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Dec 30, 2013 · By at least one report, over 40 lawsuits have already been filed against Target, the first of which was filed the day after the breach became public. This post will provide an overview of the lawsuits, analyze their merits, identify potential concerns for Target, and address some of the larger public policy implications raised by the lawsuits.
Jan 10, 2023 · Research by Thomson Reuters shows the amount of damages being sought in what are known as class actions leapt from £4bn in 2021 to £26bn in 2022. Apple, Google and Sony are among those being...
Mar 8, 2023 · For CAT, class action proceedings, any anti-competitive conduct occurring before 31 January 2021 can be litigated under both the UK and EU competition rules, significantly expanding potential claims, claimant class numbers, and potential damages awards.
Feb 2, 2015 · Home Tech Security. Anatomy of the Target data breach: Missed opportunities and lessons learned. Target hasn't publicly released all the details of its 2013 data breach, but enough information...
- Overview
- October 25 - Activision Blizzard's request to pause lawsuit rejected
- September 28 - Activision Blizzard settles new lawsuit for $18 million
- September 20 - Bobby Kotick subpoenaed as part of investigation
- September 17 - Blizzard Entertainment chief legal officer resigns
- September 14 - Activision Blizzard employees accuse company of union busting
- September 14 - Activision Blizzard hires new HR boss
- August 26 and 27 - References to developers removed from World of Warcraft and Overwatch
- August 11 - Activision Blizzard confirms departure of Diablo 4 director and lead designer
- August 5 - SOC Investment Group issues letter to Activision Blizzard
Features
By Vic Hood, TechRadar Team
published 8 November 2021
The key developments in the Activision Blizzard lawsuit
(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)
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PC Gamer reports that Activision Blizzard had attempted to put the ongoing lawsuit on hold, but the attempt was dismissed by an LA County Court judge. Activision Blizzard is accusing California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), which is suing the games publisher, of a conflict of interest.
This is because Activision Blizzard had also been sued by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), but that was settled for $18 million (see below). The DFEH had opposed this, claiming it would cause "irreparable harm" to its own lawsuit. The EEOC then revealed that two of the lawyers working on DFEH's lawsuit had formally worked with EEOC on its own lawsuit against Activision Blizzard.
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard following a three year investigation into alleged workplace discrimination.
Activision Blizzard received a letter regarding this move on June 15, and the company has apparently been in talks with the EEOC since then. This has resulted in the company issuing a press release stating that "as part of its effort to have the most welcoming, inclusive workplace, it has reached an agreement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to settle claims and to further strengthen policies and programs to prevent harassment and discrimination in the company’s workplace."
The company reveals it has "committed to create an $18 million fund to compensate and make amends to eligible claimants."
It also announced an initiative to "develop software tools and training programs to improve workplace policies and practices for employers across the technology industry."
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick commented that "There is no place anywhere at our company for discrimination, harassment, or unequal treatment of any kind, and I am grateful to the employees who bravely shared their experiences. I am sorry that anyone had to experience inappropriate conduct, and I remain unwavering in my commitment to make Activision Blizzard one of the world’s most inclusive, respected, and respectful workplaces."
He also said that " We thank the EEOC for its constructive engagement as we work to fulfill our commitments to eradicate inappropriate conduct in the workplace."
The Wall Street Journal reports has reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission US agency is conducting an investigation into its handling of employee complaints about sexual misconduct and discrimination in the workplace, and as part of that has subpoenaed Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, alongside other company executives.
This is a major development in the ongoing case against the company, with the SEC asking for board meeting minutes since 2019, along with files and separation agreements.
Claire Hart, chief legal officer at Blizzard Entertainment leaves the company, writing on LinkedIn that "the past three years have been full of unexpected twists and turns, but I feel honored to have worked with and met so many great people at Blizzard and across the Activision Blizzard businesses."
Vice has reported that Activision Blizzard employees have filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the company of "intimidation and union busting."
They allege that "Activision Blizzard management is using coercive tactics to attempt to prevent its employees from exercising their rights to stand together and demand a more equitable, sustainable, and diverse workplace."
In a marked deterioration of relations, the employees' charging document says that "within the last six months the above named employer has repeatedly engaged in unlawful conduct by threatening employees," and that strict social media rules were put in place, allegedly to stop employees from posting about "wages, hours, and working conditions," or investigations about them.
On Twitter, the ABK Workers Alliance posted what the employees hope to see from the charge:
If the NLRB rules in our favor, the ruling will be retroactive and we will set a precedent that no worker in the US can be intimidated out of talking about forced arbitration.September 14, 2021
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On the same day that the National Labor Relations Board charge was made public, Activision Blizzard posted a statement announcing that Julie Hodges has been recruited as Chief People Officer, effective September 21. Hodges' previous role was at Disney, where she was Senior Vice President, Corporate HR and Compensation, Benefits and Talent Acquisition.
Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said of the hiring that "I can't think of a better person to join our team and help lead our ongoing commitment to an inclusive workplace... Julie is the seasoned leader we need to ensure we are the most inspiring, equitable and emulated entertainment company in the world."
Activision Blizzard has removed references in its games to developers named in California's DFEH lawsuit against the company. As PC Gamer reports, the Overwatch character McCree, who is named after Diablo 4 lead level designer Jesse McCree, will be renamed.
Jesse McCree left Activision Blizzard on August 11 (see our post below).
In a tweet, the Overwatch team explained that "As we continue to discuss how we best live up to our values and to demonstrate our commitment to creating a game world that reflects them, we believe it’s necessary to change the name of the hero currently known as McCree to something that better represents what Overwatch stands for."
It also announced that a narrative arc planned for September would be delayed until later in the year, due to the McCree character being a "key part."
A message from the Overwatch team. pic.twitter.com/2W3AV7Pv6XAugust 26, 2021
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Kotaku reports that Diablo 4 director, Luis Barriga, and lead designer, Jesse McCree, are no longer working at Activision Blizzard. In addition, the report claims that World of Warcraft designer Jonathan LeCraft is no longer employed at the company.
Activision Blizzard confirms these departures in a statement to Kotaku, which reads as follows:
“We can confirm Luis Barriga, Jesse McCree, and Jonathan LeCraft are no longer with the company.
“We have a deep, talented roster of developers already in place and new leaders have been assigned where appropriate. We are confident in our ability to continue progress, deliver amazing experiences to our players, and move forward to ensure a safe, productive work environment for all.”
Activision Blizzard shareholder, SOC Investment Group, issues a letter to the company stating that the steps Activision Blizzard has announced it is taking in response to the lawsuit "do not go nearly far enough to address the deep and widespread issues with equity, inclusion, and human capital management at the company".
Shared with Axios, the letter is sent by SOC Investment Group's Executive Director Dieter Waizeneggar and is addressed to Robert J. Morgado, Lead Independent Director at Activision Blizzard. The letter reads as follows:
"While we appreciate the improved tone and increased detail in CEO Kotick’s recent letter to Activision Blizzard employees, customers, and shareholders,1 the changes Mr. Kotick has announced do not go nearly far enough to address the deep and widespread issues with equity, inclusion, and human capital management at the company. To wit:
"• No changes have been announced or proposed that would in any way alter the current process for filling vacancies either to the board of directors or to senior management.
"• No changes have been announced with respect to executive pay, either with respect to clawing back compensation from executives who are found to have engaged in or enabled abusive practices, or to align executives with the equity goals Mr. Kotick articulated.
"• The announced review by Wilmer Hale is deficient in a number of ways: this firm has a sterling reputation as a defender of the wealthy and connected, but it has no track record of uncovering wrongdoing, the lead investigator does not have in-depth experience investigating workplace harassment and abuse, and the scope of the investigation fails to address the full range of equity issues Mr. Kotick acknowledges.
Dec 26, 2021 · The studio behind Halo and now Destiny issued a statement on Twitter yesterday, addressing the allegations of widespread sexual harrasssment and discrimination alleged in a new lawsuit brought by...
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