Apple, Google Settle Class-Action Anti-Poaching Lawsuit

Apple, Google, Intel, and Adobe have settled the lawsuit levied against them for their anti-poaching agreements, reports Reuters. The settlement was revealed in a court filing, but the terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

The no-hire agreements between the companies first came to light in 2011, after tech workers filed a class action lawsuit alleging the companies had conspired not to poach employees from one another in an effort to keep salaries lower.

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No-solicitation agreements dated back to 2005 and in addition to Apple, Google, Intel, and Adobe, involved Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar, among others. The agreements prevented company recruiters from contacting employees on specific no contact lists.

The United States Department of Justice got involved in the lawsuit back in 2010 and the companies were required to cease entering into anti-poaching agreements. A class-action civil suit covering 64,000 employees was allowed to proceed, and that is the lawsuit that was settled today for an unspecified amount of money. The terms of the settlement will be presented to District Judge Lucy Koh on May 27.

Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Intuit previously settled their cases for approximately $20 million.

Update 4PM PT: According to Reuters, the four companies have agreed to pay a total of $324 million in order to settle the lawsuit. While spokespeople for Apple, Google, and Intel declined to comment, an Adobe representative said the company settled "in order to avoid the uncertanties, cost, and distraction of litigation."

The class-action suit was asking for $3 billion in damages, which could have tripled to $9 billion under antitrust law.

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Top Rated Comments

Konrad9 Avatar
146 months ago
Bad news for the common man. If this had gone to court then workers would have ended up with more protection.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thekev Avatar
146 months ago
One big added headache, all those companies involved, could do without and now hopefully, can put behind them.

One wonders though how this will affect recruitment from now on.

They brought it on themselves and settled for next to nothing. My heart bleeds for them on this headache:rolleyes:.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jdblas69 Avatar
146 months ago
64,000 people in the class action, even if the settlement was for example 100 million, that would be about $1500 per person plus the lawyer fees will probably take half so lucky to end up with $750 or so.

I guess it is about the principal though..
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bearcatrp Avatar
146 months ago
Typical corporate america screwing hard working folks. They should have NEVER settled and got every penny they deserved. For you apple fan boys who think the settlement is fare, apple has you on a string like a puppet keeping you in an over priced eco system with the profits of cheap labor. Real nice company to do business with, NOT!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xizdun Avatar
146 months ago
$324 million? WTF! Someone sold out. Jerks.

Don't take advantage of your OWN engineers, morons (Apple, Google, Intel, Adobe, etc.). :mad:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oplix Avatar
146 months ago
Anyone else find it funny that the G in google fits perfectly into the apple bite?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)