An executive in the financial services industry has filed a lawsuit against his former employer, alleging retaliatory firing and wage theft. Bradford Primavera initiated the complaint on October 11, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Rocket Financial, Inc., and its executives Michael Shvartsman, Igor Matrosov, and Eric Hannelius.
Bradford Primavera claims that after dedicating over five years to Rocket Financial, he was unjustly terminated when he refused to participate in fraudulent activities orchestrated by Shvartsman. According to the complaint, Primavera's termination violated New York Labor Law §740 regarding retaliatory firing and New York Labor Law §§ 190 et seq. concerning unlawful wage deductions. Primavera alleges that despite an agreement to receive $16,667 per month starting from April 2020, Rocket Financial failed to pay him as promised. The company made partial payments totaling $125,000 but still owes him nearly $300,000 in unpaid wages.
The conflict escalated when Primavera was asked by Shvartsman during a video meeting on June 18, 2024, to provide banks with financial records from Rocket Corp., a separate Canadian entity also controlled by Shvartsman. Primavera refused to comply with this request due to legal discrepancies between the two entities' records. His refusal led to his immediate dismissal by Shvartsman. However, since Shvartsman had no formal authority at that time—due to his indictment on felony fraud charges—Matrosov and Hannelius later ratified the decision through an official resolution.
Primavera is seeking judicial intervention for multiple forms of relief: declaring Rocket Financial's actions unlawful under NYLL and common law; enjoining these violations; reinstating him with full back pay and benefits; awarding liquidated damages as stipulated by NYLL; punitive damages; attorneys’ fees; costs; interest on any awarded amounts; and compensation for adverse tax consequences resulting from such awards.
Representing Primavera is Anne L. Clark from Vladeck, Raskin & Clark P.C. Case ID #33064.