#1 Delta Airlines Settles with Flight Attendants for $16MLos Angeles, CA - After almost a decade, Delta Airlines has reached an agreement with its flight attendants. The workers told a California federal judge that a nearly $16 million settlement, which will end their California Labor Code and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) claims, should be approved because that amount will give California-based Delta flight attendants almost full reimbursement.
#2 Apple Proposes $95 million to Settle Siri SnoopingOakland, CA - Apple has filed in federal court a proposed $95 million payout to settle claims that Siri—Apple’s digital assistant— recorded owners' conversations without consent (after they activated Siri unintentionally) and allowed third-party contractors—such as advertisers—to listen in. The settlement could include anyone who owned a Siri-equipped device, such as the iPhone and Apple watch. Reuters reported that the class period began when Siri incorporated the "Hey, Siri" feature that allegedly led to the unauthorized recordings.
#3 Dempsey v. Verizon Communications: A Deep Dive into Pension Risk Transfer LawsuitsNew York, NY - On December 30, three former employees of Verizon Communications filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of 56,000 Verizon Communications, Inc. retirees who formerly participated in either the Verizon Management Pension Plan or the Verizon Pension Plan for Associates. The breach of fiduciary duty ERISA lawsuit is the newest in a series of pension risk transfer litigation – a new twist on a familiar story because it involves old-fashioned defined benefit pension plans rather than 401k plans.
#4 Eaton Wildfire LawsuitsLos Angeles, CA - As experts and attorneys are beginning to investigate the cause, or causes, of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, they are focusing on a Southern California Edison electrical transmission tower as a possible cause of the Eaton fire. SoCal Edison has already been hit with wildfire lawsuits and attorney Wayne McClean has handled numerous fire cases. “Word is out that the wildfires were caused by Edison’s faulty wires, and we want to make sure that Southern California Edison [SCE] does the right thing, that it takes responsibility,” says McClean, who practices personal injury law and also represents people with cases against utility companies.
#5 Exactech Files BankruptcySanta Clara, CA - Exactech has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. The medical device manufacturer will sell its assets to investors due to "unsustainable liabilities associated with knee and hip litigation related to the packaging recalls we voluntarily initiated between 2021 and 2022.” However, lawyers advise plaintiffs who have filed defective Exactech knee and hip implants not to panic because insurance and assets are available to victims in bankruptcy.
#7 CA Atty General Files Criminal Charges in Wage Theft CaseLos Angeles, CA - On November 26, Rob Bonta, California’s Attorney General, announced that his office had filed 31 criminal charges and two enhancements against US Framing West and two employees for multiple violations of California labor laws. US Framing allegedly underpaid its workers by roughly $40,000 at a public works project in Cathedral City. The criminal charges cite the company for grand theft, payroll tax evasion, prevailing wage theft, filing false documents with the State, and failing to pay more than $2.5 million in state payroll taxes during this period.
#8 Nova Southeastern University to Settle ERISA Lawsuit for $1.5 MillionFort Lauderdale, FL - On October 9, Nova Southeastern University agreed to settle a long-running lawsuit in which participants in the Nova University Defined Contribution Plan claimed that the school had mismanaged their retirement savings by paying excessive recordkeeping fees and retaining underperforming investment funds. The plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary approval was unopposed.
#9 Staples Hit with Another Overtime Lawsuit San Francisco, CA - Staples has been hit with yet another unpaid overtime lawsuit in California federal court. According to this latest proposed class action, nonexempt employees were forced to work through meal and rest breaks without compensation. But minutes add up, as the office supply chain knows from previous wage theft lawsuits it eventually settled.
#10 Wells Fargo Settles Disability Discrimination Suit for 22.1 millionCharlotte, NC - A former Wells Fargo Securities supervisor was awarded $22.1 million by a federal court jury in Charlotte in July. Christopher Billesdon’s disability and age discrimination lawsuit accused the San Francisco-based bank of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and wrongful discharge under North Carolina state law. However, the bank asked the court in August to toss the jury’s decision.
