Wal-Mart Case in Massachusetts Raises Accusations of Collusion

When is a proposed settlement between class action plaintiffs lawyers and a defendant company collusive and unfair to the class? That's the question a Massachusetts judge faces at a Wednesday hearing in an eight-year-old wage-and-hour class action against Wal-Mart that has pitted warring groups of plaintiffs lawyers against each other. One side claims the other tried to strike a collusive deal with Wal-Mart; the other side denies the accusation and asserts it's won an excellent settlement proposal.