On September 21, 2007, a tentative Settlement has been reached between Merchant Law Group LLP, U.S. plaintiff firms, and the TJX Companies, Inc. (the parent company of Winners and HomeSense).

The Settlement has been reached concerning the security intrusion of Winners and HomeSense customer information which, subject to approval by various Courts and other conditions, includes the following benefits to affects customers:

• Those customers who returned merchandise without a receipt to our stores and to whom TJX sent letters reporting that their drivers’ license or other identification information may have been compromised in the intrusion(s), will be offered three years of credit monitoring along with identity theft insurance coverage (two years for those who previously accepted TJX's credit monitoring/identity theft insurance offer) paid for by TJX;
• TJX will also reimburse these customers for the documented cost of certain drivers’ license replacements and if their drivers’ license or other ID numbers were lost, for certain losses from identity theft;
• For any customers who can show they shopped at Winners or HomeSense stores and made a purchase with a credit card, debit card, or cheque, during the relevant periods [being: i) December 31, 2002 through September 2, 2003; or, ii) May 15, 2006 through December 18, 2006] and incurred other out-of-pocket costs or personal lost time (calculated at $10.00 per hour) between January 17 to June 30, 2007, as a result of the intrusion, TJX will offer vouchers for use in TJX stores in the country in which they reside. The voucher value at Winners and HomeSense stores for customers who qualify will be for $30 or $60, depending on circumstances.
• TJX will further hold a one-day Customer Appreciation sale during which prices at all TJX stores will be reduced by a further 15%, although the above-referenced vouchers may be used by customers at any time.
• Both U.S. and Canadian residents who shopped at any TJX-owned stores (Winners, HomeSense, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods and A.J. Wright stores) in North America are entitled to similar compensation benefits.

Merchant Law Group LLP launched class proceedings litigation with the Courts in various provinces seeking compensation on behalf of all Canadians who may be affected by credit card, debit card, and other personal information being stolen from Winners and HomeSense Stores.

Merchant Law Group LLP has 12 offices across Canada, with lawyers practising law in six provinces and an American state. Tony Merchant, Q.C., and his firm are well known for their involvement in Mass & Class Action cases in Canada, including class proceedings regarding Complete Contact Lens Solution, Silicon Breast Implant, Winners/HomeSense, HSBC Mutual Funds, Various Cellular Phone Fees, Molson-Coors Merger, Conrad Black/Hollinger, GM Gasket Manifolds, Lead Paint in Toys (and similar consumer products), Menu Foods, Paxil, Vioxx, Agent Orange, Métis Veteran Benefits, Cryptosporidium Water, Sony, Residential School litigation, CPR Anhydrous Ammonia, and cases regarding ISM Information Security, Tundra noxious gas emissions, Zonolite, Canadian Wheat Board Pool transfers, and various other cases. Tony Merchant is known to be one of Canada’s most active litigators with more than 600 reported cases in leading Caselaw Journals, having argued thousands of cases before the Canadian and American Courts, in Trial and Administrative Courts, and the Courts of Appeal of various American and Canadian jurisdictions, the Federal Court of Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada. Tony Merchant, Q.C., has a long history in pursuing public policy cases and is a former Member of the Legislative Assembly (M.L.A.).