Apple and Google reached a new settlement over claims they and other Silicon Valley companies conspired to not hire from each other after a judge concluded their first proposal didn't offer enough money for employees.
The agreement, whose terms weren’t disclosed in a court filing on Wednesday, again hinges on the approval of the US district judge who in August rejected the initial $324.5 million accord as too small.
The judge said the companies, which also include Adobe Systems and Intel, should pay at least $380 million given "ample evidence" of antitrust violations that could result in damages of more than $9 billion if the case went to a jury trial.
The companies, after resuming negotiations with the workers, in September asked a federal appeals court to overrule the district court's rejection of the initial settlement. Kelly Dermody, a lawyer for the workers, and Chuck Mulloy, a spokesman for Intel, each confirmed the settlement while declining to discuss details.
One of the objections to the original settlement was filed by former Adobe employee Michael Devine. His lawyer argued that if workers hadn't agreed to settle for an average payout of $3,572, they could have won damages at trial of as much as $141,331 each. – (Bloomberg)
