Berger Montague remains a go-to firm for plaintiff antitrust actions and is sought after by a host of clients ranging from blue-chip companies and sports organizations to individuals. The practice is headed by a quartet of attorneys in Philadelphia: Eric Cramer, whose recent work includes representing workers in matters of suppressed pay; David Sorensen, who is particularly well versed in commodities, securities, and environmental class actions; Merrill Davidoff, who counts trading firms and governmental entities among his clients; and pharmaceuticals expert Caitlin Coslett, who was appointed to co-chair of the antitrust department at the beginning of 2021. Michael Dell’Angelo and Martin Twersky, both also based in Philadelphia, are further noted for their experience in complex antitrust litigation in the automotive, pharmaceuticals, and financial services industries.
Civil litigation/class actions: plaintiff in United States
Berger Montague
Practice head(s):
Eric Cramer; David Sorensen; Merrill Davidoff; Caitlin Coslett
Other key lawyers:
Michael Dell’Angelo; Martin Twersky
Key clients
MMA Fighters Cung Le & Nathan Quarry
Sterling International Consulting Group
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
FX Primus Ltd.
High Level Management Venturers
Century Aluminium Company
ABF Freight System Inc.
Haff Poultry, Inc.
Work highlights
- Representing a class of direct purchasers of electrolytic and film capacitors in a class action in which the court approved further settlements in September 2020, totalling $451.55 million to date.
- Representing a group of plaintiffs in a multistate indirect purchaser antitrust class action against 16 of the world’s largest dealer banks, obtaining $23.63 million in settlements.
- Representing Haff Poultry, Inc. et al (a class of growers of broiler chickens) in a class action against the five largest integrated poultry processing companies Tyson, Pilgrim’s Pride, Perdue, Koch, and Sanderson, alleging that defendants and their co-conspirators conspired in a scheme not to compete for growers’ services and, ultimately, to suppress the pay to the contract broiler growers.
Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC
Praised for the ‘depth of their litigation teams, from senior partners to junior associates’ and ‘credibility with judges and opposing counsel’, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC is known for its vibrant plaintiff-side antitrust practice which is regularly involved in high-stakes class actions and novel competition issues. Benjamin Brown and Brent Johnson jointly lead the team with involvement in cases ranging from transportation to labor. Described by a client as ‘one of the most highly skilled attorneys’, Richard Koffman has been recently involved in class action cases in the sports sector and financial markets. The team also includes pharmaceutical industry expert Sharon Robertson and Kit Pierson, who has vast experience representing clients in class actions and civil litigation pertaining to price-fixing, monopolization and other unfair competition. All mentioned attorneys are based in the firm’s Washington DC office.
Practice head(s):
Benjamin Brown; Brent Johnson
Other key lawyers:
Richard Koffman; Sharon Robertson; Kit Pierson; Daniel Silverman
Testimonials
‘Among the many things that make Cohen Milstein both unique and exceptional is the depth of their litigation teams, from senior partners to junior associates. The partners with whom I’ve dealt are very creative and well rounded, equally able and willing to handle an important argument or deposition or dig into the documents to help build a case. The associates are hard working, motivated and enthusiastic and ready to take on as much responsibility as is available in any given case.’
‘I’ve known and worked with Richard Koffman for a very long time and he is one of the most highly skilled attorneys I have worked with.’
‘CMST is extraordinarily strong, with top flight talent from the senior to the junior lawyers. They are very smart and dedicated, and have credibility with judges and opposing counsel, and are always very trustworthy and dependable.’
Work highlights
- Representing UFCW & Employers Benefit Trust in a class action against Sutter Health, one of the largest healthcare providers in California, for restraining hospital competition through anticompetitive contracting practices with insurance companies.
- Representing all end-user plaintiffs in a class action involving nine chicken processors (Tyson Foods, Fieldale Farms, Peco Foods, George’s Inc., Pilgrim’s Price Corp. and Mar-Jac, and others) to resolve consumer claims that they conspired to inflate broiler chicken prices and that Agri Stats, Inc., a third-party vendor, facilitated their unlawful scheme.
- Acting as co-lead counsel for end-payor plaintiffs in a “pay-for-delay” antitrust class action alleging that Warner Chilcott PLC colluded with would-be generic manufacturers, Watson and Lupin Pharmaceuticals, to delay the introduction of a lower-priced generic version of the top-selling contraceptive drug Loestrin.
Hausfeld LLP
Described by a client as ‘very tenacious and appropriately aggressive, with great client relations skills’, Hausfeld LLP enjoys a stellar reputation in the antitrust space and is regularly praised for its European and global plaintiff-side antitrust practice alongside its work in the US. Clients including PepsiCo, BMW, and individual plaintiffs turn to the firm for issues surrounding price-fixing, monopolization and other antitrust related class actions. The team is led by a duo consisting of New York-based Scott Martin and Bonny Sweeney, who is located in the firm’s San Francisco office. ‘Fierce advocate and stand-out partner’ Megan Jones focuses on recovering damages in light of antitrust cartels for price-fixing, tying, restraints of trade and other unlawful competition matters out of San Francisco. Michael Hausfeld, Brian Ratner and Melinda Coolidge – all based in Washington DC – are recognized for their strong plaintiff-side practices across a variety of industries.
Practice head(s):
Scott Martin; Bonny Sweeney
Other key lawyers:
Michael Hausfeld; Megan Jones; Brian Ratner; Melinda Coolidge
Testimonials
‘Hausfeld is a top-tier plaintiffs’ antitrust firm. They are very tenacious and appropriately aggressive, with great client relations skills.’
‘Likeable, trustworthy, professional competence of a high level, tough litigators.’
‘Hausfeld is unique in that it has a global plaintiffs practice, Michael Hausfeld is extremely creative and one of the best antitrust lawyers in the country. They have done a great job developing and empowering a highly diverse group of younger attorneys.’
‘Strong plaintiffs’ side practice with very experienced antitrust litigators.’
‘The team consistently provides worldclass advice in all projects we are working with them, is outsmarting other law firms involved, very proactive and very pleasant to work with – so overall simply the best in its field.’
‘The Hausfeld attorneys with whom I work have an outstanding grasp of both the larger issues in the case and the relevant details. They also keep me in the loop on developments while avoiding unnecessary calls and emails.’
‘Hausfeld is a fearless group that invests heavily in international private enforcement. Michael Hausfeld has created his legacy with his European dominance.’
‘Megan Jones is a fierce advocate and a stand-out partner.’
Key clients
Louisiana Pacific
CRH
Phhhoto Inc.
District of Columbia Attorney General
PSA
PepsiCo
BMW
MolsonCoors
Trammo
Peabody Energy
Suzuki Motor Corporation
TMS
CONSOL Energy
SIMS Metal Management
Praxair (now Linde)
Deutsche Bahn
American Honda Motor Company
Suez Environmental SA
Hertz Europe
Metro AG
GKN
Renault
U.S. Silica Company
Lotte
Work highlights
- Representing a proposed class of individuals and businesses that pay Blue Cross Blue Shield entities for health insurance (“subscriber plaintiffs”) in a case alleging that Blue Cross/Blue Shield entities across the country entered into agreements not to compete with each other for customers of health insurance.
- Representing a class of purchasers of contact lenses in a lawsuit against the four leading manufacturers of disposable contact lenses, and the dominant distributor, ABB Optical Group, alleging that the defendants joined horizontal and vertical conspiracies to adopt, implement, and enforce resale price maintenance policies.
- Representing a class of broiler chicken growers in which the plaintiffs allege that poultry companies formed a nationwide conspiracy to suppress and maintain broiler chicken growers’ compensation below competitive levels.
Robins Kaplan LLP
Transportation, healthcare, and technology are important industries for Robins Kaplan LLP's antitrust practice, which according to a client ‘enjoys a well-deserved reputation for excellence, particularly in handling complex litigation.’ The team is led by New York-based Kellie Lerner and Craig Wildfang, who is located in the firm’s Minnesota office. The ‘collegial, smart, and capable’ Stacey Slaughter regularly represents plaintiffs in class actions and direct actions across a variety of sectors, while Minnesota-based Thomas Undlin is situated at the intersection of antitrust with securities and intellectual property claims, acting in domestic and international matters alike. Another name to note is William Reiss, described as a ‘terrific lawyer’, who represents plaintiffs in cases pertaining to commodities as well as the automotive industry; he is located in New York.
Practice head(s):
Craig Wildfang; Kellie Lerner
Other key lawyers:
Thomas Undlin; William Reiss; Stacey Slaughter; Meegan Hollywood
Testimonials
‘Kellie Lerner and Meegan Hollywood are a pleasure to work with.’
‘Great team, wonderful to work with, smart and dedicated lawyers.’
‘I deal primarily with Stacey Slaughter, who is collegial, smart, and capable. I like to work with her and actively look for ways to partner with her on plaintiff-side matters.’
‘The firm enjoys a well-deserved reputation for excellence, particularly in handling complex litigation.’
‘William Reiss is a terrific lawyer. He has great skills as a lawyer.’
‘The Antitrust and Trade Regulation at Robins Kaplan is populated by highly motivated and successful attorneys. They take cases that matter, and are frequently appointed by courts across the country to lead those cases. Other firms follow the trends that Robins Kaplan sets. The antitrust team, lead by Kellie Lerner, is especially proficient at melding teams of lawyers from various firms to work collaboratively for the good of the members of the class. It’s been a pleasure to work with them on various cases over the years.’
‘I have had the pleasure of working with Kellie Lerner for many years. She is the driving force in the plaintiffs’ antitrust practice and the co-chair of this practice group. She is bright and innovative, willing to take on difficult cases and to plow new ground at which she has been highly successful. She is an amazing ambassador outside the firm, and a leader and mentor inside it. She has for many years been the champion of diversity and inclusion within the firm.’
‘Kellie Lerner is a stand-out partner.’
Key clients
Class of more than 10 million U.S. merchants who accept Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards.
Class of consumers and businesses that indirectly purchased or leased new vehicles in the U.S.
Class of purchasers of disposable contact lenses in the U.S.
Proposed class of purchasers of television advertising time.
Oxbow Carbon & Minerals LLC
Proposed class of end-user indirect purchasers of hard disk drive suspension assemblies.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Chatom Primary Care
Proposed class of direct purchasers of Keurig K Cups®.
Indirect purchasers of interior molded doors.
Proposed class of ranchers and cattle industry trade groups.
Proposed class of broiler chicken growers.
Proposed class of poultry processing plant employees.
Mark Serri and a proposed class of entities who bought or sold gold, silver, platinum, and palladium futures and options contracts on the New York Mercantile Exchange (“NYMEX”) and Commodity Exchange, Inc. (“COMEX”).
Principal Funds, Inc. and Principal Variable Contract Funds, Inc.
DYJ Holdings, LLC
Work highlights
- Securing a settlement of $6.26 billion for a class of 10 million merchants in a class action against Visa and Mastercard, as well as major card-issuing banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Capital One, for alleged anticompetitive interchange fee structures and rules.
- Acting as court-appointed co-lead counsel in a class action against more than 160 defendants in the automotive parts industry for alleged rice-fixing, bid-rigging, and market allocation conspiracies, securing an indirect purchaser recovery of more than $1.2 billion to date.
- Serving as court-appointed interim lead counsel in a proposed class action against Martin Shkreli, the former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, and three other defendants for allegedly monopolizing the market for Daraprim—a once-affordable, life-saving drug, whose price increased by more than 4,000 percent under Shkreli’s leadership.
Susman Godfrey LLP
With a deep bench of antitrust attorneys, Susman Godfrey LLP is routinely involved in high-stakes plaintiff-side litigation, often for blue-chip companies and global corporations as well as individuals. Opting for a non-hierarchical structure where lawyers are on an equal footing across the country, the firm deals with cases surrounding market allocation, price-fixing, and other unlawful conspiracies for clients such as Walmart and NASDAQ. In Houston, Neal Manne handles cases for both defendants and plaintiffs, while head of the Los Angeles office Marc Seltzer has achieved multi-million dollar recoveries for clients involved in price-fixing and bid-rigging matters. Also in California, Kalpana Srinivasan is regularly involved in matters at the intersection of unfair competition and intellectual property for a host of industries including technology. With a well-regarded bet-the-company trial practice, New York-based Bill Carmody is also recommended for his class action expertise.
Other key lawyers:
Neal Manne; Marc Seltzer; Bill Carmody; Kalpana Srinivasan; Barry Barnett; James Southwick
Testimonials
‘Very smart and efficient lawyers. They know their way around the courtroom and tend to run circles around other “peer” firms.’
Key clients
Walmart
Vitol, Inc.
Morris and Dickson Co.
Insignia Systems
Westlake Chemical Co.
Veeva
Oxy
Repeat Precision
NASDAQ
HouseCanary
Work highlights
- Appointed by the Court to serve as co-lead counsel to Direct-TV subscribers in a California multidistrict class action alleging DirecTV’s exclusive NFL Sunday Ticket package violates federal antitrust laws.
- Acting as lead counsel to Walmart in an antitrust matter against more than a dozen chicken producers, alleging that the producers conspired to control the supply and prices of broiler chicken products in the United States in violation of the Sherman Act.
- Representing Insignia Systems which alleges that News Corp. unlawfully maintains a monopoly in the market for third party-placed in-store advertising.
Zelle LLP
Individual recovery actions on behalf of corporate plaintiffs and antitrust class actions on behalf of indirect and direct purchaser plaintiffs form the main areas of focus for the ‘etremely intuitive and intelligent’ team at litigation boutique Zelle LLP. Managing partner Judith Zahid, based in Oakland, is co-chair of the antitrust group with extensive experience in price-fixing and monopolization claims, and often works closely together with industry and damages experts. James Robertson Martin constitutes the second team head and is active in financial services litigation on both domestic and international level in addition to representing corporations, financial institutions, and federal agencies in various class action matters from the firm’s Washington DC office. Pharmaceuticals and life sciences, food, and the financial services sector are areas covered by DC-based Jennifer Duncan Hackett, whose expertise extends to opt-out class actions as well as monopolization and price-fixing matters. At the Oakland office, Christopher Micheletti and Qianwei Fu handle plaintiff-side litigation in a wide range of industries including transportation, technology, automotive, and healthcare.
Practice head(s):
Judith Zahid; James Robertson Martin
Other key lawyers:
Jennifer Duncan Hackett; Christopher Micheletti; Qianwei Fu; Eric Buetzow
Testimonials
‘The team at Zelle is very easy to work with, collaborative and creative. They are extremely intuitive and intelligent and good with people. They also have a very informal approach that is better with most clients than other firms. They’re also sensitive to expense and are very efficient.’
‘I have worked with Judith Zahid and she is a fantastic lawyer. She is extremely intuitive and is a people person. She is able to read a room, and negotiates well with other attorneys. She works well with Eric Buetzow. I would recommend them to any client as they make an excellent team.’
Key clients
FDIC
Freddie Mac
United HealthCare Services, Inc.
Verizon
Pacific Surf Designs
Work highlights
- Representing United HealthCare Services, Inc. in three individual antitrust matters against the makers of nearly 200 generic pharmaceutical drugs, alleging a widespread price-fixing and market allocation conspiracy.
- Representing Freddie Mac and the FDIC as receiver for 39 closed banks in the LIBOR antitrust litigation, accusing the world’s largest banks of unlawful interest rate manipulation.
- Representing Verizon in its third-party discovery obligations arising out of the U.S.-based matters filed against Google for various alleged antitrust violations, including the search-based matters filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and the State Attorneys General, as well as the Google Play matters filed by Epic, multiple class actions, and the State Attorneys.
Joseph Saveri Law Firm
Litigation boutique Joseph Saveri Law Firm specializes in civil litigation and class actions in the antitrust space. Illegal reverse payments, no-poaching, price-fixing and monopolization form part of the firm’s portfolio, which also extends to issues pertaining to intellectual property and securities litigation. Ronnie Seidel Spiegel joined the firm in summer 2021 from Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP and focuses on e-discovery negotiation and case management as well as the use of foreign-language evidence. She leads the team together with Steven Williams and founding partner Joseph Saveri, who has represented plaintiffs in the sports, pharmaceuticals, and technology industries, among others. Christopher Young excels in pre-trial matters and is involved in several pro bono efforts. All mentioned attorneys are based in San Francisco.
Practice head(s):
Joseph Saveri; Steven Williams; Ronnie Seidel Spiegel
Other key lawyers:
Christopher Young
Testimonials
‘Top-notch plaintiffs’ side antitrust firm.’
‘Joe Saveri and Steve Williams are two of the most seasoned plaintiffs’ antitrust lawyers in the country. Joe and Steve fight hard for their clients, but always fairly. When they say they will do something, I can count on it.’
Key clients
Class of direct purchasers of capacitors used in electronic devices.
Proposed indirect purchaser plaintiffs class of individuals and companies who purchased interior molded doors from defendants JELD-WEN, Inc. and Masonic Corporation.
End-payor plaintiffs in an antitrust class action filed against Allergan, Inc., for an alleged scheme to delay generic competition to Allergan’s blockbuster Restasis drug (used primarily for chronic dry eyes treatment).
Class of content moderators against Facebook, which allegedly failed to ensure workplace safety procedures for moderators’ exposure to users’ graphic videos, images, and broadcasts.
Direct purchaser plaintiffs in e-cigarette antitrust lawsuits against Altria Group, Inc., and Juul Labs, Inc., (“JLI”) on behalf of individuals and businesses who purchased JUUL e-cigarette devices directly from JLI between December 7, 2018 and the present.
Class of consumers of Nestlé’s Poland Spring brand “100% Natural Spring Water” bottled water product line.
Proposed class of retail investors against Robinhood Markets, Inc. and various brokerages, investment funds, and other co-conspirators.
Proposed class of senior-level employees of Surgical Care Affiliates, United Surgical Partners International, and at least one other unnamed healthcare service provider.
End-payor plaintiffs and its client, the Self-Insured Schools of California, and similarly situated U.S. consumers and insurers.
Proposed class of individuals and businesses affected by the October 2, 2021, oil spill off the Orange County California coast.
Work highlights
- Acting as sole lead counsel for a class of direct purchasers of capacitors used in electronic devices, alleging that defendants formed a global price-fixing cartel and conspired to fix, raise, and stabilize prices in the multi-billion-dollar market for aluminum, tantalum, and film capacitors.
- Representing end-payor plaintiffs in an antitrust class action filed against Allergan, Inc., that alleges a scheme to delay generic competition to Allergan’s blockbuster Restasis drug.
- Serving as co-lead counsel for professional mixes martial arts (MMA) fighters in a class action against Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), alleging Zuffa LLC illegally acquired and maintained monopoly power in the market for MMA promotions and used that power to suppress UFC fighter’s compensations.
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Representing plaintiffs in class actions in the area of labor, particularly regarding no-poaching and wage suppression, but also in the pharmaceuticals, technology, and securities sectors, is a strong suit of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP's antitrust practice. Practice head Brendan Glackin has vast experience acting in antitrust cases spanning price-fixing cartels and monopolization claims. As chair of the firm’s labor antitrust practice group, Dean Harvey regularly represents workers, consumers, and small businesses, often at the intersection of intellectual property with antitrust. Commercial litigation specialist Eric Fastiff's work encompasses the food, technology, finance, and natural resource industries. Lin Chan and David Rudolph are also recommended for their expertise in class action, including pharmaceutical and price-fixing cases. All mentioned attorneys are based in the firm’s San Francisco office.
Practice head(s):
Brendan Glackin
Other key lawyers:
Dean Harvevy; Eric Fastiff; Lin Chan; David Rudolph
Key clients
The health and welfare fund of New York City’s largest public employee union (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees District Council 37 Health & Security Plan)
Class of U.S. purchasers of telescopes
The Hospital Authority of Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee
Surgical Care Affiliates Medical Center employees
Union Trust Fund DC Municipal Employees Local 37 (for end-payor class indirect plaintiff purchasers of Allergan’s dry-eye drug Restasis)
The Charles Schwab Corporation and several of The Charles Schwab Family of Funds and the Bay Area Toll Authority
Purchasers of medium and heavy trucks in the European Union from 1997-2011 (European Trucking Cartel Litigation)
Work highlights
- Representing Nashville General Hospital (the Hospital Authority of Metropolitan Government of Nashville) and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 37 Health & Security Plan in a case against defendants Momenta Pharmaceuticals and Sandoz, Inc., for their alleged price-fixing of enoxaparin, the generic version of the anti-coagulant blood clotting drug Lovenox, a highly profitable drug with annual sales of more than $1 billion.
- Won a $54.5 million settlement representing a class of over 5,000 academic doctors in a federal class action against Duke University and the UNC Health Care System alleging that their agreement not to compete for certain of each other’s employees (a “No-Hire” pact) illegally suppressed employee compensation.
- Served as co-lead counsel for plaintiffs in a class action charging Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar in a widespread conspiracy to suppress the pay of over 60,000 technical, creative, and other salaried employees.
MoginRubin LLP
MoginRubin LLP is an antitrust and competition law boutique whose work spans class actions and civil litigation across a variety of sectors, such as technology, life sciences, and finance. The firm, which is praised for its ‘practical and spot-on legal advice’, has also expanded its portfolio towards the intersection of antitrust with privacy and cybersecurity, and mergers and acquisitions. The practice is headed by a trio of lawyers: Jonathan Rubin, who is located in the firm’s Washington DC office, and San Diego-based partners Jennifer Oliver, who ’embodies the meaning of trusted advisor’ according to a client, and Daniel Mogin. Associate Timothy LaComb is well versed in electronic and other discovery-related issues, while senior counsel Joy Sidhwa leads the firm’s document discovery team.
Practice head(s):
Daniel Mogin; Jonathan Rubin; Jennifer Oliver
Other key lawyers:
Timothy LaComb; Joy Sidhwa
Testimonials
‘Practical and spot-on legal advice. Knowledgeable counsel and extremely responsive and cost effective.’
‘Jennifer Oliver is terrific. Embodies the meaning of trusted advisor.’
‘I work primarily with Dan Mogin. Dan is exceptional at building a case from the ground up. He’s experienced, super smart and has great instincts. I work with other class action antitrust attorneys and Dan stands out because of his creativity and tenacity. Dan’s firm is smaller than other class action firms I work with and his staff always seem to be on the same page and work efficiently.’
Work highlights
- Acting as plaintiffs’ counsel in a case alleging illegal collusion in the digital advertising markets by Defendants Facebook and Google, in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act.
- Actins as a plaintiffs’ counsel in a class action case alleging the breach of more than 40 million consumer’s personal information by T-Mobile.
- Representing a class of dentists and orthodontists against major manufacturers in the removable dental aligners market and the hand-held digital intraoral scanners market.
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
Representing clients on both plaintiff and defense side, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP‘s antitrust practice is regularly involved in a host of cases for blue-chip companies, particularly in the technology and the finance sectors. The team, which according to a client has ‘complete mastery of the subject matter, facts, and law’, is led by New York-based Stephen Neuwirth, who heads the firm’s worldwide antitrust and competition law practice. Also in New York, Daniel Brockett excels in antitrust matters related to the financial sector including securities and derivatives litigation. From Los Angeles, Kevin Teruya has extensive experience acting for clients in and outside Californian state and federal courts. Financial industry expert Steig Olson and tech litigation specialist Adam Wolfson are both heavily involved in class action cases and based in New York. Debra Bernstein joined the firm’s Atlanta office in February 2021 from Alston & Bird LLP with an emphasis on bet-the-company and large corporate opt-out litigation in class actions and antitrust matters.
Practice head(s):
Stephen Neuwirth
Other key lawyers:
Kevin Teruya; Steig Olson; Adam Wolfson; Debra Bernstein; Sami Rashid; Daniel Brockett
Testimonials
‘Great legal talent.’
‘The QE team has complete mastery of the subject matter, facts, and law. And they also have a great ability to connect with my company witnesses to guide them through expectations and requirements in the case.’
‘Responsive, creative fee arrangement, solidly competent and client service-focused.’
Key clients
Compañía Minera Dayton (“CMD”)
The City of Philadelphia
Allianz GI, Anchorage Capital, the AP funds, BlackRock, BlueCrest
Edmar Financial Company
Torus Capital LLC; Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System; Orange County Employees Retirement System; Sonoma County Employees’ Retirement Association; Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association
Public School Teachers’ Pension and Retirement Fund of Chicago, and the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association
Salix Capital U.S. Inc.
Intuit
Ashton Woods Holdings
BASF Corporation
Exxon Mobil Corporation
AP Møller – Mærsk A/S, Mærsk Inc.
AliveCor
SaurikIT (aka Cydia)
United Parcel Service
The Home Depot
RareGen, LLC
Work highlights
- Represented Mackmin, et al., obtaining class certification agains Visa and Mastercard, as well as $66 million in settlements from JP Morgan and two other banks on behalf of a class of ATM users alleging that Visa, MasterCard and certain banks engaged in an anticompetitive scheme to raise ATM user fees.
- Representing Compañía Minera Dayton (“CMD”) and class of investors in gold and gold-related instruments in a long-running multi-district litigation regarding five banks’ alleged manipulation of gold prices.
Berman Tabacco
Class action boutique Berman Tabacco is primarily focused on antitrust and securities litigation, and is regularly involved in cases pertaining to price-fixing, patent misuse, monopolization, and group boycotts. The firm is known for its plaintiff-side representation of large public pension funds and is further involved in industries including pharmaceuticals, bond markets, technology, and online retailing. Joseph Tabacco leads the team together with Todd Seaver out of the San Francisco office, with both having extensive experience in antitrust and securities class actions.
Practice head(s):
Joseph Tabacco; Todd Seaver
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Orange County Employees Retirement System
California State Teachers’ Retirement System
Oklahoma Firefighters Pension & Retirement System
Electrical Workers Pension Fund Local 103, I.B.E.W. and Local 103, I.B.E.W. Health Benefit Plan
Univisions-Crimson Holding, Inc.
Bogard Construction, Inc.
San Bernadino County Employees Retirement System
Teamsters Western Region & Local 177 Health Care Plan
Work highlights
- Representing Electrical Workers Pension Fun Local 103, I.B.E.W. and Local 103, and I.B.E.W. Health Benefit Plan in antitrust litigation which settled for $386.5 million, alleging defendants colluded to manipulate the prices of bonds issued by Government Sponsored Entities in the secondary market to extract profits for themselves at the expense of plaintiff investors.
- Representing California State Teacher’s Retirement System in a case alleging that, between 2005 and 2011, over a dozen major banks colluded to manipulate the Euro Interbank Offered Rate (Euribor), a global reference rate used to benchmark and price over $200 trillion of financial products, which, to date, has achieved $491.5 million in partial settlements.
- Representing Orange County Employees Retirement System in a case alleging defendants conspired to manipulate the Australian Bank Bill Swap Reference Rate (“BBSW”) and the prices of BBSW-based derivatives during the class period, which, to date, has achieved partial settlements of $32 million.
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP joins the ranking with a growing practice in antitrust which includes high-stakes class actions in the food, commodities, technology, and healthcare sectors. The firm is active in matters pertaining to price-fixing, elusive dealing and tying, monopolization, and opt-out cases, among others. Philip Iovieno, based in New York, represents defendants and plaintiffs alike in federal and state courts, leading the antitrust litigation department together with Brian Wallach, who is located in the firm’s Washington DC office. Head of commercial litigation Nicholas Gravante in New York has extensive trial experience in antitrust cases as well as commercial and securities litigation.
Practice head(s):
Philip Iovieno; Brian Wallach
Other key lawyers:
Nicholas Gravante
Work highlights
- Representing more than a dozen opt-out plaintiffs in an ongoing antitrust lawsuit in connection with an alleged multi-faceted price-fixing scheme.
- Representing BJ’s Wholesale Club as plaintiff in an ongoing antitrust litigation matter.
- Representing AngioDynamics as plaintiffs in an ongoing antitrust lawsuit against a market competitor.
Grant & Eisenhofer P.A.
Grant & Eisenhofer P.A.‘s antitrust practice is sought after by a host of different industries for its class action and individual action expertise, including pharmaceuticals, financial products, industrial chemicals, and consumer goods. The firm often involves practitioners from other departments in complex cases, for example in relation to intellectual property matters. Deborah Elman, whose ‘expansive knowledge along with her calm, professional demeanor instills great confidence’ according to a client, leads the team from New York, together with Robert Eisler, who is located in the Wilmington office and is well versed in securities and derivatives in addition to having handled antitrust cases in the UK and the Netherlands. Senior counsel Chad Holtzman specializes in price-fixing and monopolization cases.
Practice head(s):
Robert Eisler; Deborah Elman
Other key lawyers:
Chad Holtzman
Testimonials
‘They are very proactive in identifying opportunities for their clients to mitigate damages incurred through the improper actions of mercenary providers.’
‘Ms. Deborah Elman has done an outstanding job in representing my company, LEHB, in several Class Action Suits against Drug Manufacturers. She keeps me well informed at every step. Works around my scheduling conflicts for conference calls, updates, depositions, etc… Her expansive knowledge along with her calm, professional demeanor instills great confidence.’
Work highlights
- Representing Insurance subscribers in $2.67 Billion Blue Cross Blue Shield settlement.
- Serving as co-lead counsel on behalf of end-payor plaintiffs in an antitrust class action concerning Seroquel XR (Extended Release Quetiapine Fumarate).
- Acting as co-lead counsel on behalf of a class of end-payor plaintiffs in a case alleging that certain defendants including Pfizer participated in an anticompetitive scheme to maintain Pfizer’s market exclusivity of Lipitor.
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
The antitrust team at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP represents clients on both sides of the aisle and is regularly involved in matters pertaining to monopolization, price-fixing, and unlawful conspiracy. Financial services, healthcare, entertainment and technology, and media are among the sectors who seek out the firm’s expertise in plaintiff-side cases. Antitrust heavyweight William Isaacson
represents a host of global corporates, while Joseph Bial are further key contacts. All mentioned attorneys are based in Washington DC. Rick Rule left the firm in March 2022 to found his own firm.
Other key lawyers:
William Isaacson; Joseph Bial