In Re: Houser Data Breach Litigation

Defendant's records indicate that you may have been part of a Data Incident perpetrated against Houser's computer systems between May 7, 2023, and May 9, 2023, that may have exposed certain personal information of yours. If you qualify, you could be eligible to receive a payment as part of the Settlement.

For more information, go to: Documents page

The people who have sued Houser LLP are called the Plaintiffs. Houser LLP is the Defendant that has been sued in the lawsuit.

Between approximately May 7, 2023, and May 9, 2023, Defendant Houser experienced a Data Incident perpetrated against it by some third-party entity. This Data Incident allowed cybercriminals to gain access to certain Houser files containing certain individuals' personal information. Upon receiving notice that their information was part of the Data Incident, Plaintiffs brought this lawsuit on behalf of themselves and all potential Settlement Class Members, alleging claims of negligence to implement adequate data security safeguards, which allowed cybercriminals to access to their personal information. Defendant denies that it acted negligently in protecting Plaintiffs' personal information, denies that it did anything wrong, and disputes liability for Plaintiff's claims.

In a class action lawsuit, one or more people called "Class Representatives" have sued on behalf of themselves and other people who have similar claims. These people and entities together are called a "Settlement Class" or "Settlement Class Members." The company Plaintiffs sued on behalf of themselves, and all others similarly situated—Houser LLP—is called the Defendant. In a class action, one court resolves the issues for all Settlement Class Members, except for those who choose to exclude themselves.

The Court did not decide in favor of Plaintiffs or Defendant. Instead, the Parties agreed to a Settlement to resolve the claims. A class wide settlement avoids the costs and risk of a trial, and Settlement Class Members can receive the available Settlement compensation benefits. The Class Representatives and Class Counsel believe the Settlement is in the best interest of the Settlement Class.

You have been identified through Houser's records as a Settlement Class Member, and are included in the Settlement, if you received a notice letter regarding the Data Incident from Defendant indicating that you may have been impacted by the Data Incident perpetrated against Defendant between May 7, 2023 and May 9, 2023. The Settlement Class and California Settlement Subclass, and the Washington Settlement Class are defined for Settlement purposes as:

All Persons whose Private Information was actually or potentially accessed or acquired during the Data Incident that is subject of the Notice of Data Incident that Defendant published to Plaintiffs and other Settlement Class Members starting on or around February 28, 2024.

All California residents whose Private Information was actually or potentially accessed or acquired during the Data Incident that is the subject of the Notice of Data Incident that Defendant published to Plaintiffs and other Class Members starting on or around February 28, 2024.

All Washington State residents whose Private Information was actually or potentially accessed or acquired during the Data Incident that is the subject of the Notice of Data Incident that Defendant published to Plaintiffs and other Class Members starting on or around February 28, 2024

Excluded from the Settlement Class are Houser's officers, directors, and employees; any entity in which Houser has a controlling interest; and the affiliates, legal representatives, attorneys, successors, heirs, and assigns of Houser. Also excluded from the Settlement Class are members of the judiciary to whom this case is assigned, their families and members of their staff.

If you are not sure whether you are included in the Settlement Class, you can request free assistance by calling the Claims Administrator or calling (833) 420-3834 for more information.

The Defendant will pay $1,300,000 into a Settlement Fund, which will be distributed to Settlement Class Members who submit Valid Claims, after deducting Class Counsel's Attorneys' Fees and Expense Award, Cost of Claims Administration, and the Class Representatives' Service Awards, if such awards are approved by the Court.

The Settlement Fund will provide:

• $50 to each Settlement Class Member upon submission of a Valid Claim;**
• $25 to each Washington Subclass Member upon submission of a Valid Claim;**

• Washington Subclass Members may receive the $25 payment in addition to the $50 payment to each Settlement Class Member.

• $100 to each California Subclass Member upon submission of a Valid Claim;**

• California Subclass Members may receive the $100 payment in addition to the $50 payment to each Settlement Class Member.

**The cash payments may be increased or decreased pro rata from the remainder of the Settlement Fund after all Settlement Claims are submitted.

• Up to $5,000 in compensation to each Valid Claim for proven out-of-pocket losses or expenses;

• If the loss is an actual, documented, and unreimbursed loss;
• The loss is fairy traceable to the Houser Data Incident;
• The loss occurred on or after May 7, 2023;
• The Settlement Class Member has not already received some reimbursement for the loss or expense; and
• The Settlement Class Member made reasonable efforts to avoid, or seek reimbursement for, the loss, including but not limited to exhaustion of all available credit monitoring insurance and identity theft.

To receive money from the Settlement, you must be a Settlement Class Member — meaning that you received a notice of the Data Incident perpetrated against Houser between May 7, 2023, and May 9, 2023. The determination of Settlement Funds available to each valid claimant is described in Question #7 above.

If you are a Settlement Class Member (see Question #5 above), unless you exclude yourself with an opt-out request (see Questions #16-18 below), you cannot sue, continue to sue, or be part of any other lawsuit against Defendant concerning the same issues as in this lawsuit. The "Release" section in the Settlement Agreement (¶ 6.1) describes the legal claims that you are giving up if you remain in the Settlement Class. The Settlement Agreement can be viewed at here

By submitting a Valid Claim by on or before October 1, 2025. If you received the Data Incident notification letter from Houser, you can make a Settlement Claim by filling out and submitting the Claim Form available at here.

You can also contact the Claims Administrator to request a paper Claim Form by telephone (833)-420-3834, email ([email protected]), or U.S. mail In re Houser Data Breach Litigation, c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391).

To be eligible for payment from the Settlement, your Valid Claim must be received or postmarked no later than October 1, 2025.

The Court will hold a hearing on October 31, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. PT, to decide whether to approve the Settlement. Payments will be made after the Settlement is approved and becomes final, meaning there is no appeal from the Court's order approving the Settlement.

Updating regarding the Settlement will be posted on this Settlement Website.

Yes. The Court appointed the following attorneys to represent you and other Settlement Class Members as "Class Counsel."

You will not be charged by these attorneys for their work on the case. If you want to be represented by your own attorney, you may hire one, but you will be responsible for any payment for that attorney's services.

You do not need to hire your own attorney. If you want your own attorney, you may hire one, but you will be responsible for any payment for that attorney's services. For example, you can ask your own attorney to appear in Court for you if you want someone other than Class Counsel to speak on your behalf You may also appear for yourself without an attorney.

Class Counsel have undertaken this case on a contingency-fee basis, meaning they have paid for all of the expenses in the case and have not been paid any money in relation to their work on this case. Accordingly, Class Counsel will ask the Court to award them attorneys' fees of up to 1/3 of the Settlement Fund ($433,333.33). The Court will decide the amount of fees and costs and expenses to be paid. You will not have to separately pay any portion of these fees yourself. Class Counsel's request for Attorneys' Fees and Expense Award will be filed by August 4, 2025 and will be available to view on this Settlement Website.

A Settlement Class Member may request to be excluded from the Settlement in writing by a request to the Claims Administrator postmarked on or before August 18, 2025. The timely exclusion must include:

• The requestor's name, address and email address;
• The requestor’s signature;
• The name and number of this Litigation, In Re: Houser Data Breach Litigation, Case No. 8:24-cv-00468-WLH-ADS (C.D. Cal.); and
• A statement that clearly manifests the requestor's wish to be excluded from the Settlement Class for purposes of this Settlement.
• Your Request for Exclusion must be mailed to the Settlement Administrator at the address below, postmarked no later than August 18, 2025, or submitted here.

In re Houser Data Breach Litigation

c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC

P.O. Box 225391

New York, NY 10150-5391

A request to be excluded that is sent to an address other than that designated as the Claims Administrator address (Question #26 below), or that is not electronically submitted or postmarked within the time specified, shall be invalid and the Person serving such a request shall be considered a member of the Settlement Class and shall be bound by the terms of the Settlement.

No. If you are a Settlement Class Member (see Question #5 above), unless you opt-out, you give up the right to sue Houser for the claims resolved by the Settlement. So, if you are a Settlement Class Member and you want to try to pursue your own lawsuit, you must opt out.

If you opt-out of the Settlement, you will not have any rights as a member of the Settlement Class under the Settlement terms; you will not receive any payment as part of the Settlement; you will not be bound by any further orders or judgments in this case; and you will keep the right, if any, to sue on the claims alleged in this lawsuit at your own expense.

If you are a Settlement Class Member and you do not opt-out of the Settlement, you can ask the Court to deny approval of the Settlement by filing an objection. You can't ask the Court to order a different settlement; the Court can only approve or deny this Settlement. If the Court denies approval, no Settlement payments will be sent out and the lawsuit will continue.

You will have up to and including 105 days following entry of the Preliminary Approval Order (75 days after the Notice Commencement Date) to object to the Settlement. You may also appear at the Final Approval Hearing, either in person or through your own attorney. If you appear through your own attorney, you are responsible for paying that attorney. To object, you must mail your objection to the designated Post Office box established by the Claims Administrator or submit it to the Claims Administrator via the Settlement Website and indicate that you object to the proposed Settlement in In Re: Houser Data Breach Litigation, Case No. 8:24-cv-00468 (C.D. Cal.). You must include copies of such papers you propose to submit at the Final Approval Hearing with the Clerk of the Court; and send copies of such papers via U.S. Mail or overnight delivery to both Class Counsel and Defendant's Counsel.

In re Houser Data Breach Litigation

c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC

P.O. Box 225391

New York, NY 10150-5391

Any Settlement Class Members who intends to object to this Settlement must include in any such objection:

• The objector's full name and address;
• The case name and number, In Re: Houser Data Breach Litigation, Case No. 8:24-cv-00468 (C.D. Cal.);
• Information identifying the objector as a Settlement Class Member, including proof that the objector is a member of the Settlement Class (e.g., copy of the objector's settlement notice, copy of original notice of the Data Incident, or a statement explaining why the objector believes he or she is a Settlement Class Member);
• A written statement of all grounds for the objection, accompanied by any legal support for the objection the objector believes applicable;
• The identity of any and all counsel representing the objector in connection with the objection;
• A statement whether the objector and/or his or her counsel will appear at the Final Approval Hearing; and
• The objector's signature or the signature of the objector's duly authorized attorney or other duly authorized representative (if any) representing him or her in connection with the objection.
• Your Request for Objection must be mailed to the Settlement Administrator at the address below, postmarked no later than August 18, 2025, or submitted here.

You must also include whether you intend to appear at the Final Approval Hearing, with or without counsel, and identify any witnesses you may call to testify at the Final Approval Hearing along with all exhibits you intend to introduce into evidence at the Final Approval Hearing.

Objecting is telling the Court that you don't like something about the Settlement. You can object to the Settlement only if you are a Settlement Class Member and do not opt-out of the Settlement. 

Opting-out of the Settlement indicates to the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement. If you opt-out of the Settlement, you cannot object to it because it does not affect you. You cannot both opt-out of the Settlement and also object to the Settlement.

The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing at 8:30 a.m. PT on October 31, 2025, at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse located at First Street Courthouse, 350 W. 1st Street, Courtroom 9B, 9th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90012. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. If there are objections, the Court will consider them and listen to any arguments presented. The Court may also decide how much Class Counsel should receive in fees and expense reimbursements. After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement.

The Court may reschedule the Final Approval Hearing or change any of the deadlines described in this notice. The date of the Final Approval Hearing may change without further notice to the Settlement Class Members. Be sure to check the Settlement Website for news of any such changes.

No. Class Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have. You may attend at your own expense if you wish. If you send an objection, you do not have to come to the hearing to talk about it. As long as you mailed or filed your written objection on time, the Court will consider it. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend, but it is not necessary.

You may ask the Court for permission to speak at the Final Approval Hearing. To do so, you must include a statement in your written objection (discussed above at Question #19) that you intend to appear at the hearing. Be sure to include your name, address, and signature as well.

You cannot speak at the hearing if you exclude yourself from the Settlement Class.

If you do nothing and you are a Settlement Class Member, you will get no money from this Settlement, and you will not be able to sue Houser for the conduct alleged in this lawsuit. If you do nothing and you are not a Settlement Class Member, the Settlement will not affect or release any individual claim you may have.

Yes. This notice summarizes the proposed Settlement—more details are in the Settlement Agreement and other case documents. You can get a copy of these documents at Documents page, by accessing the docket in this case through the Court's Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system at https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/, or by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court for the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse located at First Street Courthouse, 350 W. 1st Street, Courtroom 9B, 9th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90012 between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, excluding Court holidays.

The Documents page has the Claim Form, answers to questions about the Settlement and other information, including important documents, to help you determine whether you are eligible for a payment. You can also write or call to the Claims Administrator at:

In re Houser Data Breach Litigation

c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC

P.O. Box 225391

New York, NY 10150-5391

(833) 420-3834

[email protected] 

PLEASE DO NOT TELEPHONE THE COURT OR THE COURT CLERK'S OFFICE TO INQUIRE ABOUT THIS SETTLEMENT OR THE CLAIM PROCESS