Apple, Google, and Others Offer Increased $415M Settlement in Class Action Anti-Poaching Lawsuit

[MacRumors]

After a judge had rejected an earlier settlement deal, Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe today offered a higher settlement that may end an anti-poaching lawsuit filed on behalf of technology workers, reports Reuters. Citing a source close to the negotiations, The New York Times claims the companies are offering a combined payment of $415 million to settle the case.

The suit asserts that the companies had illegal agreements that they would not directly solicit one another's employees. That limited the engineers' mobility and their pay, to the benefit of the companies, the suit said. The case grew out of reported actions by the companies that centered on a period that began in 2005, when Google was ascendant and Apple was trying to defend its turf.

Judge Lucy Koh rejected an earlier settlement of $324 million when plaintiff Michael Devine objected to the proposed amount. In her rejection, Koh agreed with Devine, stating that the total compensation "falls below the range of reasonableness," when compared to the settlement that Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Intuit previously reached with the employees in 2013.

Lawyers confirm this new settlement amount is acceptable to the plaintiffs, but Judge Lucy Koh will still need to approve the deal. A settlement would allow the companies to avoid a potentially embarrassing trial that would expose internal communications between top technology companies such as Apple, Google, Intel, Adobe, Intuit and others.

Article Link: Apple, Google, and Others Offer Increased $415M Settlement in Class Action Anti-Poaching Lawsuit

 

[John.B]

What does the new proposed settlement work out to on a per-hour basis for the actual plaintiffs?

I'm sure it's a pittance compared to the billable rate for the class action lawyers... What a legal farce.

 

[FieldingMellish]

Collusion stinks and they probably want this stink to go away fast.

 

[Gasu E.]

What does the new proposed settlement work out to on a per-hour basis for the actual plaintiffs?

I'm sure it's a pittance compared to the billable rate for the class action lawyers... What a legal farce.

There's ~100,000 times as many employees impacted as there are class action lawyers involved in this... so who cares what the lawyers' hourly rate is? Plus, the lawyers are doing all the work to make this happen-- so you imagine they should get paid like $20 per hour?

Talk about irrelevant observations!!

 

[TimelessOne]

honestly the higher the number the better. I would love to see another figure added that number. The lost to these company should be a multiplier of any potential savings that would of gotten as these action suppressed wages industry wide as the big players tend to be what set market rates and if they are suppressed it suppresses market rates as well. Personally I would love the settlement to be in the billions plus they need to have some massive fines. It should be at the point that no one will even think about doing these action.

 

[maflynn]

Collusion stinks and they probably want this stink to go away fast.

Yeah, they all will pay for this to be swept under the rug. It in the long run though I think it hurt them. Open competition is great for the consumers, competing for the best workers can work the same way.