Boalt’s Berkeley Center for Law & Technology (BCLT) and Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic received a boost as the result of a settlement in a major privacy rights class action suit. On March 3, Chase attorney Steve Machtinger presented Dean Christopher Edley with an $803,000 cy pres award following resolution of the case involving Chase Bank USA N.A. Others present were plaintiff’s attorneys Kamran Ghalchi and Tina Wolfson and defense attorney Angel Garganta ’92. All parties agreed that Boalt’s nationally-renowned research programs on consumer and information privacy make it an ideal recipient of the settlement funds.
“Cy pres,” refers to funds remaining from class-action settlements and judgments that are typically distributed to legal aid and advocacy groups. In cy pres settlements, the courts require that there be a nexus between the focus of the claims and the recipient of the settlement. Recent cy pres settlements directed to the Samuelson Clinic include proceeds from cases involving Household Bank and Alex Internet.