HOUSTON — A Houston-based portfolio business whose advisory board includes retired Houston Texans player Chester Pitts, is facing a claim they failed to pay one of its former executives her promised salary and bonuses.
Brooke Bornick filed a complaint March 26 in Harris County District Court against ZT Employment Services LLC and ZT Wealth LLC also known as ZT Corporate alleging breach of employment contract, negligence, fraud and negligent misrepresentation.
According to her complaint, Bornick became ZT Wealth's vice president of portfolio management and investments on Aug. 1, 2019. She alleges she was "induced" to take the position with the promise of a $150,000 annual salary as well as a $150,000 annual bonus which was spelled out in an offer letter dated July 2, 2019.
Bornick claims she was recognized by the company for "superior performance" and was awarded the Houston Business Journal's "2020 Women Who Mean Business Award" in August of 2020. She alleges that in December of 2019, she received her first bonus payment from ZT Wealth on Dec. 13, 2019, and that they failed to pay her "full salary and bonus."
She further alleges that in April of 2020, she was informed that ZT would be making "temporary salary cuts to all executives" and reduced her salary to $100,000 per year and delayed her bonus payments. Bornick claims in her suit that to date, she has not been paid "substantial amounts" of her promised compensation which she earned prior to her termination.
Bornick seeks monetary relief of more than $100,000, interest, trial by jury and all other just relief. She is represented by Daniel Branum of Branum PLLC in Olney.
Harris County District Court case number 2021-17841