Antitrust & Consumer Protection
Gross Klein PC represents businesses and individuals in the prosecution of price-fxing, tying, monopolization, monopsonization, unfair business practices, deceptive business practices, and other antitrust and consumer protection cases in state and federal courts throughout the country.
The bulk of the antitrust and consumer protection cases pursued by the firm are large, high profile, multi-state matters in which hundreds of millions of dollars is at stake. However, the firm understands that illegal, anticompetive, unfair, and deceptive business conduct also occurs at smaller scales, and is willing and able to attain justice for the victims of antitrust and consumer protection violations of any size.
Representative Cases
A sample of some of the recent antitrust and consumer protection litigation cases handled the firm:
Little v. Pacific Seafood, et al. — The firm is leading, as sole lead counsel, the prosecution of price-fixing, unfair business practices, and related claims on behalf of commercial crabbers against approximately forty buyers and processors of Dungeness crab in California, Oregon, and Washington. The case, which is proceeding in the Northern District of California, alleges, in part, that since at least 2016 the defendants have fixed and artificially suppressed the price paid to crabbers, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. Settlements totaling several million dollars have already been reached with certain smaller defendants. Prosecution of the case against the remaining defendants is ongoing.
In re: Granulated Sugar Antitrust Litigation — The firm is part of a coalition of firms pursuing price-fixing, illegal information exchange, and consumer protection claims on behalf of commercial end purchasers against major U.S. sugar producers. The case, which is proceeding in the District of Minnesota, alleges, in part, that the defendants illegally fixed and artificially inflated granulated sugar prices, since at least 2019.
In re: Apple Inc. Smartphone Antitrust Litigation — The firm is part of a coalition of firms pursuing monopilization and consumer protection claims on behalf of end purchasers of iPhones against Apple. The case, which is proceeding in the District of New Jersey, alleges, in part, that Apple illegally monopolized the smartphone and related markets in the United States, since at least 2020.
In re: Frozen Potato Products Antitrust Litigation — The firm is part of a coalition of firms pursuing price-fixing and consumer protection claims on behalf of commercial end purchasers of frozen potato products against major potato producers and processors. The case, which is proceeding in the Northern District of Illinois, alleges, in part, that the defendants fixed and artificially inflated the price for frozen potato products, since at least 2021.
In re: Shale Oil Antitrust Litigation — The firm is part of a coalition of firms pursuing price-fixing and consumer protection claims on behalf of commercial end purchasers of gasoline, diesel, and other petroleum products against major shale oil producers. The case, which is proceeding in the District of New Mexico, alleges, in part, that the defendants, in coordination with members of OPEC, fixed and artificially inflated the price of crude oil and thus the costs of derivative products, since at least 2021.
Portable Power v. Energizer, et al. — The firm is part of a coalition of firms pursuing price-fixing and unfair competition claims on behalf of direct purchasers of battery products from Energizer against Energizer and Walmart. The case, which is proceeding in the Northern District of California, alleges, in part, that Energizer and Walmart fixed and artificially inflated the wholesale price of Energizer batter products, since at least 2018.
In re Capacitors Antitrust Litigation — The firm was part of a coalition of firms that successfully prosecuted price-fixing claims on behalf of a class of direct purchasers of capacitors against capacitor manufacturers. The case, which was prosecuted in the Northern District of California, attained hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements on behalf of the class.
Cramer v. Elements Mountain Company, et al. — The firm, as co-lead counsel, successfully prosecuted price-fixing and consumer protection claims on behalf of a class of homeowners against the providers of snow removal services. The, which was prosecuted in Nevada County Superior Court, attained millions of dollars in consideration for class members.