Venable’s Antitrust Class Action team recognizes the unique threat that antitrust class actions pose to our clients and has a proven track record of successfully defending against them in courts across the country.
Venable’s team knows that antitrust class action lawsuits present unusually high stakes for our clients. It is not unusual for plaintiffs to seek hundreds of millions of dollars in damages or more, and, if they succeed, they are entitled to three times their damages and attorneys’ fees, among other relief. Given the high stakes, we partner with our clients to understand their unique businesses and economic circumstances and craft strategies to defeat these antitrust class actions, including at the earliest stages of the litigation. We have done so for clients in various industries, including the pharmaceutical industry and across the protein industries, and are one of a very few firms with a history of successful outcomes. Our team works strategically to marshal the evidence and respond to plaintiffs’ economic experts at the class certification and merits stages of these cases and has successfully defeated motions for class certification in antitrust class actions. We know the plaintiffs’ experts well, having deposed them and cross-examined them at trial and in class certification evidentiary hearings numerous times.
If the case should proceed beyond the class certification stage, Venable has an established record of winning at summary judgment and, if necessary, at trial. Our strategies are informed by our clients' goals, our knowledge of the courts and the antitrust bar, and a practiced ear for the many judgment calls contributing to success. We are also experienced at negotiating and obtaining court approval for class-wide settlements when that is in the best interests of our clients. Our attorneys have successfully resolved—by trial, dispositive motion, or creative settlement—class actions in state and federal class action venues across the nation.
Our antitrust attorneys recognize that antitrust class actions can often involve other related litigation and government investigations at both the federal and state levels. Whether suit is brought through multi-district litigation, actions brought by class members who opt out of a class action, or parallel federal and state investigations and litigation, our attorneys have repeatedly navigated the complex challenges posed by such related matters. Venable’s team includes former Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agency enforcement professionals who work in tandem with the firm’s other litigators and trial attorneys across these matters.