NEW YORK, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Global banking firm HSBC USA, Inc. (NYSE: HBC - News) violated federal and state labor laws, according to a lawsuit filed late Tuesday in New York federal court.

Two former telephone call center workers in HSBC facilities in the Buffalo, N.Y. area -- James Stefaniak and Keith Panaccione -- allege that neither they nor their coworkers received overtime pay as required by federal Fair Labor Standards Act ("FLSA") and New York state laws.

Attorneys from Outten & Golden LLP and Stueve Siegel Hanson Woody LLP represent the call center workers and will seek certification of the case as a class action that could include thousands of current and former workers at HSBC call center facilities in Buffalo, N.Y.; Depew, N.Y.; Chesapeake, Va.; Wood Dale, Ill.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and other locations.

According to Mr. Panaccione, "Like many employees at the call center, I came in early and left late, but was only paid for scheduled shifts. In my case, it was one to two extra hours per week, on average, that I gave the company without overtime compensation. That adds up over time."

Attorney George A. Hanson, of Stueve Siegel Hanson Woody's Kansas City, Mo., office, stated, "The law requires that employers properly record work performed and pay workers for all of the time that they work, not just for their scheduled shifts. Unfortunately, this practice is common to call centers across the country."

Justin M. Swartz, an attorney with Outten & Golden's New York City office, stated, "Call center employees work in high-stress, low-pay jobs. Ensuring that workers got paid for all of their well done should be a top priority of all call center operators such as HSBC." He added that the law firms' investigation of overtime practices involves call centers throughout the nation.

The case is "James Stefaniak and Keith Panaccione v. HSBC Bank USA Inc.," (No. 05 CV 6528) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Attorney Contacts:

STUEVE SIEGEL HANSON WOODY, LLP George A. Hanson (hanson@sshwlaw.com) Amy E. Bauman (bauman@sshwlaw.com) www.sshwlaw.com 866-668-9241

OUTTEN & GOLDEN LLP Justin M. Swartz (jms@outtengolden.com) Tammy Marzigliano (tm@outtengolden.com) www.outtengolden.com (877) 468-8836