Introducing the Vector Index: Settlement Intelligence for the Defense Side of California Litigation
For years, the defense side of California wage and hour litigation has operated at an information disadvantage. Plaintiff firms track their own settlement outcomes. Mediators know their own patterns. But defense counsel and in-house legal teams have had no independent, structured data source to benchmark against when preparing for mediation, evaluating a settlement demand, or choosing a mediator.
That changes today. We’re launching the Vector Index — the first structured settlement intelligence platform built specifically for the defense side of PAGA and class action litigation in California.
What the Vector Index Is
The Vector Index is built on a foundation of 5,900+ tracked California cases, 37,800+ ingested court documents, and 29,100+ indexed LWDA filings. We’ve taken that raw data and structured it into searchable, litigation-ready intelligence that defense teams can use before and during active matters.
This isn’t a legal research database. It’s not a case law search engine. It’s a structured data layer that answers specific, practical questions: What does this plaintiff firm typically settle for per pay period? How does this mediator compare to others on settlement outcomes? What do comparable cases actually look like?
Three products make up the Vector Index, each designed for a specific point in the litigation lifecycle.
Plaintiff Firm Profile
When you’re served with a PAGA notice or class action complaint, one of the first things you need to understand is who you’re up against. The Plaintiff Firm Profile gives you that picture — built from actual settlement data, not anecdote.
Each profile includes the firm’s settlement history with per-pay-period and per-workweek values, their mediator preferences, and comparable cases they’ve litigated. This is the kind of intelligence that lets defense counsel walk into an early case evaluation or mediation with a realistic understanding of what the opposing side has achieved in similar matters — and where there may be room to negotiate.
For in-house legal teams evaluating a demand letter or assessing outside counsel’s settlement recommendation, it provides an independent data point. You’re no longer relying solely on your outside firm’s experience or the plaintiff’s framing of what a “reasonable” settlement looks like.
Mediator Intelligence Report
Mediator selection is one of the most consequential decisions in any PAGA or class action matter, and it’s often made with limited information. The Mediator Intelligence Report changes that.
The report provides side-by-side benchmarks for up to three mediators, including settlement data indexed against the Vector Index, and plaintiff firm filtering across all mediator metrics. You can see how a mediator’s outcomes compare to the broader market, which plaintiff firms appear in front of them most frequently, and what settlement patterns look like across their cases.
Whether you’re negotiating mediator selection with opposing counsel or advising a client on which mediator gives them the best shot at a fair outcome, this report gives you the data to make that decision with confidence.
Complete Litigation Profile
The Complete Litigation Profile bundles the Plaintiff Firm Profile and Mediator Intelligence Report into a single integrated deliverable with cross-filtered intelligence across firms and mediators. It’s designed for active litigation matters where you need the full picture — opposing counsel’s track record, mediator benchmarks, and how those two data sets intersect.
This is the product for defense teams preparing for a high-stakes mediation or advising clients on litigation strategy. One deliverable, one view of the data, with everything cross-referenced.
Why This Matters
Settlement negotiations in California wage and hour cases have historically been driven by experience, intuition, and whatever data each side happened to have. The plaintiff side has always had an advantage here — firms that file hundreds of PAGA notices a year accumulate their own settlement benchmarks naturally. Defense counsel, handling matters across different plaintiff firms and mediators, rarely have the same consolidated view.
The Vector Index eliminates that gap. For the first time, defense teams have access to structured, independent settlement data that covers the California PAGA and class action landscape at scale. It’s not a replacement for legal judgment — it’s the data foundation that makes legal judgment more informed.
For litigation strategy, it means setting reserves based on real comparable data instead of rough estimates. For mediation prep, it means knowing the other side’s track record before you sit down. For mediator selection, it means comparing outcomes across mediators with actual benchmarks instead of word of mouth.
The Broader Scaled Comp Platform
The Vector Index joins the Scaled Comp Analyzer, our compliance intelligence engine that processes employer timecard data to surface wage and hour violations before they become claims. The Analyzer runs against actual time records to identify meal and rest break issues, overtime miscalculations, and pay stub errors — then produces audit-ready documentation that supports a “reasonable steps” defense under the 2024 PAGA reforms.
Together, the two product lines cover both sides of the PAGA problem: the Analyzer helps employers reduce exposure before claims are filed, and the Vector Index helps defense teams make better decisions when they are.
Getting Started
The Vector Index is available now. Visit scaledcomp.com to learn more about each product and how structured settlement intelligence can support your next litigation matter.