Antitrust

Issue: Global price-fixing conspiracy

With co-counsel, Lieff Cabraser represents consumers and businesses that purchased capacitors in an antitrust class action lawsuit filed against world’s largest manufacturers of capacitors. The complaint charges that the defendants conspired to unlawfully fix and raise the prices in the U.S. for electrolytic and film capacitors.

Lieff Cabraser has played a central role in discovery efforts, and assisted in opposing Defendants’ motions to dismiss and in opposing Defendants’ motions for summary judgment. The case is currently still in fact discovery.

The defendants include Panasonic Corp., Elna Co. Ltd., Hatachi Chemical Co., Ltd., Nistuko Electronics Corp., NEC Tokin Corp., SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., Matsuo Electric Co., Nippon Chemi-con Corp., Nichicon Corp., Rubycon Corp., Taitsu Corp., and Toshin Kogyo Co., Ltd.Capacitors are one of the most common electronic components in the world today. They store an electrical charge, and then release that charge later, much like a small rechargeable battery. Trillions of capacitors are made each year and are commonly used in a vast array of electronic devices and machines across multiple industries. Three basic types of capacitors exist: ceramic, electrolytic, and film, the latter two of which are the subject of the class action lawsuit.