Claims are open. A mailed paper claim must be postmarked by September 29, 2026; the electronic claim form on the settlement website accepts claims until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 8, 2026. The final approval hearing is set for October 29, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., no final approval order exists yet, and no payment date has been announced. Anyone who qualifies and has not filed should file now, with brokerage records ready.
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Status
Claims Open
Claim Deadline
October 8, 2026
Online by 11:59 p.m. ET · mailed claims postmarked by September 29, 2026
Estimated Payout
About $0.09 per ADS
Average before fees · about $0.059 after · actual amount is pro rata, capped at $0.82 Recognized Loss per ADS
Proof Required
Yes
Brokerage records for TAL ADS holdings and trades from January 13, 2022 through June 12, 2023
TAL Education Group agreed to pay $14,100,000, plus interest as it accrues, to resolve Lewandowski v. TAL Education Group, No. 2:23-cv-01769 (JRA), in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The parties signed the stipulation of settlement on February 13, 2026, and the court-authorized notice to investors is dated April 28, 2026. The claim window has been open since then.
The lawsuit alleges that TAL made false and misleading statements to investors about whether its tutoring programs complied with the Double Reduction — Chinese government rules that, among other things, barred for-profit companies from offering after-school tutoring in academic subjects. Plaintiffs allege the ADS price was artificially inflated during the class period and fell when the truth allegedly came out. TAL and the individual defendants who were dismissed earlier in the case deny all allegations of wrongdoing, fault, liability or damage, and the Court did not decide the case in either side's favor.
The settlement class covers everyone who purchased or otherwise acquired publicly traded TAL American Depositary Shares from January 14, 2022 through March 14, 2023, both dates inclusive, and held those ADSs until at least March 14, 2023. That holding requirement is the part most likely to rule someone out: an investor who bought during the class period but sold everything on or before March 13, 2023 is not covered.
Excluded are the defendants; the officers and directors of TAL and its subsidiaries; the family members, heirs, assigns and legal representatives of any of them; entities they control; U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz and U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte, their current or former chambers staff and their family members; and anyone who submits a valid, timely request for exclusion.
A Chinese-language version of the notice and claim form is posted on the settlement website.
The notice estimates the settlement at about $0.09 per damaged ADS, based on the plaintiffs' estimate of 156.3 million damaged ADSs. After the attorneys' fees, expenses and plaintiff reimbursements described below — estimated at no more than about $0.031 per ADS combined — the average falls to roughly $0.059 per damaged ADS. Both figures are averages, not a per-claimant promise: each authorized claimant receives a pro rata share of the net fund based on their own Recognized Loss compared with the total Recognized Losses of everyone who files a valid claim.
Lead Counsel will ask the Court for attorneys' fees of up to one-third of the fund ($4,700,000) plus interest, litigation expenses of no more than $180,000, and reimbursement of the plaintiffs' costs tied to representing the class of no more than $8,000 in total. Notice and administration costs and any taxes on interest also come out of the fund. The Court may award less and has not ruled.
Recognized Loss for an ADS bought during the class period is calculated this way, and every branch is capped at $0.82 per ADS:
- Sold on or before March 13, 2023 — $0.00
- Sold on March 14, 2023 — the lesser of $0.82 or the purchase price minus the sale price
- Sold March 15 through June 12, 2023 — the lesser of $0.82 or the purchase price minus the running average closing price on the sale date, which the notice lists day by day
- Still held at the close of trading on June 12, 2023 — the lesser of $0.82 or the purchase price minus $6.00
As an illustration only: an ADS bought for $6.50 and still held on June 12, 2023 would count for $0.50 — the lesser of $0.82 and $6.50 minus $6.00. That is a weighting used to divide the fund, not the payment.
Other rules in the Plan of Allocation: ADSs originally bought before January 14, 2022 count for $0; sales are matched first-in, first-out, starting with ADSs held at the close on January 13, 2022; the covering purchase of a short sale is not eligible; ADSs acquired by exercising, converting or exchanging non-publicly traded securities are not eligible, while ADSs bought through the exercise of a publicly traded option are treated like other purchases; and ADSs received by gift or inheritance use the original buyer's purchase date and price. No payment is issued to anyone whose share would come to less than $10.00. Payments are made by check.
No Claim ID, PIN or notice code is needed to start a claim, and individual filers do not have to contact the administrator before using the online form. The claim does require documentation.
The Proof of Claim and Release Form asks for the number of TAL ADSs held at the close of trading on January 13, 2022; every purchase or acquisition from January 14, 2022 through June 12, 2023; every sale over that same span; and the number of ADSs held at the close on June 12, 2023. Every one of those entries must be documented with broker confirmation slips, brokerage statements or equivalent records, and the form says a claim without official documents of the purchases and sales will be rejected. Claimants who no longer have the records need to request copies from their broker.
The form also asks for the beneficial owner's contact details and full Social Security number or taxpayer identification number, and it is signed under penalty of perjury. Anyone filing for someone else — an executor, administrator or trustee — must include evidence of their authority.
October 8, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, for claims submitted electronically on the settlement website. This settlement sets two claim deadlines: mailed paper claims must be postmarked by September 29, 2026, nine days before the online deadline. After September 29, online filing is the only route.
Requests for exclusion close on two dates depending on how they are sent: a mailed request must be received by October 8, 2026, and an emailed request must arrive by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 15, 2026, by email as the notice explains. Either way the request must list every class-period transaction, include documentary proof of the trades and of beneficial ownership, and be signed under penalty of perjury. Objections must be received by Lead Counsel and defense counsel by October 8, 2026. Nobody can both opt out and collect a payment.
File through the official TAL Education securities settlement website, run by the court-appointed claims administrator, Strategic Claims Services. The site hosts the electronic claim form, the notice, the preliminary approval order and the stipulation. Filing is free and does not require a lawyer.
Pull the brokerage records first, then enter the beginning holdings on January 13, 2022, each purchase and sale through June 12, 2023 in date order, and the ending holdings. Upload the supporting documents, complete the certification and submit. An automated email confirms receipt of an online claim; keep it. Brokers and institutions filing for many accounts use a separate electronic spreadsheet process described on the settlement website.
U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte will hold the settlement fairness hearing on October 29, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. in Newark, New Jersey, to decide whether to approve the settlement, the Plan of Allocation and Lead Counsel's request for fees and expenses. The hearing can be rescheduled without a new notice; changes are posted on the settlement website. Attendance is not required to receive a payment.
Distribution begins only after every timely claim has been processed and the Court has finally approved the settlement. No distribution date has been announced. If money remains at least six months after the first round of checks, it first covers claimants mistakenly left out and any extra administration costs, then may fund a second distribution to claimants who cashed their first check and would receive at least $10.00; any final remainder goes to a nonprofit charitable organization chosen by the plaintiffs and approved by the Court.
The figures, dates and mechanics on this page come from the court-authorized Notice of Pendency and Proposed Settlement of Class Action dated April 28, 2026, including its Plan of Allocation and the attached Proof of Claim and Release Form, and from the official settlement website maintained by the claims administrator.
This page is informational and is not legal advice.
Can a TAL claim still be mailed?
Yes, until September 29, 2026. Mailed claims must be postmarked by that date, which is earlier than the online deadline. After September 29, the only filing route is the online claim form on the settlement website, which accepts claims until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 8, 2026.
Do TAL ADSs sold before March 14, 2023 count?
No. The class is limited to investors who held their ADSs until at least March 14, 2023, and the Plan of Allocation assigns a Recognized Loss of $0 to any ADS sold on or before March 13, 2023. ADSs originally bought before January 14, 2022 also carry a Recognized Loss of $0.
What is the most a TAL ADS can count for in the Plan of Allocation?
Every formula in the Plan of Allocation is capped at $0.82 per ADS. An ADS still held at the close of trading on June 12, 2023 counts for the lesser of $0.82 or its purchase price minus $6.00, and one sold between March 15 and June 12, 2023 counts for the lesser of $0.82 or its purchase price minus the running average closing price on the sale date. Recognized Loss is a weighting used to divide the fund, not the amount paid.
What happens to money left over in the TAL settlement fund?
At least six months after the first distribution, any remaining balance first covers claimants mistakenly left out of the first round and any additional administration costs, then may fund a second distribution to claimants who cashed their first check and would receive at least $10.00. Whatever remains after that is donated to a nonprofit charitable organization chosen by the plaintiffs and approved by the Court.
For more class actions keep scrolling below.
Settlement Amount
$14,100,000 plus interest
Case Title
Lewandowski v. TAL Education Group
Case Number
2:23-cv-01769 (JRA)
Court
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
Final Approval Hearing
October 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Before Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark · check the settlement website for changes
Administrator
Strategic Claims Services