Booz Allen, CACI, Mission Essential Settle No-Poach Lawsuit

Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., Mission Essential Personnel LLC, and CACI International Inc.—defense contractors performing intelligence work in England—settled a class action alleging the violation of antitrust rules through agreements not to hire one another’s workers.

Judge Algenon L. Marbley of the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio signed an order Wednesday dismissing the suit.

“Based on the representation to the court by counsel that the parties to this lawsuit have resolved their dispute, the parties agree that the terms of their settlement agreement need not be placed upon the record at this time,” the court said.

Counsel for the parties didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sarah J. Hunter sued in February 2019, asserting that the contractors eliminated competition for skilled labor and suppressed wages and benefits. David N. Yountz joined the action in May.

The court ruled in November 2019 that the plaintiffs sufficiently raised a Sherman Act claim by saying the contractors’ no-poach agreements prevented individuals working for one of the contractors from seeking better-paid employment opportunities with another company.

The contractors asserted that the Sherman Act can’t apply because the alleged injury affects only foreign commerce.

But the court said the plaintiffs sufficiently alleged a domestic injury by saying the putative class works solely on contracts for the US’s Defense Intelligence Agency.

Joseph Saveri Law Firm LLP, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, and Gibbs Law Group LLP represented the plaintiffs.

Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease LLP and Shearman & Sterling LLP represented Booz Allen Hamilton. Thompson Hine LLP represented Mission Essential. Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP represented CACI.

The case is Hunter v. Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., S.D. Ohio, No. 19-cv-411, 7/27/22.