1. Why was notice issued?
2. What is a class action?
3. What is this lawsuit about?
4. Why is there a settlement?
5. Who is included in the Settlement?
6. Are there exceptions to being included?
7. What does the Settlement provide?
8. What claims am I releasing if I stay in the Class?
9. How do I submit a claim for a Settlement benefit?
10. Are there any important Settlement payment deadlines?
11. When will the Settlement benefits be issued?
12. Do I have a lawyer in the case?
13. Should I get my own lawyer?
14. How will Class Counsel be paid?
15. How do I opt out of the Settlement?
16. How do I tell the Court if I like or do not like the Settlement?
17. What is the difference between objecting and excluding?
18. When is the Court’s Final Approval Hearing?
19. Do I have to come to the Final Approval Hearing?
20. What happens if I do nothing at all?
22. How do I get more information?
The Circuit Court of Lasalle County, Illinois, County Department, Chancery Division 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 captioned Kis v. Cognism, Inc., Case No. 2025CH000017 pending in the Circuit Court of Lasalle County, Illinois, County Department, Chancery DivisionThe people that filed this lawsuit are called the “Plaintiffs” (or “Class Representatives”) and the entity they sued, Cognism, Inc., is called the “Defendant.”
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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 Nicholas Kis, Kate Hoffower, Rashad Debose, Tammy McAlpine Brown, Reid Cooper, Anibal Osuna, and Leslie Bowar, and everyone included in this Action are the Class Members.
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This lawsuit alleges that the way Cognism displayed individual contact information to free trial users violated certain privacy laws in Alabama, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, Ohio, and South Dakota.
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Cognism denies that it did anything wrong, and 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. Plaintiffs and their attorneys think the Settlement is best for all Class Members.
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The court has defined the Class as:
all residents of Alabama, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, Ohio, or South Dakota; and
who are not registered users of Cognism.com; and
whose contact profiles were viewed by a free trial user on Cognism.com during the relevant time period.
The relevant time period is specific to each state:
Alabama: any time between September 20, 2020, and March 11, 2025
California: any time between September 20, 2020, and March 11, 2025
Illinois: any time between September 20, 2021, and March 11, 2025
Indiana: any time between September 20, 2020, and March 11, 2025
Nevada: any time between September 20, 2018, and March 11, 2025
Ohio: any time between September 20, 2018, and March 11, 2025
South Dakota: any time between September 20, 2019, and March 11, 2025
If you received notice from the Settlement Administrator, then Cognism’s records indicate that you are part of the Class.
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Yes. Excluded from the Class are: (1) any judge presiding over this case or their families; (2) Cognism and related companies, and (3) anyone who validly excludes themselves from the Settlement.
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:
Cognism Right of Publicity Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 9279
(844) 496-0993
info@CognismSettlement.com
You may also view the Settlement Agreement here.
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Cognism has agreed to pay out the valid and timely claims made under the Settlement. The payment amount is state specific:
Alabama: $150.00
California: $22.50
Illinois: $30.00
Indiana: $30.00
Nevada: $22.50
Ohio: $75.00
South Dakota: $30.00
Additionally, Cognism will separately pay attorneys’ fees and costs of up to $525,000.00 and Plaintiff service awards up to $2,500.00 each.
If you have questions about these benefits, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:
Cognism Right of Publicity Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 9279
(844) 496-0993
info@CognismSettlement.com
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Unless you opt out of the Settlement, you won’t be able to sue, continue to sue, or be part of any other lawsuit against Cognism about any of the legal claims this Settlement resolves. Paragraphs 77 – 80 of the Settlement Agreement provide a detailed explanation of the legal claims that you give up if you remain in the Class. The Settlement Agreement is available here.
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The fastest way to submit your Claim Form is online submit a claim. If you prefer, you can download a printable Claim Form here and mail it to the Settlement Administrator at:
Cognism Right of Publicity Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799
You may also contact the Settlement Administrator to request a Claim Form by telephone, toll free, (844) 496-0993, by email info@CognismSettlement.com, or by U.S. mail at the address above.
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If you are submitting a Claim Form online, you must do so by December 10, 2025. If you are submitting a claim by U.S. mail, the completed and signed Claim Form must be postmarked no later than December 10, 2025.
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The Court will hold a final approval hearing on December 9, 2025 (see FAQ 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.
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Yes, the Court has appointed attorneys from Strauss Borrelli PLLC, the Law Office of Benjamin Osborn PLLC, and Morgan & Morgan, to represent you and other Class Members (“Class Counsel”).
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You will not be charged for Class Counsel’s services. If you want your own lawyer, you may hire one at your expense.
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Class Counsel will ask the court to approve attorneys’ fees and costs up to $525,000.00, which will be paid by Cognism. Class Counsel will also ask for Service Awards of $2,500.00 for each of the Class Representatives. Service Awards will also be paid by Cognism. These payments will not affect payments to Class Members.
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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 a Settlement payment, but you will keep any rights you may have to sue Cognism 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 November 10, 2025.
To be valid, your Request for Exclusion must have the following information:
the name of the Action: Kis v. Cognism, Inc., Case No. 2025CH000017 pending in the Circuit Court of Lasalle County, Illinois, County Department, Chancery Division
your full name and current mailing address;
personal signature; and
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:
Cognism Right of Publicity Settlement
ATTN: Exclusion Request
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799
Your Request for Exclusion must be postmarked by November 10, 2025.
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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 the reasons 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 FAQ 15)
You must provide the following information for the Court to consider your objection:
the name of the Action: Kis v. Cognism, Inc., Case No. 2025CH000017 pending in the Circuit Court of Lasalle County, Illinois, County Department, Chancery Division;
your full name and current mailing address;
a clear description of all the reasons you object; include any legal support you may have for your objection;
if you have hired your own lawyer to represent you at the Final Approval Hearing, provide their name and contact information;
whether or not you or your lawyer would like to speak at the Final Approval Hearing;
proof that you are a class member (such as a copy of the notice your originally received);
your signature (or, if you have hired your own lawyer, your lawyer’s signature).
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 November 10, 2025.
You must send your objection to both the Court and the Settlement Administrator at the addresses below:
Court | Settlement Administrator |
The Circuit Court of LaSalle County | Cognism Right of Publicity Settlement |
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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.
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The Court will hold a final approval hearing on December 9, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. Central Time, by Zoom. (Zoom ID: 980 7529 3379 Password: &P=Y0+gyf)
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 Awards to the Class Representatives who brought this Action on behalf of the Class. 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 FAQ 16).
The date and time of this hearing may change without further notice. Please check this website for updates.
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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.
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If you do nothing, you will not receive a benefit from this Settlement. You will also give up the rights described in FAQ 8.
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This Website and the Notice is 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:
Cognism Right of Publicity Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 9279
(844) 496-0993
info@CognismSettlement.com
You can obtain copies of publicly filed documents by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court, 707 East Etna Road, Ottawa, IL 61350.
Do not contact the Court or Clerk of Court regarding this Settlement.
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