Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ANTITRUST—N.D. Cal: Google and Apple agree to settle employees’ antitrust claims, (Apr 24, 2014)

By Linda O’Brien, J.D., LL.M.

In a class action by former technical employees against major technology companies for allegedly engaging in a conspiracy to fix and suppress employee compensation, the remaining defendants, Abode Systems, Apple Inc., Google, and Intel Corporation have reached an agreement to settle all individual and class claims, according to a court filing in the federal district court in San Jose, California (In re High-Tech Employee Antitrust Litigation, April 24, 2014, Koh, L.).

Software engineers and other technical workers who were former employees of several major technology companies filed a class action suit against the companies, alleging that they engaged in a conspiracy to fix and suppress employee compensation and to restrict employee mobility through anti-solicitation agreements among the companies.

According to the filing, the parties have executed a Memorandum of Understanding containing the principal terms of the settlement and anticipate completing the proposed settlement for presentment to the court by May 27, 2014. The terms of the settlement are not currently public.

The case is No. 5:11-cv-02509-LHK.

Attorneys: Robert Addy Van Nest (Keker & Van Nest LLP) for Google, Inc.

Companies: Google Inc.; Apple Inc.; Intel Corporation; Adobe Systems Inc.

Cases: Antitrust CaliforniaNews