Frequently Asked Questions
- What is this lawsuit about?
- Why is there a settlement?
- Who are the Defendants?
- How do I know if I am part of the settlement?
- Are there exceptions to being included?
- What can I get from the settlement?
- Do I have a lawyer in this settlement?
- How do I get more information?
- When/where will the Court decide whether to approve the settlement?
- Do I have to come to the hearing?
- How do I get out of the settlement?
- How do I tell the Court if I don’t like the settlement?
- What happens if I do nothing?
- What are the tax implications?
- What is this lawsuit about?
Plaintiffs allege that Defendants entered into and engaged in “no-poach agreements” and enforced those unlawful agreements in restraint of trade and commerce. Plaintiffs allege that these agreements had the purpose and effect of: (1) fixing, reducing, and stabilizing the wages, benefits and other aspects of compensation of the Class at artificially low levels; and (2) eliminating, to a substantial degree, competition among Defendants and their coconspirators for labor.
Defendants deny they did anything wrong.
Top - Why is there a settlement?
The Settlement represents a compromise of highly disputed claims. Nothing in the Settlement is intended to be construed as an admission by the Defendant that the claims in the Lawsuit are appropriately brought as a class action, that the claims have merit, or that the Defendant has any liability. Class Counsel believes that the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate and is in the best interest of the Class. Both sides have agreed to the Settlement in order to avoid the risks, uncertainty and delays of further litigation
Top - Who are the Defendants?
Jackson Hewitt Inc. and Tax Services of America, Inc.
Top - How do I know if I am part of the settlement?
You are a settlement class member if you are a person who worked in a tax preparer position at any company-owned Jackson Hewitt location in the United States at any time between December 20, 2014 and July 3, 2024.
Top - Are there exceptions to being included?
Excluded from the Settlement Class are: Defendants and their affiliates, the Judge, including the Judge’s staff and immediate family members, senior executives, personnel in Jackson Hewitt’s executive, HR and recruiting departments, persons outside of the United States, franchisee owners, and managers.
Top - What can I get from the settlement?
The Net Settlement Fund will be allocated to Settlement Class Members pro rata based on their regular earnings for hours worked as a tax preparer during the Settlement Class Period.
Top - Do I have a lawyer in this settlement?
TopJason Hartley
Hartley LLP
101 West Broadway, Suite 820
San Diego, California 92101
(619) 400-5822
Richard M. Paul III
Laura C. Fellows
PAUL LLP
601 Walnut Street, Suite 300
Kansas City, Missouri 64106
(816) 984-8100
Joseph R. Saveri
JOSEPH SAVERI LAW FIRM, LLP
601 California Street, Suite 1505
San Francisco, California 94108
(415) 500-6800
- How do I get more information?
More details about the settlement are in the Settlement Agreement. You can review the Settlement Agreement on the Case Documents page of this website.
Top - When/where will the Court decide whether to approve the settlement?
The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing on November 22, 2024, 9:00 a.m. EST, in Courtroom 3 of the Frank Lautenberg United States Courthouse at 2 Federal Square, Newark, NJ 07102.
Top - Do I have to come to the hearing?
You are not required to attend the Final Approval Hearing, although any Settlement Class Member is welcome to attend the hearing.
Top - How do I get out of the settlement?
To exclude yourself, you must send an opt-out request letter by September 30,2024 (or November 1, 2024 if you first received notice after September 16, 2024) to the address below, stating your full legal name and address, that you want to be excluded from the Settlement Class in Robinson et al. v. Jackson Hewitt et al and that you were an employee who worked in a tax preparer position at any company-owned Jackson Hewitt location in the United States at any time between December 20, 2014 and July 3, 2024. You must include the following statement with your Opt-Out Request Letter: “I want to be excluded from the Robinson et al. v. Jackson Hewitt et al. class action settlement with Defendants. I understand that by so doing, I will not be able to get any money or benefits from the settlement with the Settling Defendants in this case.”
The Opt-Out Request Letter must be signed and dated and include your telephone number.
Robinson v. Jackson Hewitt Administrator
PO Box 301130
Los Angeles, CA 90030-1130
Email: [email protected]
You cannot exclude yourself (opt out) by telephone.
Top - How do I tell the Court if I don’t like the settlement?
If you’re a Settlement Class Member, you can comment on or object to the proposed settlement if you like or don’t like any part of it, including the requests for attorneys’ fees and costs. You can give reasons why you think the Court should or should not approve it. The Court will consider your views.
To comment or to object, you must send a letter to the Settlement Administrator with your comment(s) or objection(s) to the proposed settlement in Robinson et al. v. Jackson Hewitt et al.
Be sure to include:
Your name, address, telephone number, email address and signature; and
A detailed statement of your comment(s) or objection(s), including the grounds for your objection(s), if any, together with any documents you think support it.
You do not need to attend or speak at the Fairness Hearing in order for your comments or objections to be considered. If you would like to speak at the Fairness Hearing about your comments or objections to the settlement, you must add to your letter a statement that you intend to appear and speak at the hearing, for example, by stating “This is my Notice of Intention to Appear in Robinson et al. v. Jackson Hewitt et al.”
If you wish for the Court to consider your comment(s) or objection(s), you must mail or email the comment(s) or objection(s), along with a request to speak at the Fairness Hearing (if any), by mail, postmarked no later than September 30, 2024 (or November 1, 2024 if you first received notice after September 16, 2024), to:
Robinson v. Jackson Hewitt Administrator
PO Box 301130
Los Angeles, CA 90030-1130
Email: [email protected]
You will have no right to speak at the Fairness Hearing about this settlement if you choose to exclude yourself, because the settlement no longer affects you if you opt out of it.
Top - What happens if I do nothing?
By doing nothing you will remain in the Settlement Class and release your antitrust claims against Defendants. If the settlement receives final approval, you will be sent a payment from the Settlement Fund Amount.
Top - What are the tax implications?
If you have any questions about potential tax issues, we recommend that you consult a professional tax consultant, as Class Counsel, Defense Counsel, and the Settlement Administrator cannot provide you with any tax advice.
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