10 minutes to complete once you have your employment information ready.

Should Studio One Theaters Settlement Members Opt Out or Object?

What Does Opting Out of the Studio One Theaters Tip Pool Settlement Mean for Your Rights?

Opting out allows you to sue, continue to sue, or be part of another lawsuit against Studio One Theaters related to the legal claims resolved by this settlement. You can elect to retain your own legal counsel at your own expense. Opting out means you receive no payment from this settlement. This option only makes sense if you have significant, well-documented individual tip losses and have consulted with a wage-and-hour attorney who believes a separate claim would yield a larger recovery.

How to Object to the Studio One Theaters Settlement Terms

If you believe the settlement is unfair, you can write to the court explaining why — while still remaining in the class and still being entitled to file a claim for your payment. Objection deadlines and submission instructions are posted at studioonesettlement.com. If you are considering opting out or objecting, speaking with an employment discrimination attorney before the deadline is strongly recommended.

Studio One Theaters Tip Pool Lawsuit — Timeline

Milestone	Date
Alexander Atkins works as runner at Studio One Theaters	December 2022 – February 2023
Atkins reports illegal tip pool to management	On or around February 8, 2023
Lawsuit filed — No. 3:23-cv-01332-SB	2023
Court grants collective action certification (FLSA § 216(b))	2024
Collective opt-in deadline for federal FLSA claims	June 16, 2025
Settlement proposed	TBD — see studioonesettlement.com
Claim deadline	TBD — see studioonesettlement.com
Final approval hearing	TBD — see studioonesettlement.com
Expected payment date	TBD — after final approval and any appeals

Studio One Theaters Tip Pool Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 3:23-cv-01332-SB

Is there a settlement in the Studio One Theaters tip pool class action right now?

Yes. A settlement has been reached in the case captioned Alexander Atkins v. VCE Theaters, LLC, dba Studio One Theaters, et al., pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. The settlement is subject to final court approval. Filing a claim at studioonesettlement.com is the only way to receive a payment.

Do I need to do anything right now if I worked at Studio One Theaters?

Yes — you must file a claim. If you do nothing, you will not get a payment from this settlement and you will give up the right to sue, continue to sue, or be part of another lawsuit against Studio One Theaters related to the legal claims resolved by this settlement. Unlike some settlements where doing nothing results in automatic benefits, this settlement requires an active claim form to receive cash.

What exactly does the lawsuit claim Studio One Theaters did wrong?

The lawsuit alleges that Studio One required employees to participate in a tip pool that included managers, supervisors, or other statutory employers as defined by federal law. Federal law prohibits managers and supervisors from sharing in employee tip pools. The lawsuit claims this practice illegally reduced the tips received by front-line tipped workers.

Do I need a lawyer to file a Studio One Theaters settlement claim?

No. You can file directly at studioonesettlement.com without hiring an attorney. The process is straightforward and costs nothing. However, if you believe your tip losses were particularly large or if you experienced retaliation for raising concerns about the tip pool, speaking with an employment discrimination attorney before filing can help you understand all your options.

When will Studio One Theaters settlement payments be sent?

Payments will be distributed after the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved. Monitor studioonesettlement.com for the current hearing date and payment timeline.

What specific law does Studio One Theaters allegedly violate?

The lawsuit alleges that Studio One required employees to participate in an illegal tip pool in violation of the FLSA. Section 3(m)(2)(B) of the FLSA explicitly prohibits managers, supervisors, and employers from keeping employees’ tips or receiving a share of a tip pool.

Can I file my own lawsuit against Studio One Theaters instead of joining the settlement?

Only if you opt out. If you do not opt out before the deadline at studioonesettlement.com, you give up your individual right to sue Studio One over these FLSA and Oregon wage claims. Opting out means no settlement payment.

How much will I receive from the Studio One Theaters tip pool settlement?

Your payment depends on the total settlement fund, how many eligible pay periods you worked, and the total number of valid claims. Exact payout amounts and the calculation method are detailed in the settlement documents at studioonesettlement.com. Review those documents before filing to how your payment will be calculated.

Sources Used in This Studio One Theaters Tip Pool Settlement Article

• Official Settlement Website — Alexander Atkins v. VCE Theaters, LLC, No. 3:23-cv-01332-SB: https://www.studioonesettlement.com
• Official Settlement Documents: https://studioonesettlement.com/settlement-info
• Class Notice PDF: https://studioonesettlement.com/data/Atkins%20v%20VCE%20Theaters%20-%20Class%20Notice%20-%20FINAL.pdf
• Court Ruling on FLSA Collective Certification — vLex: https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/atkins-v-vce-theaters-1059001199
• FLSA Collective Action FAQ Site — studiooneclassaction.com: https://studiooneclassaction.com/faqs/

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against official court documents, the studioonesettlement.com settlement homepage, and the U.S. District Court of Oregon docket for Alexander Atkins v. VCE Theaters, LLC, dba Studio One Theaters, et al., No. 3:23-cv-01332-SB on May 30, 2026. Last Updated: May 30, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.