Suppose A well-known technology company was hit with a class-action lawsuit alleging that it had intentionally slowed down older models of its smartphones to force customers to upgrade to newer, more expensive models. The company denied the allegations initially but later settled the case to avoid a lengthy and costly legal battle. As part of the settlement, affected customers were offered compensation in the form of discounts on future purchases.
Can we infer that "The technology company's reputation suffered as a result of the lawsuit and settlement"?