Disney Can Withhold Thousands of Pay Documents in Class Action

Walt Disney Co. can withhold thousands of documents about pay practices while it faces a massive class action over gender pay disparities, a Los Angeles state judge ruled Monday, finding the records related to privileged legal advice.

Judge Elihu M. Berle of California Superior Court, Los Angeles County, said from the bench that he was unconvinced by the plaintiffs’ arguments that some of the documents aren’t privileged because they are communications between non-lawyers, primarily reflect business advice, or were sent to large audiences within the company. The plaintiffs can find information about the company’s pay practices through payroll records and ...