plaintiff

“I think what the plaintiffs are doing is saying, ‘We have a lot of ammunition here,’ and it’s kind of an invitation to consider settling,” Levine said.

Four of the plaintiffs said they were told to fabricate the claims.

The way DHI Mortgage calculated the estimated payments “is highly problematic,” Jennifer Wagner, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center who served on the plaintiffs’ legal team, told MarketWatch.

The French bank says it will appeal the judgment and that the verdict on the three plaintiffs—who were awarded $20 million—shouldn’t have broader application, so any speculation regarding a potential settlement is wrong.

The plaintiffs took that legal route as "greenwashing" -- or the act of claiming to be more environmentally responsible than in reality -- is not specifically covered under French law.