The plaintiffs range in age from 40 to 71; average age at the time of
their terminations was 51. The forty-four named plaintiffs were terminated in
two group reductions, in October 2003 and June 2004. About 68 percent of
those terminated from the IS Department were age 40 or older, even though the
IS employees tended in general to be younger. The terminations were a part of Best Buy's announced strategy to outsource its IS work to Accenture.

In June 2004, Best Buy also terminated 13 employees from its Finance
Department, 12 of whom were over the age of 40.

In a recent Minneapolis Star-Tribune story, a Best Buy spokesperson noted
that Best Buy's workforce skews young, with an average age of 29 among its
5,000 corporate employees.

"Of about 150 IS people fired in the two rounds of terminations, more than
100 were over the age of 40," said Stephen Snyder, lead attorney for the class
of plaintiffs. "And many of them had received strong performance ratings and
bonuses at their most recent reviews."

"Workers in information technology can be particularly vulnerable to age
bias," Snyder said. "There seems to be a misperception that only younger
workers are able to keep up with new technologies."

"What makes this case particularly troubling is Best Buy's history of
corporate commendations and professed attitude towards its employees," Snyder
said. "The company's Web site hails its workforce as a family and adds that
'You're going to like Best Buy. It's got a heart and spirit unlike any place
you've ever worked.'"

The plaintiffs seek to hold Best Buy accountable for its employment
practices. The lawsuit seeks lost compensation and benefits, reinstatement or
future pay and benefits, liquidated damages under federal law, treble damages
under state law, and other relief. The lawsuit also seeks a declaration that
releases of claims signed by other Best Buy employees should be declared
invalid due to its failure to comply with statutory requirements.