Philip Hines of Held & Hines LLP, counsel for the policyholders, told Law360 on Wednesday that his clients personal information has already been used to fraudulently apply for unemployment benefits and obtain credit cards.
“In the coming days, weeks and months, this information will most certainly be used for other nefarious purposes and be readily available on the dark web, injuring them personally and financially for years to come,” Hines said. “Had Geico been as diligent protecting our clients’ personal information as they are in collecting our clients’ premiums, this would have never happened.”
NEW SUIT: Berkshire Hathaway and Geico were slapped with a data breach class action Wednesday in New York Eastern District Court. The lawsuit was filed by Held & Hines on behalf of current and former Geico customers who claim their driver’s license information was stolen in order to perpetuate a fraudulent unemployment benefits scheme. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. The case is 1:21-cv-02210, Mirvis et al v. Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. et al.
“Via refuses to submit to arbitration, refuses to pay the costs to commence arbitration, and … the costs of arbitration are intentionally, absurdly and unnecessarily high compared to nearly any alternative,” attorney Marc Held noted in the legal filing.
“The refunds are disgraceful, considering the profits Vallo has made on the backs of these parents and the federal stimulus money the company received,” Held said. Public records show the Queens-based company got between $1 million and $2 million from the feds in April. “Many of the Bronx Science students come from the five boroughs, and are from poor, or low-income families, many who lost their jobs during COVID, and work hard just to be able to afford the transportation,” Held said.
Attorney Marc Held [of held & Hines, LLP], who represents the parents in the suit, called the mayor’s announcement a “ruse.”
“By not scheduling a date, it is in essence canceled. That remains the mayor’s ultimate goal,” Held said.
City Hall knew the suit would be filed and set the registration dates to avoid bad publicity, the suit claims.
“if Space 54 fails to comply … due to any event or act outside and beyond the scope of Space 54’s control, [venue] liability shall be limited to a refund of the deposit.” Granito’s attorney, Marc Held, says in the filing this means all the deposit money.
Party-planner friend of ‘RHONJ’ star Teresa Giudice is sued by New York City mother for ‘keeping $33,000 intended for her son’s bar mitzvah’ amid the pandemic, report says Party planner Elvira Grau, 50, has been sued this week for allegedly refusing to refund more than $33,000 Barrie Granito, of New York City, claimed she paid Grau the money for her son’s bar mitzvah celebration this year Granito claimed she never received a refund after the COVID-19 pandemic forced a rescheduling […]
Law.com: Held & Hines in news for prosecuting case against Target Law.com has reported Held & Hines’ lawsuit against Target as part of their Legal Radar as a catch to watch. The complaint, filed by Held & Hines, on behalf of plaintiff, Marguerite Lyn Dingle, is pending in New York Eastern District Court . The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Lashann Dearcy Hall, is 1:20-cv-01198, Dingle v. Target Corporation.
Lyft Offers to Settle New York Driver Classification Disputes Jan. 9, 2020, 3:52 PM Drivers say they should be considered employees Lawyers urge drivers to reject the deal Lyft Inc. has offered to pay New York ride-share drivers about $100 to $600 each to settle a lawsuit alleging the company misclassified them as contractors instead of employees, but the deal would require the drivers to keep quiet about it. Lawyers for a class of some 8,000 drivers are already advising them […]
Law360: Held & Hines’ Drivers in Class-Action Case Seek Information on Juno Sale to Lyft as Creditirs in Bankruptcy Proceeding Law360: Juno Creditors Seek Ch. 11 Investigation Of Lyft Deal By Rick Archer Law360 (January 9, 2020, 5:40 PM EST) — The unsecured creditors of bankrupt ride-hailing company Juno USA have asked a Delaware judge for permission to investigate the possibility creditors are being shorted of the proceeds of a pre-Chapter 11 sale of company assets to competitor Lyft Inc. In a […]
