#1 Uber Account Exec Files Wages ComplaintLos Angeles, CA - Uber has been battling driver classification lawsuits and now the gig company is facing a lawsuit from corporate staff. An account executive has filed a wage and hour complaint claiming California labor law violations.
#2 NCAA Settlement on HoldLos Angeles, CA - The NCAA $2.8 billion antitrust settlement is on appeal that will affect certain former Division I athletes who played collegiate sports before NIL compensation was allowed in 2021. Several college athletes have filed the appeal, claiming the labor law settlement violates Title IX law. College teams will still pay current athletes as of July 1.
#3 Cigna Hit With New ERISA Forfeiture LawsuitPhiladelphia, PA - On June 10, the Cigna Group was hit with a new ERISA forfeiture lawsuit. In Adams v. the Cigna Group, participants in Cigna’s 401k plan allege that Cigna and its retirement plan committee misused more than $17 million in 401k plan assets over a period of roughly six years to offset company costs. Specifically, Adams alleges that the company used forfeited employer contributions to reduce its own matching contributions instead of applying those funds to cover plan administration expenses. This latest ERISA forfeiture lawsuit is only one of many class actions that target the Cigna 401k plan.
#4 California Moves to Ban AI Employment DiscriminationSacramento, CA - On June 2, California’s Automated Decisions Safety Act (AB 1018), passed the Assembly and moved on to Senate committee consideration. The bill is designed to protect employees, applicants for employment and consumers from AI-driven discrimination banned by federal law and the California Labor Code. The problem is also at the heart of Mobley v. Workday, Inc., a class action lawsuit in the Northern District of California.
#5 Lawsuits Allege Insurers Colluded to Limit Coverage in Wildfire AreasSacramento, CA - Over 200 insurers are facing antitrust and unfair competition lawsuits filed by homeowners in wildfire areas, including Pacific Palisades and Altadena. California homeowners claim that the insurers colluded over the past few years to limit coverage in these high-risk areas and the insurers formed a “group boycott” to terminate policies in Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Altadena and other fire-prone neighborhoods in early 2023 and then refused to write new policies. Homeowners were left with no choice: they were forced onto the FAIR plan, California’s more costly last-resort insurance plan. According to court documents, many homeowners suffered massive uncovered losses from January's wildfire disaster.
#6 Intuit to Settle ERISA Forfeiture Lawsuit for $2 MillionSan Jose, CA - Intuit Inc. has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a class action ERISA lawsuit brought by participants in Intuit’s individual account 401k retirement plan. The settlement, approved by the Northern District of California on May 16 may reflect Intuit’s judgment that the cost of prolonged litigation would exceed the settlement amount. Discretion may have seemed the better part of valor, given the same court’s recent decision to deny Clorox’s motion to dismiss McManus v. The Clorox Company, a similar forfeiture lawsuit.
#9 Retired Judge Discusses Workers’ Compensation ClaimsWoodland Hills, CA - Did you know that hypertension can be aggravated or accelerated by a work injury such as a herniated disc, which could mean you are eligible for Worker’s Compensation? And do you know how important it is to be represented by a qualified attorney rather than a hearing representative? “My advice is to get a real lawyer who cares, who gets all your records and actually reads them,” says Craig Glass, a retired judge and currently a workers’ compensation attorney.
#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.
