Scott Cole & Associates

Scott Cole & Associates is a California-based law firm. It was founded in 1992 by Scott E. Cole. The firm is best known for employment and consumer class action litigation and has represented employees of major companies such as Coca-Cola and Unocal Corporation and consumers of the Apple iPad.

History

Scott Cole & Associates was founded in Alameda, California as the "Law Offices of Scott Edward Cole" in 1992. The firm started its practice with workplace discrimination cases and other employee litigation. In 1994, Scott Cole & Associates represented more than 1,000 employees and residents near the Unocal plant in San Francisco, California in a case against Unocal Corporation for the airborne release of more than 100 tons of toxic substances. A settlement was reached in 1997 to pay $80 million to the plaintiffs. In 1998, the firm started working on class action litigation after changing its name to Scott Cole & Associates APC and moved its headquarters to Oakland, California. The firm was recognized in 2010 by the Alameda County Green Business Program as a "Certified Green Business."

Notable cases

Scott Cole & Associates has received national media attention for a number of its employment and class action lawsuits.

In 2005, Scott Cole & Associates represented more than 1,000 Rite Aid managers that were denied overtime pay and meals, which resulted in a $6.9 million settlement. The firm represented UPS delivery employees in 2007 after the company violated state labor laws, which ended in a settlement of $87 million. Scott Cole & Associates also brought a class action suit against Coca-Cola in 2007 for employment overtime violations, ending with a settlement of $14 million.

In 2010, Scott Cole & Associates filed a lawsuit against Apple on behalf of consumers of the iPad after complaints of outdoor functionality issues. In 2014, the firm filed a class action lawsuit against Whole Foods Market for allegedly using synthetic ingredients in baked goods labeled as "all-natural." The firm also brought a lawsuit against Hobby Lobby for wage-and-hour violations of its employees, which the company attempted to sanction.