Firm News
Wiggin and Dana Secures $3.2 Million Settlement for Victims of Illegal Wiretap
A federal judge has formally approved a $3.2 million class-action settlement between the City of New York and individuals whose communications were illegally intercepted through a scheme orchestrated by former Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Tara Lenich. Lenich fabricated court orders and warrants authorizing wiretaps of an NYPD detective and another ADA, whom Lenich believed were in a romantic relationship. Wiggin and Dana partners James Glasser and Tadhg Dooley represented the detective in a separate lawsuit that was settled, and together with co-counsel Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP (ECBAWM), brought a class action against the City on behalf of all other individuals whose communications were intercepted by the illegal wiretap. After Wiggin and ECBAWM defeated the Cityโs motion to dismiss, the City agreed to a $3.2 million class settlement in March 2020, whereby individual class members could make claims entitling them to between $6,000 and $15,000 in compensation depending on the number of intercepted communications.
After preliminarily approving the settlement in August 2021 and holding a fairness hearing in September 2021, Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the Eastern District of New York entered a final judgment on January 19, 2022, certifying the class and finally approving the settlement. As noted in the courtโs order, nearly 50% of the proposed class made claims under the Settlement and each participating class member received between 60% and 150% of the statutory maximum to which they would have been entitled if they had brought individual claims. The court also approved payment of attorneys fees over the Cityโs objection, noting that โClass Counsel are highly capable, well regarded, and well known to this courtโ and that their efforts had โwell servedโ the public interest by โexpos[ing] weaknesses in the wiretap protocols of the Kings County District Attorneyโs Office.โ
In addition to Glasser and Dooley, Wiggin and Dana class-action partners Kim Rinehart and John Doroghazi provided valuable expertise in securing this favorable settlement.
