Across New York City, our wealthiest restaurateurs are under assault from the poors—and their lawyers! Many celeb chefs you know and love from television are being sued for ripping off their workers. Where's tort reform when Morimoto needs it?

The WSJ reports on the latest trend that all the lawyers are doing, which is suing famous restaurants for violating wage laws for their small-time workers—not giving them their fair share of tip money, not paying them overtime properly, things like that. Small beans! (Unless you're a restaurant worker). Mario Batali's being sued! Iron Chef Morimoto's being sued! Michael White and Chris Cannon are being sued! And, as the WSJ not-so-subtly frames it, it's all the result of "a handful of attorneys on behalf of small numbers of employees"—attorneys who "usually end up taking in about a third of the settlement payouts." And, worst of all:

The law firm that filed the suit against Mr. White, Outten & Golden LLP, has a publicity firm that sends out press releases.

A law firm in a high-profile case that sends out press releases? It's worse than we thought. These out-of-control lawyers must be stopped, even if it means screwing every last dishwasher in New York out of their overtime pay, and eating them.

[Pic via]