In October 2006, plaintiff Denise Steffens, 57, a building manager for an office space rental company, Regus Management Group, LLC, complained of, and reported, wage and hour violations. She claimed that after she made the complaints, she was terminated from her position in July 2007. Steffens sued Regus Group, PLC; Regus Management Group, LLC; Regus Equity Business Centers, LLC; Regus Business Center, LLC; HQ Global Workplaces, LLC; The Regus Group, PLC; the Vice President for the Western Region, Sande Golgart; and Regus’ Vice President of Human Resources for the Americas, Sharon Edmondson. Steffens alleged that the defendants’ actions constituted wrongful termination in retaliation for being a whistleblower on age discrimination, and that this retaliation was in violation of public policy and California Labor Code § 1102.5. Prior to trial, Regus Group, PLC; Regus Equity Business Centers, LLC; Regus Business Center, LLC; The Regus Group, PLC; Golgart; and Edmondson were let out of the case. Thus, the matter proceeded to trial against Regus Management Group, LLC and HQ Global Workplaces, LLC, which was acquired by Regus in 2003, on only the claim of retaliation by wrongful termination in violation of public policy. Steffens claimed that in October 2006, she complained to Golgart about Regus Management Group’s staffing plan not providing the center she managed with enough staff to allow for lunch and rest breaks as required by law. Plaintiff’s counsel contended that immediately after making the complaint, the regional vice president gave Steffens’ supervisor, Shannon Jones, the San Diego Area Director, a directive to get rid of Steffens. Thus, counsel contended that although Steffens had 11 years of spotless performance reviews, and received a performance-based bonus for the first quarter of 2007, the company put Steffens on a performance improvement plan in April 2007. Plaintiff’s counsel further contended that the plan included impossible sales goals, as well as supposed weaknesses in performance that Steffens’ supervisor, Jones, testified had been copied almost directly from an improvement plan previously given to another Regus employee. Regus Management Group denied Steffens’ allegations and claimed that Steffens was terminated due to her declining attitude toward her work., Steffens was terminated in July 2007. Prior to her termination, she had worked for Regus for 11 years. Thus, Steffens sought recovery of damages for her emotional distress and loss of earnings. She also alleged that the company acted with fraud, oppression and/or malice in terminating her. Thus, she sought additional recovery for punitive damages.