Mondelez Data Breach: $750,000 Settlement Receives Preliminary Approval

A $750,000 settlement has received preliminary approval in a class action lawsuit against Mondelēz Global LLC, the snack food giant behind popular brands like Oreo and Cadbury, and its law firm, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP (BCLP). 

The settlement aims to resolve claims arising from a data breach that occurred in February 2023, potentially exposing the personal information of over 53,000 individuals.

United States District Judge Jorge L. Alonso granted preliminary approval to the settlement on October 10, 2024. The settlement covers individuals who were notified by BCLP and its clients, Mondelēz and Chicago IVF, that their personally identifiable information or protected health data was potentially compromised in the incident.

Settlement Provides Compensation and Credit Monitoring to Affected Individuals

The data breach occurred between February 23 and March 1, 2023, when an unauthorized third party gained access to BCLP's IT systems. This unauthorized access resulted in the compromise of files related to the law firm's clients, including Mondelēz. 

The breach exposed sensitive information of current and former Mondelēz employees, such as names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, and employee identification numbers.

Following the data breach, several class action lawsuits were filed against Mondelēz and BCLP, alleging that the companies failed to prevent the cyberattack and adequately protect sensitive personal information. The lawsuits claimed that the companies' negligence led to the data breach and exposed class members to an increased risk of identity theft, fraud, and other harms.

The settlement agreement aims to provide compensation to affected individuals and help mitigate the potential consequences of the data breach. It provides several benefits to eligible class members, including:

• Reimbursement for Out-of-Pocket Losses: Class members can claim up to $7,000 per person for documented out-of-pocket losses that are "fairly traceable" to the data breach.
  
  
• Compensation for Lost Time: Class members can claim up to $125 per person for lost time spent dealing with issues related to the data breach, at a rate of $25 per hour for a maximum of five hours.
  
  
• Pro-Rata Cash Payment: Class members can choose to receive a pro rata cash payment in lieu of reimbursement for out-of-pocket losses and lost time.
  
  
• Credit Monitoring and Identity Theft Protection: All class members, regardless of whether they choose a cash payment or reimbursement, can enroll in up to three years of credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.

Class Members to Receive Notice of Settlement, Final Approval Hearing Scheduled

Notice of the settlement will be mailed to class members within 30 days of the preliminary approval. Class members will then have 90 days to file their claim forms, which can be submitted by mail or online through the official settlement website once it is established.

A final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for January 21, 2025. If the settlement receives final approval, the funds will be distributed to class members who have submitted valid and timely claims.

InjuryClaims.com will update this page with the official settlement website address once it becomes available.

If you're wondering whether you might be entitled to compensation from other class action settlements, check out our settlements page for a list of open settlements.