A Settlement has been reached with First Chatham Bank (“First Chatham” or “Defendant”) in a class action lawsuit. This case is about the targeted cyberattack on First Chatham's computer systems that occurred in September 2024 (the “Data Incident”). Certain files that contained Private Information were accessed. These files may have contained personal information such as names; addresses; dates of birth; driver’s license numbers; Social Security numbers; financial account numbers; and payment card information.
The lawsuit is called In re First Chatham Bank Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, Case No. SPCV25-00142-MI. It is pending in the Superior Court for Chatham County, Georgia (the “Litigation”).
First Chatham denies that it did anything wrong, and the Court has not decided who is right.
The parties have agreed to settle the lawsuit (the “Settlement”) to avoid the costs and risks, disruptions, and uncertainties of continuing the Litigation.
If you received notice, then First Chatham's records indicate that you are a Settlement Class Member and entitled to benefits under the Settlement. You may have received a previous notice directly from First Chatham.
Your rights are affected whether you act or don’t act.
Summary of Your Legal Rights and Options in this Settlement | Deadline | ||
Submit a Claim | The only way to receive payments from this Settlement is by submitting a valid and timely Claim Form. The fastest way to submit your Claim Form is online here. If you prefer, you can download the Claim Form here and mail it to the Settlement Administrator. | June 3, 2026 | |
Opt-Out of the Settlement | You can choose to opt-out of the Settlement and receive no Cash Payment. You can exclude yourself from the Settlement by informing the Settlement Administrator that you want to “opt out” of the Settlement. If the Settlement becomes final, this is the only option that allows you to retain your rights to separately sue for claims related to the Data Incident. If you opt out, you may not make a claim for benefits under the Settlement. | June 3, 2026 | |
Object to the Settlement and/or Attend a Hearing | If you do not opt-out of the Settlement, you may object to it by writing to the Court about why you don’t like the Settlement. You may also ask the Court for permission to speak about your objection at the Final Approval Hearing. If you object, you will remain a Settlement Class Member, and if the Settlement is approved, you will be eligible for the benefits of the Settlement and give up the right to sue on certain claims described in the Settlement Agreement, which is available here. | June 3, 2026 | |
Do Nothing | Unless you opt-out of the Settlement, you are automatically part of the Settlement. If you do nothing, you will not receive benefits or payments from this Settlement. You will give up the right to sue, continue to sue, or be part of another lawsuit against the Defendant related to the legal claims resolved and released by this Settlement. | No Deadline | |
These rights and options—and the deadlines to exercise them—are explained in the Notice and FAQs page.
The Court in charge of this case still has to decide whether to approve the Settlement.
Upcoming Important Dates
Notification Mailing
3/2/2026
Claim Deadline
6/3/2026
Opt Out Deadline
6/3/2026
Objection Deadline
6/3/2026
Final Approval Hearing
6/18/2026 at 9:30 a.m.