Bellifemine v. sanofi-aventis Discrimination Litigation

In March of 2006, Karen Bellifemine, a current employee of sanofi-aventis filed a charge of discrimination against sanofi-aventis with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (the "EEOC"), and the New York Division of Human Rights. On March 17, 2007, Plaintiffs Karen Bellifemine, Amy Zeoli, Michelle Popa, Nancy Beaney and Jennifer Storm ("Named Plaintiffs" or "Class Representatives") filed a complaint with class action allegations against sanofi-aventis in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

After the parties engaged in extensive litigation for more than two years, the parties agreed to a mediation to explore possible resolution of this matter. Under the supervision of a nationally known and experienced mediator, the Parties engaged in settlement negotiations that resulted in the agreement to settle this action as reflected in this Notice of Class Action Settlement and the underlying Settlement Agreement. Because of the extensive discovery conducted between the parties during litigation and the mediation process, the parties were able to reliably assess the merits of their respective positions and to reach a fair and equitable agreement.

Based upon their investigation, Class Counsel and Named Plaintiffs have concluded that the terms of the proposed settlement are fair, reasonable, adequate, and in the best interests of the Class. In reaching this conclusion, Class Counsel has analyzed the benefits of the settlement and the risk of an unfavorable outcome, as well as the expense and length of continued proceedings necessary to prosecute this action. Sanofi-aventis has agreed to these settlement terms because it wishes to avoid further costly, disruptive, and time-consuming litigation, and desires to obtain complete and final settlement of the claims of the Plaintiffs and Class Members.

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