Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP and two individuals impacted by a 2021 data breach have agreed to voluntarily dismiss a class action lawsuit in California federal court. This decision came Wednesday, as both sides reached a mutual agreement to end the legal proceedings without prejudice, meaning they could revisit the case in the future if necessary.
The lawsuit was initially filed by plaintiffs Charles Owens, a California resident, and Felicia Livingston, a Georgia resident, after the law firm discovered that the breach had compromised the personal and sensitive data of over 100,000 individuals. The breach, which occurred in August 2021, exposed personal information such as names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license details, and medical records. However, victims were not notified of the breach until December 2022—17 months later.
Owens, who worked as an employee for Aaron’s LLC, a client of Smith Gambrell, alleged that his personal information was compromised due to the firm’s mishandling of data. Livingston, who had purchased goods from Aaron’s, also became a victim of the breach.
