Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why was the Notice issued?

The 2nd District Court of Denver, Colorado, 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 Freeman, et al. v. Sherr Puttmann Akins Lamb PC, Case No. 2024CV33283. It is pending in the 2nd District Court of Denver, Colorado. The people that filed this lawsuit are called the “Plaintiffs” (or “Class Representatives”) and the company they sued, Sherr Puttmann Akins Lamb PC, is called the “Defendant.”

2. What is this lawsuit about?

This lawsuit alleges that during the August 2024 targeted cyberattack on SPAL's computer systems, 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; state-issued identification (such as driver's license or non-driver ID); financial account information; and health information.

3. What is a class action?

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 Settlement, the Class Representatives are Stephanie Freeman, Ryan Reddy, and Holly Cook. Everyone included in this Action are the Class Members.

4. Why is there a settlement?

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 Class Members to receive benefits from the Settlement. The Plaintiffs and their attorneys think the Settlement is best for all Class Members.

5. Who is included in the Settlement?

The Court has defined the Class this way: “All persons whose Private Information was potentially compromised as a result of the Data Security Incident which occurred in or around August 2024.”

6. Are there exceptions to being included?

Yes. Excluded from the Class are: (1) SPAL and its officers, directors, and related companies; (2) anyone who validly excludes themselves from the Settlement; (3) the Judge in this case, and the Judge’s family and staff; and (4) anyone who perpetrated the Data Security Incident.

If you are not sure whether you are a Class Member, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:

SPAL Data Security Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Email: info@SPALDataIncident.com
Call Toll-Free: (833) 360-6888

You may also view the Settlement Agreement here.

7. What does the Settlement provide?

SPAL will establish a Settlement Fund of $455,000.00. The Settlement Fund will first be used to pay court-approved attorneys’ fees and costs, Service Award payments for the Plaintiffs, and the costs of administering the Settlement. The net remaining money will be used to pay for the benefits described below.

Credit Monitoring. All Class Members are eligible to claim two years of CyEx Identity Defense Complete. This comprehensive service comes with $1 million in identity theft insurance, and includes:

• real time monitoring of your credit file

• dark web scanning

• comprehensive public records monitoring

If anything suspicious happens, you will be able to talk to a fraud resolution agent to help fix any problems.

Ordinary Losses (out-of-pocket expenses). If you incurred actual, documented out-of-pocket expenses due to the Data Security Incident, you can get back up to $100.00. The losses must have occurred between August 10, 2024, and December 28, 2026.

This benefit covers out-of-pocket expenses like:

• 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. You can also send notes or papers you made yourself to explain or support other proof, but those notes or papers alone are not enough to make a valid claim. Your proof or notes should show 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.

Extraordinary Losses (losses due to identity theft or fraud). If you lost money because of identity theft or fraud, you can get back up to $900.00.

You will need to show that:

• the theft or fraud was probably caused by the Data Security Incident

• the losses are not already covered by Ordinary Losses

• you tried to prevent the loss or get your money back, such as by using insurance you already have

The losses must have occurred between August 10, 2024, and December 28, 2026.

You need to send proof, like receipts, to show how much you spent or lost. You can also send notes or papers you made yourself to explain or support other proof, but those notes or papers alone are not enough to make a valid claim. Your proof or notes should show 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.

Lost Time. Class Members who spent time responding to the Data Security Incident may claim up to four hours, at $15.00 per hour, for a maximum of $60.00. The amount you claim will count toward the $100.00 Ordinary Losses cap.

You must have spent the time on tasks related to the Data Security Incident. Some examples include things like:

• changing your passwords

• investigating suspicious activity in your accounts

• researching the Data Security Incident

You must briefly describe how you spent this time.

Alternative Cash Payment. Instead of any of the other benefits explained above, you may claim a one-time cash payment of up to $50.00. You do not have to provide any proof or explanation to claim this payment.

The actual amount of the payment will depend on how much money is left after all other claims, costs, and expenses are paid out.

If you have questions about these benefits, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:

SPAL Data Security Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Email: info@SPALDataIncident.com
Call Toll-free: (833) 360-6888

8. What claims am I releasing if I stay in the Class?

If you stay in the class, you won’t be able to be part of any other lawsuit against SPAL about the issues that this Settlement covers. The “Releases” section of the Settlement Agreement (Section XII) describes the legal claims that you give up if you remain in the Class. The Settlement Agreement is available here.

9. How do I submit a claim for a Settlement benefit?

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:

SPAL 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) 360-6888, by email info@SPALDataIncident.com, or by U.S. mail at the address above.

10. Are there any important Settlement payment deadlines?

If you are submitting a Claim Form online here, you must do so by December 28, 2026. 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 December 28, 2026.

11. When will the Settlement benefits be issued?

The Court will hold a final approval hearing on February 5, 2027 (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.

12. Do I have a lawyer in the case?

Yes, the Court has appointed attorneys Todd Garber of Finkelstein, Blankinship, Frei-Pearson & Garber, LLP; and Bradley A. Levin, Jeremy A. Sitcoff, and Robyn Levin of Levin Sitcoff PC, to represent you and other Class Members (“Class Counsel”).

13. Should I get my own lawyer?

You will not be charged for Class Counsel’s services. If you want your own lawyer, you may hire one at your expense.

14. How will Class Counsel be paid?

Class Counsel will ask the Court to approve $145,600.00 as reasonable attorneys' fees and 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.

15. How do I opt out of the Settlement?

If you do not want to be part of the Settlement, you must formally exclude yourself from the Settlement. This is called a Request for Exclusion and is sometimes also called “opting out.” If you opt out, you will not receive Settlement benefits or payment. However, you will keep any rights you may have to sue SPAL on your own about the legal issues in this case.

If you exclude yourself, 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 exclude yourself.

The deadline to exclude yourself from the Settlement is December 28, 2026.

To be valid, your Request for Exclusion must have the following information:

1. the name of the Litigation: Freeman, et al. v. Sherr Puttmann Akins Lamb PC, Case No. 2024CV33283, pending in the 2nd District Court of Denver, Colorado;

2. your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address;

3. personal signature; and

4. the words “Request for Exclusion” 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:

SPAL Data Security Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958

Your Request for Exclusion must be postmarked or emailed by December 28, 2026.

16. How do I tell the Court if I like or do not like the Settlement?

If you are a Class Member and do not like part or all of the Settlement, you can object to it. Objecting means telling the Court your reasons for why you think the Court should not approve the Settlement. The Court will consider your views.

You cannot object if you have excluded yourself from the Settlement (see Question 15).

You must provide the following information for the Court to consider your objection:

1. the name of the Litigation: Freeman, et al. v. Sherr Puttmann Akins Lamb PC, Case No. 2024CV33283, pending in the 2nd District Court of Denver, Colorado;

2. your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address;

3. whether the objection applies only to you, or to other Class Members, as well;

4. a clear description of all the reasons you object; include any legal support, such as documents, you may have for your objection;

5. if you have hired your own lawyer to represent you for this objection, provide their name, bar number, and contact information;

6. if you, your lawyer, or your lawyer’s firm have objected in any other cases in the past five years, list the names, courts, the orders ruling on your objections, and civil action numbers for each of those cases;

7. whether or not you or your lawyer would like to speak at the Final Approval Hearing;

8. if you plan on calling witnesses or submitting documents at the Final Approval Hearing, provide a full list of both;

9. your signature (if you have hired your own lawyer, their signature is not sufficient).

For your objection to be valid, it must meet each of these requirements.

To be considered by the Court, you must file your complete objection with the Clerk of Court by December 28, 2026. You must also send a copy of the objection to the Settlement Administrator, Class Counsel, and counsel for Defendants.

17. What is the difference between objecting and excluding?

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 exclude yourself from the Settlement. Excluding yourself from the Settlement is opting out and 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.

18. When is the Court’s Final Approval Hearing?

The Court will hold a final approval on February 5, 2027, at 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time, in Courtroom 215 of the 2nd District Court of Denver, Colorado, at 1437 Bannock St, Denver, CO 80202. At the Final Approval Hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement. The Court will also decide how Class Counsel should be paid, and whether to award Service Award payments to the Class Representatives. The Court will also consider any objections to the Settlement.

If you are a 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.

19. Do I have to come to the Final Approval Hearing?

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.

20. What happens if I do nothing at all?

If you do nothing, you will not receive a benefit from this Settlement. You will also give up the rights described in Question 8.

21. How do I get more information?

This 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:

SPAL Data Security Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Email: info@SPALDataIncident.com
Call Toll-Free: (833) 360-6888

You can obtain copies of publicly filed documents by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court, 1437 Bannock Street, Courtroom 215, Denver, CO 80202

Do not contact the Court or Clerk of Court regarding this Settlement.