"Fair competition and the protection of intellectual
property are essential to our nation's economic growth.
We level the playing field for our clients, holding
accountable those that have abused their monopoly
power, fixed prices, stolen intellectual property,
or conspired to restrain trade."

Eric B. Fastiff, Partner and Chair of the Antitrust &
Intellectual Property Practice Group

"One of the nation's premier plaintiffs' firms."

American Lawyer
"Representing the best qualities of the plaintiffs' bar."

The National Law Journal
"Their effective and caring advocacy for clients has earned Lieff Cabraser its first-class reputation."

The Daily Journal

Super Lawyers Nationwide

Practice Areas

Antitrust & Intellectual Property

Protecting purchasers and sellers -- promoting fair competition.

The power of dominant corporations to fix prices, restrict supply, stifle innovation and harm smaller companies, entrepreneurs, governments, and consumers gave rise to the nation's first antitrust laws more than a century ago.

Bold advocates for competition

Lieff Cabraser is at the forefront of innovative and landmark cases promoting fair competition in the marketplace. We assist companies, governments, and consumers affected by anticompetitive conduct, assess market circumstances and determine whether and how to pursue legal action to achieve their goals.

In 2012, the Daily Journal selected our Antitrust practice group as one of the five top practice groups of leading California law firms, observing:

"With De Beers, it was a monopoly on diamonds. With vitamin makers, price-fixing. No matter the transgression, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP will avenge it. Because of that tenacity, the firm's antitrust practice group over the past 20 years has evolved into one of the most formidable in the state."

Successfully challenging cartels and monopolies

We have successfully challenged the world's largest corporations' cartels that set prices, restrict supply or manipulate customers; conspiracies among would-be competitors; monopolies; and other anti-competitive practices. The result: judgments and settlements in excess of $5.5 billion in antitrust cases in which our firm has had a leading role.

Our advice springs from a sophisticated understanding of the legal, economic and business issues related to antitrust cases. With a blend of courage, superior legal skills, and high principles, we protect our clients' interests and help them achieve their goals by winning highly-complex antitrust lawsuits against those that have abused market power to eliminate competition.

Knowledge across markets and industries

Our antitrust attorneys handle cases spanning the global economic spectrum. From software, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, and industrial inputs to financial services and medical care, we draw on a deep reservoir of knowledge about the operational, marketing, economic and competitive issues relevant to these cases, along with our tested trial experience.

Successes

Case	Result
Natural Gas Antitrust Cases	In 2003, the Court approved a landmark of $1.1 billion settlement in class action litigation against El Paso Natural Gas Co. for manipulating the market for natural gas pipeline transmission capacity into California. Lieff Cabraser served as Plaintiffs’ Co-Lead Counsel and Co-Liaison Counsel in the Natural Gas Antitrust Cases I-IV. Full Story $1.25 billion settlement
Wholesale Electricity Antitrust Cases	Lieff Cabraser served as Co-Lead Counsel in the private class action litigation against Duke Energy Trading & Marketing Reliant Energy, and The Williams Companies for claims that the companies manipulated California's wholesale electricity markets during the California energy crisis of 2000-2001. Full Story $1.066 billion in settlements
Brand Name Prescription Drugs	Lieff Cabraser served as Class Counsel for a class of tens of thousands of retail pharmacies against the leading pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers of brand name prescription drugs for alleged price-fixing from 1989 to 1995 in violation of the federal antitrust laws. Full Story $723 million settlement
Microsoft	Representing businesses and consumers, Lieff Cabraser prosecuted multiple private antitrust cases against Microsoft Corporation in state courts across the country, including Florida, New York, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Full Story Settlements valued at over $700 million
De Beers Diamonds	In addition to paying $295 million to direct purchasers and consumers of diamonds in the U.S., the settlement contains an historic injunction barring anti-competitive practices and requiring De Beers to submit to the ongoing jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court. Full Story $295 million settlement and historic injunction
Cosmetics	In March 2005, the Court approved a settlement valued at $175 million that Lieff Cabraser and co-counsel reached with numerous department store cosmetics manufacturers and retailers. Full Story Settlement valued at $175 million
California Pharmaceutical Cases	Lieff Cabraser served as Co-Lead and Co-Liaison Counsel representing a certified class of indirect purchasers (consumers) on claims against the major pharmaceutical manufacturers for violations of the Cartwright Act and the Unfair Competition Act. Full Story Settlement valued at $171 million
Lupron	In May 2005, the Court granted final approval to a settlement of a class action lawsuit by patients, insurance companies and health and welfare benefit plans that paid for Lupron, a prescription drug. Full Story $150 million settlement
California Vitamins Cases	Lieff Cabraser served as Co-Liaison Counsel and Co-Chairman of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in an antitrust action brought on behalf of a class of California indirect vitamin purchasers in every level of the chain of distribution. Full Story $105 million settlement
Buspar	This settlement provided $90 million cash antitrust settlement for individual consumers, consumer organizations, and third party payers that purchased BuSpar, a drug prescribed to alleviate symptoms of anxiety. Full Story $90 million settlement
Travel Agency Commissions	Lieff Cabraser served as Co Lead Counsel for a certified class of U.S. travel agents on claims against the major U.S. air carriers, who allegedly violated the federal antitrust laws by fixing the commissions paid to travel agents. In 1997, the Court approved an $82 million settlement. Full Story $82 million settlement
Toys 'R' Us	In February 2000, the Court approved a settlement of the antitrust case valued at over $56 million. Full Story $56 million settlement
Norvir	The lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories for allegedly monopolizing the market for key AIDS medicines used in conjunction with Abbott's prescription drug Norvir settled in 2011 for $52 million. Full Story $52 million settlement
Carpet Antitrust	Lieff Cabraser served as Class Counsel and a member of the trial team for a class of direct purchasers of twenty-ounce level loop polypropylene carpet. In 2001, the Court approved a $50 million settlement of the case. Full Story $50 million settlement
3M	Lieff Cabraser served as Co-Lead Counsel on behalf of indirect purchasers of Scotch-brand invisible and transparent tape who alleged that defendant 3M conspired with certain retailers to monopolize the sale of Scotch-brand tape in California. This case has been resolved as part of a nationwide settlement that Lieff Cabraser negotiated, along with co-counsel. Full Story Settlement valued at over $40 million
Lasik/PRK	Plaintiffs alleged that the manufacturers of the laser system used for the laser vision correction surgery manipulated fees charged to ophthalmologists who performed the surgery, and that the overcharges were passed onto consumers. Full Story $12.5 million settlement
Magnetic Iron Oxide	In August 2006 and January 2009, the Court approved the final settlements in antitrust litigation against manufacturers, producers, and distributors of magnetic iron oxide ("MIO"). Full Story $6.35 million settlement
SRAM	Plaintiffs allege that the defendant manufacturers conspired to fix and maintain artificially high prices for SRAM, a type of memory used in many products including smartphones and computers. Full Story
TFT-LCD (Flat Panel)	The settlements this antitrust class action lawsuit brought by direct purchasers against the world’s leading manufacturers of Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) for allegedly conspiring to fix prices totaled over $470 million. Lieff Cabraser served as Co-Lead Counsel for the class. Full Story $470 Million in settlements
View More Successes

Current Cases

Case	Issue
CopyTele Litigation	Lieff Cabraser represents CopyTele, Inc. (“CTI”) in litigation against Taiwanese corporations AU Optronics Corporation (“AUO” and E Ink Holdings, Inc. (“E Ink”), filed in federal court in San Francisco. Full Story Breach of Contract & Patent Infringement
Rechargeable Lithium Batteries	Lieff Cabraser is investigating alleged antitrust violations by the world's largest manufacturers of rechargeable Lithium ion-batteries. It is alleged that Sony, Samsung, Sanyo Electric, Panasonic, Hitachi, LG Chemical, and other manufacturers operated a global cartel to fix and artificially inflate the prices of rechargeable Lithium ion batteries sold in the United States. Full Story Global price-fixing conspiracy
High-Tech Workers Class Action Lawsuit	Leading High Tech companies allegedly entered into agreements with each other, eliminating a significant form of competition to attract highly skilled employees and distorting the hiring and promotion process to the detriment of affected employees. Full Story No Cold Calling, No-Hire Agreements, Suppressed Employee Wages
LIBOR Manipulation	Lieff Cabraser represents The Charles Schwab Corporation and certain of its affiliates in a lawsuit against major banks for allegedly manipulating the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"). Full Story Manipulation of LIBOR rates
Titanium Dioxide Antitrust Class Action	Plaintiffs allege that the world's leading manufacturers of titanium dioxide conspired to fix, raise, and maintain the price of titanium dioxide in the United States in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act. Full Story Price-fixing cartel
Cipro	The suit charges the companies colluded to block consumer access to affordable, generic versions of Cipro through a massive payment not to compete. Full Story Price-fixing & exclusionary drug-pricing agreements
Municipal Derivatives	Lieff Cabraser is serving as co-counsel for the City of Oakland in a federal antitrust lawsuit alleging that financial companies and brokers agreed among themselves to give cities artificially low bids for Guaranteed Investment Contracts. Full Story Fraud and bid-rigging
After Market Sheet Metal Auto Parts	Plaintiffs in class action lawsuits allege that the defendants conspired to fix and maintain artificially high prices for sheet metal aftermarket auto parts. Full Story Price-fixing
Air Cargo	Airfreight customers, both individuals and businesses, have filed antitrust class action lawsuits alleging a global conspiracy to fix prices for fuel, security and insurance surcharges in international air cargo shipping. Full Story Price-fixing cartel
Cathode Ray Tubes	Lieff Cabraser, with co-counsel, serves as counsel in a class action complaint on behalf of businesses and individuals that purchased CRTs and products containing CRTs from manufacturers alleging defendants operated a global cartel to fix the prices of CRTs sold in the United States. Full Story Price-fixing cartel
Comdata	The class action lawsuits charge that Comdata, the owner of a credit card system used by almost every truck stop in the United States, has undermined the ability of rival card issuers to challenge its monopoly, resulting in independent truck stops having to pay millions of dollars in excessive fees. Full Story Monopolization
Electrical Carbon Products	Lieff Cabraser represents direct purchasers of carbon brushes who allege that producers fixed price in violation of the Sherman Act. Full Story Price-fixing
Refrigerant Compressors	Lieff Cabraser is investigating a potential case involving the price fixing of refrigeration system compressors. Full Story Price-fixing
Steel Products	Plaintiffs, direct purchasers of steel, allege in a class action lawsuit that the largest producers of steel in the U.S. conspired to reduce the production of steel products in violation of U.S. antitrust laws. Full Story Price-fixing
View More Current Cases

Investigations

Case	Allegation
eBay Tech Worker Wage Suppression Alleged	On November 16, 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against eBay alleging that Meg Whitman, the the former CEO of eBay, conspired with the top executives of Intuit from 2006 to 2009 to not hire each other employees, in violation of U.S. antitrust laws. The complaint alleges that during that time, eBay's recruiting staff were instructed to throw away resumes that came from Intuit employees. Full Story Restraint of competition
eBooks	Lieff Cabraser is investigating possible illegal conduct by Apple and major publishers and to raise and fix the prices at artificially high levels of eBook versions of hardcover best sellers and new releases. Full Story Antitrust violations
Silver Market Manipulation	Lieff Cabraser is investigating alleged illegal conduct by major financial institutions on behalf of persons and entities who bought Commodity Exchange, Inc. silver futures or options between March 2008 and the present. Full Story Antitrust violations

Contact

Click here to contact an antitrust attorney at Lieff Cabraser. There is no charge or obligation for our review of your case.

In the News

Attorneys

Antitrust Brochure

Read a copy of our Antitrust Practice Area Brochure.

"One of the nation's premier plaintiffs' firms."

American Lawyer

"Representing the best qualities of the plaintiffs' bar."

The National Law Journal

"Their effective and caring advocacy for clients has earned Lieff Cabraser its first-class reputation."

The Daily Journal

Super Lawyers Nationwide