U.S. law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe has disclosed its intention to settle with plaintiffs involved in a class-action lawsuit related to a significant data breach in March 2023. The breach reportedly compromised the personal information of numerous individuals, including data from some of the firm’s clients.
Agreement in Principle Reached
In a recent court filing at the San Francisco federal court, Orrick revealed that it had agreed to settle four consolidated lawsuits in principle. These lawsuits collectively represent hundreds of thousands of individuals claiming to be data breach victims. The court filings did not provide specific details about the settlement terms.
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Orrick’s Response
Expressing regret for the inconvenience caused by the breach, Orrick issued a statement acknowledging the malicious incident. The firm stated, “We are pleased to reach this settlement well within a year of the incident, which brings this matter to a close, and will continue our ongoing focus on protecting our systems and the information of our clients and our firm.”
Finalization of Settlement Terms
According to Orrick, both parties are currently in the process of finalizing the settlement agreement. Once completed, it will be submitted to U.S. District Judge Susan Illston for approval. The law firm anticipates that the settlement terms will be finalized within 15 days.
Fair and Reasonable Settlement
William Federman, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, asserted that the proposed settlement is fair and reasonable. He stated, “This is a fair and reasonable settlement that will resolve all pending litigation from the data breach.”
Background of the Data Breach
The lawsuits were initiated by individuals whose data had been collected by Orrick’s clients, including notable entities such as Delta Dental of California and EyeMed Vision Care. The compromised information reportedly included names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers of over 460,000 individuals stored in Orrick’s files. Orrick has affirmed that the proposed settlement will address all claims arising from the breach.
Impact on Plaintiffs
One plaintiff, Dennis Werley of Stockdale, Texas, highlighted the consequences of the breach in a court filing. He claimed to have received spam phone calls from individuals who possessed sensitive personal information about him, attributing these calls to Orrick’s data breach.
Legal Proceedings
The case, officially titled “In Re: Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP Data Breach Litigation,” is before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, docket number 3:23-cv-04089. Orrick remains committed to resolving the matter through the upcoming settlement and continuing efforts to enhance its cybersecurity measures.
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