According to Michael Devine, a freelance programmer who is one of the four plaintiffs named in the suit against tech giants Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe, the companies are getting off far too lightly. With cash hoards of over $230 billion collectively, the settlement amount of this class action suit was about one-tenth of the estimated $3 billion lost in compensation by the 64,000 class members.

Questions:
1. Come up with your own analogy of this settlement after reading Mr. Devine’s analogy about Apple.
2. What was the most interesting part of Mr. Devine’s letter sent to judge, Lucy H. Koh of United States District Court for the Northern District of California, this weekend?
3. What journal entry would the companies record for the settlement?
4. Discuss a cost-benefit analysis regarding Mr. Devine’s “strong heart for justice” and this case, i.e., what potential roadblocks could he face in his working future? Would you have brought this case as one of the plaintiffs? Explain.

Source:
Streitfeld, D. Plaintiff in Silicon Valley Hiring Suit Maligns Deal. The New York Times, May 12 (Retrievable online at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/12/technology/plaintiff-maligns-deal-in-silicon-valley-suit.html?rref=business&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Business%20Day&pgtype=article)