HP Spinoffs’ $18 Million Age Bias Settlement Tentatively OK’d

HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. will pay up to $18 million to resolve a lawsuit alleging older workers were selected for termination under a restructuring plan under a settlement a federal judge tentatively approved Friday.

Judge Edward Davila with the US District Court for the Northern District of California, as promised Thursday, granted conditional approval to the proposed settlement of the lawsuit alleging the Hewlett-Packard Co. spinoffs targeted workers over age 40 in violation of the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act.

• Each plaintiff would receive a gross minimum of $15,000, with the average gross individual recovery of $50,279 under the settlement
• Davila also approved appointing Andrus Anderson LLP and O’Neil, Cannon, Hallman, DeJong & Laing SC as class counsel, who could seek up to 25% of the gross settlement in fees

O’Neil Cannon Hollman DeJong & Laing SC and Andrus Anderson LLP represent the workers. Littler Mendelson PC and Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher LLP represent the companies.

The case is Forsyth v. HP Inc., N.D. Cal., No. 5:16-cv-04775, order filed 10/27/23.