Lieff Cabraser's Antitrust Law Practice Group

Federal and state antitrust laws are designed to protect the economy and to promote competition among businesses by prohibiting price fixing and other forms of anticompetitive conduct. Claims for damages under the federal antitrust laws are ordinarily limited to businesses or individuals who purchased goods or services directly from the person or company that violates the antitrust laws. Since most products pass through the hands of distributors, wholesalers, or retailers before reaching the consumer, most claims for damages under the federal antitrust laws can only be brought by businesses, not consumers, that are at the top of the distribution chain.

Many state antitrust laws, however, including California’s, also allow consumers and other end-users of products to receive compensation resulting from anticompetitive conduct, even if they did not purchase goods or services directly from the person or company that violates the antitrust laws.

Lieff Cabraser has played a prominent role in federal litigation under the Sherman Act on behalf of businesses in numerous markets including prescription drugs, polypropylene carpets, compact discs, lineboard, carbon fiber, plastic laminates, flat glass, industrial pigments and vitamins.

Lieff Cabraser is one of the firms leading the many actions challenging the efforts of brand name prescription drug manufacturers to exclude or prevent generic competition and otherwise to stabilize prices. Lieff Cabraser has also served as trial counsel in actions involving price discrimination and other unfair practices.

We successfully represented a certified class of California purchasers of brand name prescription drugs against the nation's major pharmaceuticals manufacturers. In that case we obtained a partial settlement of approximately $178 million in cash and pharmaceuticals to be distributed for the benefit of low income and indigent California residents. We also successfully represented California indirect purchasers of vitamins and products containing vitamins against the world's top vitamin manufacturers alleging the companies conspired to fix the price of vitamins. In 2002, the court approved a $96 million settlement.

To learn about our current antitrust cases, click here.

To contact an antitrust attorney at Lieff Cabraser, click here.

Note: This summary is intended to provide a basic overview of typical cases of our firm. It is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please read our disclaimer.