Cy Pres Cases
Legal cases where cy pres awards have been granted
Hawes v. Macy's Inc.
Class ActionConsumer class action alleging Macy's overstated thread count in bed sheets. Court rejected proposed cy pres settlement because PIRG had no history of work addressing false advertising in textiles and was not sufficiently related to the injury alleged in the lawsuit.
Hyland v. Navient Corporation
Class ActionClass action by student loan borrowers alleging they received inaccurate information about their loans. Second Circuit approved a cy pres-only settlement with no distribution to class members, with $2.25M to establish a nonprofit organization providing counseling to borrowers. Supreme Court denied certiorari in April 2023.
Washington v. ESA Management, LLC
Class ActionEmployment-related class action settlement. Cy pres award of $737,478.68 distributed to National Center for Youth Law, selected by Littler Mendelson and Setareh Law Group.
Butler v. Apple Inc.
Class ActionConsumer class action arising from alleged failure of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functions on the iPhone 4S. Cy pres award of $1,759,900 distributed equally between National Center for Youth Law (child advocacy program) and Public Counsel (nonprofit legal services for the indigent).
In re Google Inc. Cookie Placement Consumer Privacy Litigation
Class ActionSettlement involving Google's privacy practices included cy pres distribution to privacy-focused organizations.
Lane v. Facebook, Inc.
Class ActionFacebook Beacon case with cy pres distribution to privacy and internet safety organizations.
In re Netflix Privacy Litigation
Class ActionNetflix privacy settlement with cy pres to law schools and privacy organizations.