
The judge overseeing a class action lawsuit against Uber is retiring after a string of high-profile rulings.
The arbitrator, Richard Cordray, announced on Tuesday that he will retire from the bench in December, less than a year after he was nominated by President Donald Trump.
He said he will take on a “unique and important” role in overseeing the Uber case, which he has led since the beginning of the year.
Cordray said the decision came as a shock to him.
“I thought the jury was deadlocked, and I was going to have to wait for the trial,” he said.
“But I was not wrong.”
The case involves a class of people who have suffered the consequences of Uber’s $1 billion compensation scheme, which has forced them to pay back tens of millions of dollars in wages and other benefits.
The class has alleged Uber violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.
Cordes decision last month led to a class-action lawsuit in which more than 1,400 individuals claimed they were unfairly left behind.
The decision on Tuesday is expected to be appealed by a small number of people, according to lawyers representing the class.
Cords decision has drawn criticism from some in the legal community, who argue it was a sham that was crafted in a way that would not impact the fairness of the trial.
“The arbitrators decision is one of the most egregious examples of the failure of our legal system to protect workers in the taxi industry,” said attorney Jennifer Peralta, a partner at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis.
Calls to Cordray’s office seeking comment were not immediately returned.