Content creators who wrote, edited, or produced video or audio for Valnet between December 21, 2019 and August 3, 2026 while classified as independent contractors with a California home address will be paid automatically from the $2 million Valnet misclassification class action settlement, starting from a $600 base payment plus a share by months worked. There is no claim form.
Current Status
The Los Angeles County Superior Court has preliminarily approved the settlement and will hold the final approval hearing on February 2, 2027, at 10:00 a.m. Payments are automatic, so there is no claim form. Class members who want to opt out, object or challenge the months of work credited to them have to act by the deadline on the notice and the settlement website. Payments come only after final approval; Valnet’s first $1 million installment is due no earlier than February 16, 2027.Free settlement alerts
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What Changed Recently?
The court preliminarily approved the settlement in September 2026, after the parties amended it at the court’s request to cap the named plaintiff’s service award at $7,500, narrow the releases and set the final approval hearing for February 2, 2027. It resolves Quintiliano v. Valnet Inc., et al., Case No. 23STCP04605, filed December 21, 2023, a class and PAGA action alleging that Valnet Inc. and Valnet US Inc. misclassified content creators as independent contractors and so failed to pay minimum and overtime wages, provide meal and rest breaks, reimburse business expenses and issue accurate wage statements under California law. Valnet strongly denies violating any law, and the court has not decided who is right.Who Qualifies?
The class is content creators who submitted or edited written articles, or produced video or audio content, for any Valnet property between December 21, 2019 and August 3, 2026, while they were classified as independent contractors and had given Valnet a California home address for that time. Creators who did that work from January 25, 2023 through August 3, 2026 are also “aggrieved employees” for the PAGA part of the settlement.How Much Can You Get?
Valnet will pay $2,000,000. If the court approves every requested deduction — up to $666,666.66 in attorneys’ fees, up to $35,000 in costs, a service award of up to $7,500, up to $14,100 for administration and $50,000 in PAGA penalties — about $1.23 million remains for the class.Each participating class member is first allocated $600, minus any amount Valnet already paid that person for a release of claims from the class period (someone already paid $600 or more gets nothing from this step). The rest is divided by “Period of Time Worked,” the number of months between a creator’s first and last article, edit or pay date in the class period, rounded up. Separately, $12,500 of the PAGA penalties is shared among aggrieved employees by months worked in the PAGA period; the other $37,500 goes to the state. Each notice states that person’s estimated payment and credited months.
Is Any Proof Required?
No. There is no claim form; payments are calculated from Valnet’s records. A creator who believes the months credited are too low can challenge them by the deadline with copies of pay records or other documents, and the administrator’s decision on a challenge is final.What Is the Deadline?
There is no claim deadline. The settlement website lists December 28, 2026 as the deadline to opt out, object or challenge months worked. Opting out preserves a class member’s own wage claims but forfeits the class payment; the PAGA portion cannot be opted out of, so aggrieved employees who opt out still receive their PAGA share.How Do You Take Action?
Class members who do nothing are paid automatically. Payment goes to the PayPal account Valnet used to pay the creator, or by check to the address on the notice if Valnet has no PayPal account on file; the administrator, Atticus Administration, can change the payment method on request before payments go out. Opt-outs, objections and time-worked challenges are sent to the administrator as described on the official Content Creator Settlement website.What Happens Next?
Judge Timothy P. Dillon will hold the final approval hearing on February 2, 2027, at 10:00 a.m. in Department 15 of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles, with remote attendance available through the court’s LACourtConnect system. If the settlement is approved, Valnet funds $1 million no earlier than February 16, 2027 and the remaining $1 million by July 3, 2027, and the administrator pays class members after the fund is in place. Payments that cannot be delivered go to the California State Controller’s Unclaimed Property Fund in the class member’s name.Sources and Verification
• Official Content Creator Settlement website (Atticus Administration), including the court-approved notice and important dates• Stipulation to Amend Class Action and PAGA Settlement Agreement and Notice of Errata (September 22–23, 2026), Quintiliano v. Valnet Inc., et al., No. 23STCP04605 (L.A. County Super. Ct.)
Questions
Who is in the Valnet content creator settlement?
Content creators who submitted or edited written articles, or produced video or audio content, for any Valnet property between December 21, 2019 and August 3, 2026, while classified as independent contractors and while they had given Valnet a California home address.
Do Valnet content creators need to file a claim?
There is no claim form. Class members who do not opt out are paid automatically, to the PayPal account Valnet used to pay them or by mailed check. The notice explains how to opt out, object or challenge the months of work credited, and the settlement website lists the deadline.
How is each Valnet payment calculated?
Each participating class member is first allocated $600 minus any payment Valnet already made for a release of the same claims, and the rest of the net fund is divided by months worked during the class period. Creators who worked from January 25, 2023 on also share $12,500 in PAGA payments by months worked. Each notice states the estimate for that person.
When will Valnet settlement payments be made?
Not before final approval. The court holds the final approval hearing on February 2, 2027. Valnet's first $1 million payment into the fund is due no earlier than February 16, 2027, and the second $1 million by July 3, 2027.
