Antitrust Cases

Gustafson Gluek PLLC is devoted to the prosecution of antitrust violations and the promotion of free competition. We have litigated some of the largest antitrust cases in courts across the United States.

Federal and state antitrust laws are designed to protect and promote competition among businesses by prohibiting price fixing and other forms of anticompetitive conduct. Violations can range from straight forward agreements among competitors to set prices to complicated schemes to illegally maintain monopoly power, all in an effort to eliminate competition.

Ongoing prosecution of these illegal schemes is important to protect businesses and consumers from paying more than they should for products and services.

The following are select cases Gustafson Gluek is currently investigating, litigating or has recently litigated on behalf of plaintiffs raising antitrust concerns.

  • $1.2 billion in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek was an integral part of the team representing a class of indirect purchases of various automotive components. The plaintiffs alleged that the defendants engaged in a sprawling price-fixing conspiracy to artificially increase the price of several different automobile components. Gustafson Gluek helped recover over $1.2 billion for the class.

  • $2.67 billion in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek was appointed as a member of the Damages and Litigation Committee representing a class of subscribers of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. Plaintiffs alleged antitrust violations by the defendant. The parties have reached a settlement that established a $2.67 billion Settlement Fund, but also required the defendant to fundamentally change the way they do business going forward increasing competition in the market for health insurance..

  • Over $100 million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek was appointed as one of the Co-Lead Counsel representing a class of commercial indirect purchasers of chicken. Plaintiffs allege that chicken suppliers colluded to artificially restrict the supply and raise the price of chicken in the United States. Plaintiffs have recovered over $100 million for the class.

  • Over $84.million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek represented a class of indirect purchasers of electrolytic or film capacitors. Plaintiffs alleged that at least fifteen multinational corporations conspired to fix the prices of capacitors that they manufactured and sold worldwide as well as in the United States. Gustafson Gluek attorneys worked closely with Lead Counsel throughout the litigation, which resulted in settlements of over $84 million for the class. 

  • $225 million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek represented a class of direct purchasers of CRT screens used for computer monitors and televisions. Plaintiffs alleged that defendants conspired to fix the price of these products in violation of the antitrust laws. Gustafson Gluek had a significant discovery role in the prosecution of this antitrust class action, which resulted in settlements totaling $225 million for the class.

  • Over $376 million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek represented a class of direct purchasers of containerboard products. Plaintiffs alleged that containerboard manufacturers conspired to fix the price of containerboard. Gustafson Gluek played a major role in the litigation, ultimately securing more than $376 million in settlements on behalf of the class. Helping the class secure over $376 million. 

  • Gustafson Gluek is Co-Lead Counsel representing a class of farmers alleging that manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers conspired to artificially increase and fix the prices of crop inputs (e.g. seeds, fertilizers, pesticides) used by farmers. The case is currently on appeal at the Eighth Circuit. 

  • $129.5 million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek serves as a court appointed member of the Steering Committee representing a class of car dealerships. Plaintiffs alleged that defendants unlawfully entered into an agreement that reduced competition and increased prices in the market for Dealer Management Systems (“DMS”) and data integration services related to DMS. After years of hard-fought litigation, Plaintiffs settled with the two defendants for $129 million. 

  • Gustafson Gluek has been appointed as Co-Lead Counsel to represent a proposed class of farmers who purchased repair services from John Deere. Plaintiffs allege Deere monopolized the market for repair and diagnostic services for its agricultural equipment and charged inflated prices for these services. 

  • Over $118 million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek represented a class of individuals who purchased contact lenses made by Alcon, CooperVision, Bausch + Lomb, and Johnson & Johnson. Plaintiffs alleged that these manufacturers unlawfully conspired to impose minimum resale price agreements on retailers, which restricted retailers’ ability to lower prices to consumers. A class was certified and ultimately the parties settled for over $118 million for the class. 

  • Over $190 million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek represented a class of direct purchasers of drywall in this antitrust case. Plaintiffs alleged that the defendant manufacturers conspired to artificially increase the price of drywall. A class was certified, and Gustafson Gluek helped recover over $190 million for the class. 

  • Gustafson Gluek is part of a team representing passengers of the airlines alleging antitrust violations against various airlines. The court denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss. Discovery has concluded and summary judgement motions have been submitted. There have been settlements with two of the defendants in this litigation to date for $60 million.  For more information, please visit https://domesticairclass.com/Home/portalid/0

  • $52.5 million settlement and case is ongoing

    Gustafson Gluek serves as Co- Lead Counsel representing a class of direct purchasers of boxed and case-ready beef. Plaintiffs allege that defendants engaged in a conspiracy to fix, raise, maintain and stabilize the price of beef in the United States in violation of the federal antitrust laws. Plaintiffs further allege that this resulted in supra-competitive prices for beef and harm to the class. Plaintiffs have reached a settlement with one of the defendants for $52.5 million. The case is continuing against the other defendants. 

  • Over $310 million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek was appointed Co-Lead Counsel for the indirect purchasers in this nationwide class action against both national and international memory-chip manufacturers. Plaintiffs alleged that the defendants engaged in a conspiracy surrounding the pricing of the memory chips commonly known as Dynamic Random Access Memory (or DRAM). DRAM is used in thousands of devices on a daily basis. Gustafson Gluek was integral in achieving a settlement of over $310 million for the class.

  • Gustafson Gluek has been appointed Co-Lead Counsel for a proposed class of indirect purchasers of fragrances and fragrance ingredients. Plaintiffs allege that the world’s largest fragrance manufacturers conspired to fix and maintain the price of fragrances and fragrance ingredients in violation of federal and state antitrust laws resulting in supra-competitive prices for plaintiffs and proposed class.

  • Gustafson Gluek represents a class of Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs and is part of a team of law firms alleging anti-competitive conduct by more than twenty generic drug manufacturers with respect to more than 100 generic drugs, including drugs used to treat common and serious health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

  • Gustafson Gluek has been appointed to the Leadership Committee representing a class of publishers who sold digital advertising space via Google. Plaintiffs allege that Google’s anticompetitive monopolistic practices led to digital publishers being paid less for their advertising space than they otherwise would have been paid in a competitive market.

  • Gustafson Gluek represents a class of indirect purchaser end-user plaintiffs who purchased products containing Hard Disk Drive (HDD) suspension assemblies. Plaintiffs allege that the defendant HDD suspension assemblies manufacturers unlawfully conspired to fix the prices of the HDD suspension assemblies and manufactured and sold the component worldwide and into the United States at an inflated price.

  • $19.5 million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek served as Co-Lead Counsel with two other firms representing a class of indirect purchasers of interior molded doors. Plaintiffs alleged that two of the country’s largest interior molded door manufacturers conspired to inflate prices in the market. Defendants settled with the class for $19.5 million.

  • $139 million dollars in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek represented a class of direct purchasers of lithium ion batteries in a multidistrict class action. Plaintiffs alleged collusive activity by the world’s largest manufacturers of lithium ion batteries, which are used in everything from cellular phones to cameras, laptops and tablet computers. Gustafson Gluek had a significant discovery role in the prosecution of this antitrust class and helped recover over $139 million for the class.

  • Gustafson Gluek represented a class of indirect purchasers alleging that Defendants committed antitrust violations resulting consumers overpaying for shelf-stable tuna products. Gustafson Gluek helped to recover more than $152 million for the classes. 

  • Gustafson Gluek has been appointed as one of the Co-Lead Counsel representing a proposed class of automobile dealerships and other reseller plaintiffs who purchased tires from defendants.  Plaintiffs allege that the defendants conspired to fix and maintain the price of replacement tires in violation of the antitrust laws and resulting in harm to the plaintiffs and the proposed class. 

  • $6.2 billion dollars in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek represented a class of merchants who accepted defendants’ credit cards and was a member of the executive committee appointed by the Co-Lead Counsel. Plaintiffs alleged that Visa, MasterCard, and a number of their member banks conspired to fix the price of interchange fees charged to the merchants who accepted those cards. Defendants have agreed to pay the class over $6.2 billion in settlements. 

  • $109 million settlement and case is ongoing

    Gustafson Gluek has been appointed as Interim Co-Lead Counsel representing a class of consumers who purchased pork products. Plaintiffs allege pork producers, who control over 80% of the wholesale pork market in the U.S. conspired to fix prices by, among other things, agreeing to restrict production to artificially increase prices. The motion to dismiss was denied and the class was certified. The class has settled for $109 million with a case ongoing against other defendants. 

  • $33.4 million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek worked closely with Lead Counsel representing indirect purchasers of linear resistors. The Plaintiffs alleged that the defendant manufacturers conspired to increase the price of linear resistors, thereby causing indirect purchasers to pay more. After engaging in extensive discovery, Plaintiffs recovered a total of $33.4 million in settlements for the indirect purchaser class.

  • $10 million settlement and is ongoing

    Gustafson Gluek is part of a Lead Counsel Committee representing a class of pharmacies alleging that defendants Surescripts, RelayHealth, and Allscripts Healthcare Solutions conspired to monopolize and restrain trade in the e-prescription services market. The class has obtained a $10 million settlement with one of the defendants.

  • Over $450 million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek served as Co-Lead Counsel representing a class of direct purchasers of freight forwarding services in this international case against 68 defendants. Plaintiffs alleged that the defendants engaged in an international conspiracy to fix, inflate, and maintain various charges and surcharges for freight forwarding services in violation of U.S. antitrust laws. Gustafson Gluek secured over $450 million in settlements for the class.

  • $30 million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek was appointed Co-Lead Counsel representing a class of purchasers of hospital healthcare services. Plaintiffs alleged that defendant Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan used its market position to negotiate contracts with hospitals that impeded competition and increased prices for patients. Gustafson Gluek worked to secure a settlement of $29 million on behalf of the class. 

  • $33 million in settlements

    Gustafson Gluek represents a proposed class of indirect purchasers of farm-raised Atlantic Salmon. Plaintiffs allege that several major Salmon producers coordinated to artificially raise the price of Atlantic salmon. The plaintiffs secured a settlement with the defendants for $33 million on behalf of the class.