In September 2025, Susman Godfrey, serving as co-lead counsel alongside Boies Schiller and Morgan & Morgan, won a $425 million jury verdict for a class of millions of Plaintiffs who allege that Google collects users’ Internet and application activity even when users turn Google’s “Web & App Activity” button off.
After a nearly three-week trial, the jury deliberated for 10 hours over two days before reaching its verdict in a matter regarding allegations that Google unlawfully saved and used information about consumers’ activities on third-party apps, even though the users opted out of tracking.
“We are thrilled, after several years of hard-fought litigation, to bring justice to the class of plaintiffs who have long been taken advantage of,” said Bill Carmody, who served as co-lead trial counsel.
Susman Godfrey’s clients represent nationwide classes of device users who swiped on a “supplemental Web & App Activity” — or sWAA — privacy option offered by Google related to third-party app use.
This win comes at the end of a long line of successes in this multi-year case. In 2021 the Susman Godfrey team defeated Google’s motion to dismiss before Chief Judge Richard Seeborg, who issued a significant order finding that Google’s “public-facing statements” on privacy “are legitimately confusing.” In 2024, Judge Seeborg granted class certification to the millions of mobile app users, rejecting the tech giant’s argument that the plaintiffs’ privacy intrusion claims are “inherently personal” and inappropriate for class treatment. In 2025, Judge Seeborg rejected Google’s bid for summary judgment, forcing the tech giant to face a trial.
Co-lead counsel on the matter, partner Amanda Bonn added, “This decision sends a clear message to Google and all companies like it – your responsibility to the people is more important that your bottom line. “
Carmody and Bonn were joined by co-lead counsel partner Shawn Rabin. Partner Steven Shepard and associates Alexander Frawley and Ryan Sila completed the trial team.
The case is Rodriguez et al. v. Google LLC et al. (3:20-cv-04688, N.D. California)
