Condé Nast settles intern suit, hints at new program

Condé Nast has quietly settled a class-action suit filed last year by two former interns who claimed they were paid less than $1 an hour for summer work at the glitzy publisher.

Terms of the settlement were not revealed.

But there are hints from Condé Nast CEO Charles Townsend that a new program for “up-and-coming talent” may be in the works in the future.

Matthew Leib said he was paid between $300 to $500 per summer while working at The New Yorker in 2010 and 2011, editing and proofreading the “Shouts & Murmurs” and “Talk of the Town” columns.

Lauren Ballinger said she was paid only $12 a day working 12-hour days in the accessories department of W in the summer of 2009 — then was denied a recommendation that she claimed she needed to get a college credit for her work.

Five months after the Ballinger et al. v. Advance Magazine Publishers, Inc. suit was filed last year, Condé Nast said it was scrapping its internship programs.

Over the years, the programs served as launching pads for many fashionistas as well as serving as the inspiration for Lauren Weisberger’s best-selling book “The Devil Wears Prada,” based on her experiences as an assistant for Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

In an e-mail to employees announcing the settlement, Townsend hinted broadly that some kind of program for young people might be making a comeback — although this time he might have to pay a little more.

“We believe settling the lawsuit at this time is the right business decision for Condé Nast,” Townsend wrote. “The settlement will allow us to devote our time and resources towards developing meaningful, new opportunities to support up-and-coming talent.”