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A Kansas federal judge has awarded $433,333 in attorneys' fees, representing one-third of a $1.3 million settlement, to counsel in a class action against UnitedLex Corp. The company faced allegations of exposing 200 gigabytes of sensitive data during a March 2023 ransomware attack.

In an order issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Daniel D. Crabtree granted final approval of the settlement, noting that the outcome provided a higher per-person recovery than many comparable data breach cases. The settlement, which had received preliminary approval in July, entitles class members to reimbursement of up to $15,000 for out-of-pocket costs and $500 for time spent addressing breach-related issues. Additionally, class members will receive a pro-rata share of the remaining settlement funds and three years of credit monitoring.

Judge Crabtree also mandated that UnitedLex implement significant enhancements to its data security practices to prevent future breaches.

The settlement stems from lawsuits filed after a cyberattack on UnitedLex's servers exposed names, Social Security numbers, and confidential client information. Victims reported incidents of identity theft linked to the breach.

Lead plaintiffs from California, Missouri, Virginia, Minnesota, and Georgia pursued claims including negligence, breach of contract, and violation of state privacy laws, such as the California Constitution's right to privacy and Virginia's Data Breach Notification Law.

Class counsel, including Norman E. Siegel and Austin Moore of Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP, and other attorneys from Bell Law LLC, Wagstaff & Cartmell LLP, Hiraldo PA, and Dapeer Law PA, praised the court’s approval. Austin Moore emphasized that the settlement is “fair, reasonable and adequate,” and preparations for distributing payments to class members are underway.

UnitedLex, also known as ULX, is represented by Kathryn S. Rickley and Mitchell E. Wood of Halbrook Wood PC.

The case, Krant et al. v. UnitedLex Corp., is filed under case number 2:23-cv-02443 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.