1. Why was the Notice issued?
2. What is this lawsuit about?
3. What is a class action?
4. Why is there a Settlement?
5. Who is included in the Settlement?
6. Are there exceptions to being included?
7. What does the Settlement provide?
8. What claims am I releasing if I stay in the Class?
9. How do I submit a claim for a Settlement benefit?
10. Are there any important Settlement payment deadlines?
11. When will the Settlement benefits be issued?
12. Do I have a lawyer in the case?
13. Should I get my own lawyer?
14. How will Class Counsel be paid?
15. How do I opt out of the Settlement?
16. How do I tell the Court if I like or do not like the Settlement?
17. What is the difference between objecting and excluding?
18. When is the Court’s Final Approval Hearing?
19. Do I have to come to the Final Approval Hearing?
20. What happens if I do nothing at all?
21. How do I get more information?
The Superior Court for Los Angeles County, California, authorized the Notice. You have a right to know about the proposed Settlement of this class action lawsuit, and about all of your options, before the Court decides whether to grant final approval of the Settlement. The Notice explains the lawsuit, your legal rights, what benefits are available, and who can receive them.
The lawsuit is called Aguilar v. International Coffee & Tea, LLC, Case No. 25STCV00002. It is pending in the Superior Court for Los Angeles County, California. The people that filed this lawsuit are called the “Plaintiffs” (or “Class Representatives”) and the company they sued, International Coffee & Tea, LLC d/b/a The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, is called the “Defendant.”
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This lawsuit alleges that between April and August 2024, there was a targeted cyberattack on International Coffee's computer systems, and that certain files that contained Private Information may have been accessed. These files may have contained personal information such as names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, financial account information, medical information, health insurance information, Passport numbers, taxpayer identification numbers, usernames and passwords, payment card information, and digital/electronic signatures.
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In a class action, one or more individuals sue on behalf of other people with similar claims. These individuals are called the “Plaintiffs” or “Class Representatives.” Together, the people included in the class action are called a “Class” or “Class Members.” One court resolves the lawsuit for all Class Members, except for those who opt out from the settlement. In this proposed Settlement, the Class Representatives are Jazmin Aguilar; Israel Roca Pina; and Elizabeth Cervantes. Everyone included in this Action are the Settlement Class Members.
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The Court did not decide whether the Plaintiffs or the Defendant are right. Both sides have agreed to a Settlement to avoid the costs and risks of a trial, and to allow the Settlement Class Members to receive benefits from the Settlement. The Plaintiffs and their attorneys think the Settlement is best for all Settlement Class Members.
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The Court has defined the Settlement Class this way: “All approximately 53,901 individuals residing in the United States who were allegedly potentially impacted by the Data Security Incident.”
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Yes. Excluded from the Class are: (1) the Judge(s) presiding over the Action and members of their immediate families and their staff; (2) International Coffee and its subsidiaries, parent companies, successors, predecessors, and any Entity in which International Coffee has a controlling interest; (3) natural persons who properly execute and submit a request to opt out prior to the expiration of the Opt Out Period; and (4) the successors or assigns of any such excluded natural person.
If you are not sure whether you are a Settlement Class Member, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:
International Coffee Data Security Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
info@InternationalCoffeeSettlement.com
Call toll-free, 24/7: (833) 296-0718
You may also view the Settlement Agreement here.
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International Coffee will establish a Settlement Fund of $900,000.00 and implement or continue the implementation of enhancements to data security with a preliminary cost of $420,000.00 and which will be paid for by International Coffee separate and apart from the Settlement Fund. The Settlement Fund will first be used to pay court-approved attorneys’ fees (totaling $439,956.00) and litigation costs (totaling $16,788.24), Service Award payments for the Plaintiffs (totaling $7,500.00), and the costs of administering the Settlement and providing the one year of CyEx Financial Shield Complete (totaling $75,000.00). The net remaining money will be used to pay for the benefits described below with the exception of the Business Practice Enhancements of $420,000.00, which will be paid by International Coffee separate and apart from the Settlement Fund.
All Settlement Class Members may enroll in Credit Monitoring Services and claim one or more cash payment options. The benefits are explained in more detail below.
Credit Monitoring Services. All Settlement Class Members are eligible to enroll in one year of CyEx Financial Shield Complete. Enrollment codes have been sent to all Settlement Class Members by postcard. If you no longer have your enrollment code, please contact the Administrator.
This comprehensive service comes with $1 million of financial fraud insurance, and includes monitoring for:
fraud or identity theft
unauthorized financial transactions
personal information associated with high-risk transactions
If anything suspicious happens, you will be able to talk to a fraud resolution agent to help fix any problems.
Cash Payments. Settlement Class Members who have documented losses may claim a Documented Loss Payment. Alternatively, Settlement Class Members may claim a one-time payment from Alternative Cash Payment. California residents may also claim an additional payment from California Resident Cash Payment, which will be calculated as three times the Alternative Cash Payment. You may claim one or more of the payments from these options.
Documented Loss Payment. If you incurred actual, documented out-of-pocket losses due to the Data Security Incident, you can get back up to $5,000.00. The losses must have occurred between April 5, 2024, and February 10, 2027.
This benefit covers out-of-pocket expenses like:
losses because of identity theft or fraud
fees for credit reports, credit monitoring, or freezing and unfreezing your credit
cost to replace your IDs
postage to contact banks by mail
You need to send proof, like receipts, to show how much you spent or lost. Your personal certifications, declarations, or affidavits do not constitute reasonable documentation to make a valid claim, but you may include that to provide clarification, context, or support for other submitted reasonable documentation showing that your expenses were because of the Data Security Incident.
You cannot claim a payment for expenses that have already been reimbursed by a third party.
Alternative Cash Payment. Instead of Documented Loss Payment, you may claim a one-time cash payment. This payment is expected to be $25.00 but may be larger or smaller depending on the total claims filed. You do not have to provide any proof or explanation to claim this payment.
California Resident Cash Payment. Settlement Class Members who are residents of California may claim a one-time cash payment in addition to all other available cash benefits. The cash payment is calculated as three times that of the Alternative Cash Payment and is estimated to be $75.00, but may be larger or smaller, depending on the total claims filed.
Settlement Class Members will have to provide proof of California residency during the claims period. A sworn attestation shall satisfy the proof requirement for California residency.
Business Practice Enhancements. All Settlement Class Members will receive the benefit of the $420,000.00 in enhanced data security measures implemented, or that have been implemented and will continue to be implemented, by International Coffee as a result of the Settlement. This prospective relief will benefit all Class Members, regardless as to whether they make a claim, and is intended for the continued protection of the Private Information that remains in International Coffee’s possession going forward. The costs of these measures will be borne by International Coffee separate and apart from the Settlement Fund.
Residual Funds. While the Settlement Fund is designed to be exhausted and paid out pro rata to all Settlement Class Members who submit a claim, in the event it becomes economically infeasible to redistribute residual funds, such funds will be distributed to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that promotes non-partisan digital privacy efforts.
If you have questions about these benefits, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:
International Coffee Data Security Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
info@InternationalCoffeeSettlement.com
Call toll-free, 24/7: (833) 296-0718
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If you stay in the Settlement Class, you won’t be able to be part of any other lawsuit against International Coffee about the issues that this Settlement covers. The “Releases” section of the Settlement Agreement (Section 4) describes the legal claims that you give up if you remain in the Settlement Class. The Settlement Agreement is available here.
The Released Claims means any and all claims or causes of action of every kind and description, which accrued during the Release Period, including any causes of action in law, claims in equity, complaints, suits or petitions, and any allegations of wrongdoing, demands for legal, equitable or administrative relief (including, but not limited to, any claims for injunction, rescission, reformation, restitution, disgorgement, constructive trust, declaratory relief, compensatory damages, consequential damages, penalties, exemplary damages, punitive damages, attorneys' fees, costs, interest or expenses)—whether known or unknown—arising from or related to the Data Security Incident in any way.
The Release Period means the period of time from April 5, 2024, until the date the Court grants preliminary approval of the Settlement.
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The fastest way to submit your Claim Form is online here. If you prefer, you can download a printable Claim Form here and mail it to the Settlement Administrator at:
International Coffee Data Security Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
You may also contact the Settlement Administrator to request a Claim Form by telephone, toll-free, (833) 296-0718, by email info@InternationalCoffeeSettlement.com, or by U.S. mail at the address above.
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If you are submitting a Claim Form online here, you must do so by February 10, 2027. If you are downloading a Claim Form here and submitting a claim by U.S. mail, the completed and signed Claim Form, including supporting documentation, must be postmarked no later than February 10, 2027.
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The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on April 15, 2027, at 10:30 a.m. (see Question 18). If the Court approves the Settlement, there may be appeals. We do not know if appeals will be filed, or how long it will take to resolve them if they are filed.
Settlement payments will be distributed if the Court grants final approval, and after any appeals are resolved.
Please be patient.
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Yes, the Court has appointed attorneys John J. Nelson of Milberg, PLLC; A. Brooke Murphy of the Murphy Law Firm; and Kristen Lake Cardoso of Kopelowitz Ostrow P.A., to represent you and other Settlement Class Members (“Class Counsel”).
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You will not be charged for Class Counsels’ services. If you want your own lawyer, you may hire one at your expense.
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Class Counsel will ask the Court to approve up to one-third, or $439,956.00, of the Settlement Consideration (i.e., the $900,000.00 Settlement Fund and the $420,000.00 in Business Practice Enhancements) as reasonable attorneys' fees, plus reimbursement of litigation costs. This amount will be paid from the Settlement Fund. Class Counsel will also ask for Service Award payments of $2,500.00 for each of the Class Representatives. Service Award payments will also be paid from the Settlement Fund.
Class Counsel will also seek reimbursement of litigation expenses in the amount of $16,788.24 and Settlement Administration costs and the costs of providing the CyEx Financial Shield Complete of no more than $75,000.00.
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If you do not want to be part of the Settlement, you must formally exclude yourself from the Settlement. This is called an Opt-Out Request.
If you opt-out, you are telling the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement. You will not be eligible to receive any Settlement benefits if you opt-out. However, you will keep any rights you may have to sue International Coffee on your own about the legal issues in this case.
The deadline to opt out from the Settlement is January 11, 2027.
To be valid, your Opt-Out Request must have the following information:
the name of the Litigation: Aguilar v. International Coffee & Tea, LLC, Case No. 25STCV00002, pending in the Superior Court for Los Angeles County, California;
your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address;
personal signature; and
the words “Opt-Out Request” or a clear and similar statement that you do not want to participate in the Settlement.
You may only exclude yourself—not any other person.
Mail your Request for Exclusion to the Settlement Administrator at:
International Coffee Data Security Incident Settlement
ATTN: Exclusion Request
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Your Opt-Out Request must be postmarked by January 11, 2027.
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If you are a Settlement Class Member and do not like part or all of the Settlement, you can object to it. Objecting means telling the Court your reasons why you think the Court should not approve the Settlement. The Court will consider your views.
You cannot object if you have opted out from the Settlement (see Question 15).
You must provide the following information for the Court to consider your objection:
the name of the Litigation: Aguilar v. International Coffee & Tea, LLC, Case No. 25STCV00002, pending in the Superior Court for Los Angeles County, California;
your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address (if any);
include proof that the Class Member is a member of the Settlement Class (e.g., copy of the Settlement Notice, copy of the original notice of the Data Security Incident);
identify the specific factual and legal grounds for the objection; (d) identify all counsel representing the Class Member, if any;
contain a statement regarding whether the Class Member (or counsel of his or her choosing) intends to appear at the Final Approval Hearing; and
your signature (if you have hired your own lawyer, their signature is not sufficient).
For your objection to be considered, it must meet each of these requirements.
To be considered by the Court, you must send the objection by U.S. Mail to the Settlement Administrator by January 11, 2027. You may also personally appear at the Final Approval Hearing and orally object, subject to Court approval.
Settlement Administrator |
International Coffee Data Security Incident Settlement |
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Objecting is telling the Court that you do not like something about the Settlement. You can object to the Settlement only if you do not opt out from the Settlement. Opting out from the Settlement is stating to the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement. If you opt out of the Settlement, you cannot object to it because the Settlement no longer affects you.
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The Court will hold a final approval on April 15, 2027, at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time, in Department 12 of the Superior Court for Los Angeles County, California, at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. At the Final Approval Hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement. The Court will also decide Class Counsel’s request for an attorneys’ fees and costs award and the request for a Service Award to the Class Representatives. The Court will also consider any timely objections to the Settlement.
If you are a Settlement Class Member, you or your lawyer may ask permission to speak at the hearing at your own cost (see Question 16).
The date and time of this hearing may change without further notice. Please check this website for updates.
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No. Class Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have. You may attend at your own expense if you wish, but you do not have to.
If you file an objection, you do not have to come to the Final Approval Hearing to talk about it; the Court will consider it as long as it was filed on time. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend, but you do not have to.
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If you do nothing, the only benefit you will receive from this Settlement is the benefit of Defendant’s additional data security enhancements and the enrollment code for one year of CyEx Financial Shield Complete. You will also give up the rights described in Question 8.
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The website and the Notice are a summary of the proposed Settlement. The full Settlement Agreement and other related documents are available on the Important Documents page.
If you have additional questions, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:
International Coffee Data Security Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
info@InternationalCoffeeSettlement.com
Call toll-free, 24/7: (833) 296-0718
You can obtain copies of publicly filed documents by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court, 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Do not contact the Court or Clerk of Court regarding this Settlement.
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