An antitrust class action is a case brought by consumers who suffered an economic loss because the seller of the product or service they purchased violated one or more antitrust laws. Violations of antitrust laws include conspiracies to restrain trade, restraints on trade, price fixing, and price discrimination where the effects are to eliminate or weaken competition in the marketplace. To be categorized as a class action, individuals must be similarly situated with common factual and legal concerns. All the small, individual claims are bundled into a larger case that allows the individuals who may not normally bring a case on their own to recover for the company’s wrongdoing.

Any consumer, entity, or company harmed by a violation of antitrust laws can bring an antitrust lawsuit. If the court determines that a larger group of consumers shares the same claims, it will allow the case to proceed as a class action on behalf of all similarly injured consumers.

A class representative volunteers to represent other similarly situated consumers and entities and agrees to act in the best interests of the class. A class representative stays informed about significant developments in the case and works with class counsel to make important strategic decisions regarding the conduct and disposition of the litigation.

A consumer protection class action typically takes three years to litigate. However, each case is unique and some cases can be resolved in less time, while others may take longer. Certain factors that can influence the length of an antitrust class action include the complexity of the case, the number of related suits, challenges to jurisdiction and venue, discovery disputes, judicial changes and the number of cases on the court’s docket, to name a few.

No. Representative plaintiffs in actions brought by Robbins LLP are not responsible for paying attorneys’ fees or expenses. All costs and expenses of the litigation are advanced by Robbins LLP. We only recover our fees and costs – paid for by defendants – if we are successful in obtaining a substantial benefit for the class.