Apple, Google And Others Won’t Face Class Action In Poaching Case

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Judge Lucy Koh recently denied the request for a class action certification in a particular lawsuit which accused tech companies like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) of not conspiring to poach each other’s employees.

Apple, Google And Others Won't Face Class Action In Poaching Case

Despite Koh’s initial decision, she has made it clear that she could revisit the case sometime in the future. Koh couldn’t make an official decision as there wasn’t a whole lot of evidence for employees to claim they were victims of one of the companies. She also reported that there were some important pieces of evidence against such companies and she was just passing time for the plaintiffs to prep for another class action certification.

Last January, Tim Cook, chief executive officer for Apple, had to testify during the hearing regarding the period, Cook served as a COO for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). Koh was dismissed his arguments and explained that he had no knowledge of the agreements. However, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Intel executives Eric Schmidt and Paul Otellini were required to answer questions.

Interestingly enough, there is a lot of valuable information about the companies and their hiring policies. One of those notable findings include an email sent by Steve Jobs, late CEO and co-founder, who sent Schmidt an email six years ago requesting that Google stops taking their employees.

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) can rest for now, but if Koh’s prediction is right, it won’t be long before both companies have to save face. The other companies involved in this case include Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar.

In a market that’s keen on competition, it’s crucial that companies make the efforts to keep their top employees. Whether it’s offering more benefits or increasing pay, most educated professionals are quick to change jobs if it benefits them.

At press time, there is no word on when or if the case will reach class certification.

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