Gayle M. Blatt

Blatt has successfully represented plaintiffs in some of the most closely watched litigation against tech behemoths.

She served on the plaintiffs’ executive committee, overseeing the class action litigation in the Yahoo Inc. data breach, which affected more than a billion users.

“There are always challenges when so many people are involved,” Blatt said. “One of the issues in Yahoo was many people had multiple accounts. And there was different information contained in different people’s accounts.”

The case settled on behalf of users in the United States and Israel. The value of the settlement was $117.5 million, and the court approved it in July 2020. In re Yahoo! Inc. Customer Data Sec. Breach, 16-md-02752, (N.D.Cal., filed Dec. 7, 2016).

Despite not having a background in tech, Blatt said her work allows her to learn about unique issues with the help of outside experts.

Blatt was also appointed to the plaintiffs’ executive committee in a case alleging Apple Inc. deliberately slowed performance on older iPhone models following updates to the devices. A preliminary $300 million settlement was granted in 2020, and Apple has appealed. In re: Apple Inc. Device Performance Litigation, 18-MD-2827-EJD, (N.D. CAL., filed May 4, 2018).

Among her other achievements from last year was her work on the steering committee helping plaintiffs in the Volkswagen emissions scandal to reach a $96.5 million settlement. The company was accused of overstating its miles-per-gas ratings on almost 100,000 of its vehicles.

“I think that one of the things that I enjoy the most is the challenge,” Blatt said. “And I really enjoy fighting for the consumer.”

— Henrik Nilsson