Lubin v. Starbucks COBRA Notice Settlement: How to Claim

Who is covered by this proposed settlement?

• You may be included if you were not subject to Starbucks’ Arbitration Agreement; were a U.S. participant or beneficiary in the specified Starbucks welfare, health, or vision plans; received a COBRA notice after a qualifying event between July 21, 2016 and January 1, 2023; and did not elect continuation coverage.
• Starbucks’ records decide class membership. Receiving the mailed notice means its records indicate that you may be a class member, not that payment is guaranteed.

A payment requires a timely, valid claim. The notice provides a mail-in claim process.

• Complete a claim form and mail it to the Settlement Administrator.
• Your claim form must be postmarked by December 2, 2026.
• Mail it to: Lubin v. Starbucks Corp, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 23309, Jacksonville, FL 32241-3309.

What proof do I need with my claim?

• The notice requires a completed claim form that is timely and valid.
• It does not say whether you must include supporting documents or explain what will make a claim valid. The notice itself therefore does not provide a document checklist.

How much could my payment be?

• The gross settlement is $325,000, but Settlement Administrator costs approved by the Court are deducted first.
• The remaining Net Settlement Fund is divided among people who submit valid, timely claims. There is no fixed payment amount.
• The notice estimates about $30 per claimant if 25% of the class submits claims, or about $74 per claimant if 10% submits claims. Those are estimates, not promises.

What happens if I do nothing?

• You will not receive a payment.
• If the Court approves the settlement and you do not opt out, you will still be bound by the settlement and release the covered COBRA-notice claims.

How do I opt out, and what does that change?

• Opting out means leaving the settlement. You will not receive settlement money, but you will not be bound by the settlement’s release and may keep any individual claims you have.
• Send a written request by first-class U.S. Mail, postmarked by December 2, 2026. It must identify the case, provide the requested contact information, and include your personal signature.
• Send it to Lubin v. Starbucks Corporation, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 23309, Jacksonville, FL 32241-3309.

How can I object to the settlement?

• You can object only if you stay in the settlement class; a person who opts out cannot object.
• File a written objection with the Court by December 2, 2026, and mail a copy to the Settlement Administrator by that date.
• Your objection must give the case name and number, explain your specific reasons, say whether it concerns only you or part or all of the class, provide the requested contact information, state whether you plan to speak at the hearing, and include the required signature or signatures.

When is the court hearing, and do I need to attend?

• The Final Approval Hearing is scheduled for January 6, 2027, at 11:00 a.m., in Courtroom 13A at the U.S. Federal Building and Courthouse, 801 N Florida Ave, Tampa, Florida.
• You do not have to attend. If you want to ask to speak, say that in your written objection.
• The Court may postpone the hearing or hold it by telephone or Zoom.

When would checks be sent?

• There is no guaranteed payment date.
• Checks are to be mailed within 30 days after the Settlement Account is funded, but only after final Court approval and after any appeals or objections are resolved.

What if I do not cash my check?

• You have 60 days from the date printed on your check to cash it.
• Money left after that will not return to Starbucks. The Settlement Administrator will send the remaining balance as a cy pres award to Bay Area Legal Services, or another recipient approved by the Court. A cy pres award sends unclaimed settlement money to an organization rather than to individual class members.

What claims am I giving up if I stay in the settlement?

• If you remain in the settlement, final approval will release claims that were or could have been brought in this case concerning the COBRA notice sent to you.
• The release covers Starbucks, its relevant third-party COBRA administrator and notice providers, including Alight Solutions, and the related people and entities described in the notice.
• Opting out by the deadline is the way to avoid being bound by this release.

Do the lawyers’ fees reduce the settlement fund?

• Starbucks agreed to pay Class Counsel $450,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs if the Court approves that request.
• According to the notice, those fees and costs are paid separately by Starbucks and do not reduce the $325,000 Gross Settlement.