Result: $163.5 million settlement
Year: 2013

Haley Paint Co. v. E.I. Dupont De Nemours and Co. et al., No. 10-cv-00318-RDB (D. Md.)

Lieff Cabraser served as Co-Lead Counsel for direct purchasers of titanium dioxide in a nationwide class action lawsuit against Defendants E.I. Dupont De Nemours and Co., Huntsman International LLC, Kronos Worldwide Inc., and Cristal Global (fka Millennium Inorganic Chemicals, Inc.), alleging these corporations participated in a global cartel to fix the price of titanium dioxide.

Titanium dioxide, a dry chemical powder, is the world’s most widely used pigment for providing whiteness and brightness in paints, paper, plastics, and other products. Plaintiffs charged that defendants coordinated increases in the prices for titanium dioxide despite declining demand, decreasing raw material costs, and industry overcapacity.

Unlike some antitrust class actions, Plaintiffs proceeded without the benefit of any government investigation or proceeding.Plaintiffs overcame attacks on the pleadings, discovery obstacles, a rigorous class certification process that required two full rounds of briefing and expert analysis, and multiple summary judgment motions.

In August 2012, the Court certified the class.Plaintiffs prepared fully for trial and achieved a settlement with the final defendant on the last business day before trial. In December 2013, the Court approved a series of settlements with defendants totaling $163 million.