Judge Clears Way for Trial in Silicon Valley Wage Case

US District Judge Lucy Koh denied efforts by Apple, Google, Adobe, and Intel to avoid trial on claims that they suppressed wages by agreeing not to hire one another’s employees.

The ruling clears the way for a trial scheduled to begin May 27 that could affect 64,000 people who worked at the four Silicon Valley companies between 2005 and 2009. The companies had asked Judge Koh to rule in their favor without a trial, but the judge said there was sufficient evidence to move ahead. “These agreements were negotiated by a small group of intertwining high-level executives” who also were “involved in strictly enforcing the agreements,” Judge Koh wrote.