Altshuler Berzon LLP represents workers, consumers, and students in class actions before state and federal courts, and arbitrators. Our practice includes enforcing state, federal, and local laws concerning civil rights, wage-and-hour protections, misclassification, privacy, and other worker and consumer protections. We have obtained class action awards and settlements totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.
Representative matters:
- Series of California class actions on behalf of low-wage fast-food workers against McDonaldâs and several of its franchisees, asserting joint-employer and other theories of liability, including one settlement on behalf of 39,000 California crew members at corporate-owned McDonaldâs restaurants for $26 million plus extensive injunctive relief, and another settlement on behalf of crew members at a Bay area franchise against the owners of that franchise and McDonaldâs for injunctive relief plus 100% of the backpay, interest, and liquidated damages that would have been recoverable by the certified class at trial.
- California state law class actions on behalf of restaurant crew members employed by corporate-owned and franchisee-owned McDonaldâs fast food outlets, alleging numerous violations of California employment law and seeking to prove McDonaldâs corporate liability on joint employer and other theories.
- Successfully defended on appeal a $55 million California minimum wage judgment on behalf of a class of hundreds of Wal-Mart truck drivers.
- Won awards totaling over $89 million in two cases against the University of California when the University breached its contracts with thousands of students by imposing fees increases at the last minute and contrary to University policies.
- A $22.7 million class action settlement on behalf of low-wage immigrant warehouse workers in Californiaâs Inland Empire who contend that Walmart, its warehouse operator, and their labor services contractors are joint employers liable for state and federal wage-and-hour violations, including for imposing an unlawful group piece rate scheme, wage fraud, and wrongful mass retaliatory termination.
- $115 million settlement of federal multi-district litigation involving hundreds of consumer class actions alleging that Anthem, Inc. and its affiliated Blue Cross-Blue Shield companies failed to maintain the confidentiality of the personal information of approximately 80 million Americans, in one of the largest data breaches in U.S. history; Altshuler Berzon LLP served as court-appointed co-lead counsel.
- Privacy class actions on behalf of California credit card account holders whose telephone conversations with a bankâs debt collection and financial fraud personnel were secretly recorded.
- A $6 million settlement on behalf of Pizza Hut delivery drivers and restaurant workers in an action alleging that the defendant failed to sufficiently reimburse drivers for their work-related business expenses and to provide legally compliant meal and rest breaks.
A more extensive description of our victories in class actions can be found on our firm resume.