Michelle Looby joined Gustafson Gluek PLLC in 2008, becoming a Member in 2015. Since then, Michelle has represented plaintiffs in class actions nationwide – often taking on the largest corporations and law firms in high-stakes antitrust litigation. She is Co-Chair of the Firm’s Antitrust Practice Group.
In the courtroom, Michelle has served in leadership roles in numerous class actions, including appointments to serve as co-lead counsel, on executive or steering committee and/or as liaison counsel in cases alleging antitrust or consumer protection violations in an array of industries. A few recent examples include: In re: Fragrances Indirect Purchaser Antitrust Litig., (D. N.J.) (appointed co-lead counsel for indirect purchaser class), In re Cattle and Beef Antitrust Litig., (D. Minn.) (appointed co-lead and liaison counsel for the direct purchaser class), and In re Concrete and Cement Additives Antitrust Litig., (SDNY) (appointed to the executive committee for direct purchaser class).
Outside the courtroom, Michelle is actively involved in the legal community. She recently co-founded and was named Co-Chair of the Antitrust Committee of the Minnesota Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the American Antitrust Institute (AAI); as an editor of the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Magazine; a council member, and former President of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Antitrust Section; and is active in the Minnesota Women Lawyers Association, having previously served on its board and as a co-chair of its Public Policy and Advocacy Committee. Michelle frequently speaks at CLEs and conferences on class actions and antitrust.
Michelle has been nationally recognized for her antitrust work receiving the AAI’s award for Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Law Practice in 2022 and being named a Minnesota Attorney of the Year in 2022 for her work on a novel antitrust case that led to a settlement securing a spot on the roster for the youngest player in National Women’s Soccer League history at the time. In 2015, she similarly received the AAI’s award for Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement by a Young Lawyer for her work on an antitrust class action securing over $400 million in settlements for the class. She has also been designated as a Minnesota “Rising Star” from 2014 through 2020 and “Super Lawyer” from 2021 through 2024 by Super Lawyers.
Michelle earned her J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law. During law school, Michelle was also a member of the William Mitchell Law Review from 2005 to 2007, serving as Assistant Editor from 2006 to 2007. In addition, Michelle was a five-time recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award, recognizing the student with the highest grade in the class as determined by the instructor or registrar.
In her free time, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family. In between all the kids’ activities, which seem to continue to consume much of her free time despite the kids getting older, Michelle and her family enjoy traveling, whether it is to see family in Wisconsin or more tropical settings such as Antigua.
For more information regarding Michelle and a list of her representative cases, see below.
More About Michelle
-
William Mitchell College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude (2007)
University of Minnesota, B.A., with distinction (2004)
-
Minnesota State Bar
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
-
Minnesota Super Lawyer (2021-2024) by Super Lawyers
Minnesota Attorney of the Year (2022) by Minnesota Lawyer
Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement Award (2022) from the American Antitrust Institute
Minnesota Rising Star (2014-2020) by Super Lawyers
Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement by a Young Lawyer Award (2015) from the American Antitrust Institute
-
Michelle is currently serving in leadership roles in several class actions and has many active cases at Gustafson Gluek.
Michelle is serving as Co-Lead Counsel in In re Cattle and Beef Antitrust Litig. (D. Minn.), where she represents a class of direct purchasers of beef alleging defendants engaged in an anticompetitive scheme to artificially reduce supply and inflate the price of boxed beef. She was also appointed to serve Co-Lead Counsel for the Indirect Purchaser Plaintiffs in In re: Fragrances Indirect Purchaser Antitrust Litig. (D.N.J.), asserting antitrust claims against the worlds’ largest manufacturers of fragrances.
She is also serving on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in In re Dealer Management Systems Antitrust Litig. (N.D. Ill.), representing a proposed class of auto dealerships alleging the two leading providers of dealer management systems engaged in anticompetitive conduct to the detriment of auto dealerships across the nation. Michelle is also the lead attorneys for the Firm working on In re Concrete and Cement Additives Antitrust Litig. (S.D.N.Y.), in which the Firm was appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee, to represent direct purchasers of concrete and cement admixtures who are alleging that the defendant entered into an unlawful agreement to fix the price of CCAs.
Michelle also played an integral role in Precision Associates, Inc., et al. v. Panalpina World Transport (Holding), Ltd., et al. (E.D.N.Y.), a case in which Gustafson Gluek served as Co-Lead counsel, representing a class of businesses and consumers who paid supra-competitive prices for freight forwarding services as a result of 11 separate conspiracies executed by 68 defendants in an antitrust class action - ultimately recovering over $450 million for the class.
Other Representative Cases
Interior Molded Doors Antitrust Litig. (E.D.V.A.) (Co-Lead Counsel – Indirect Purchasers)
Powell Prescription Center, et al. v. Surescripts, LLC et al. (N.D. Ill.) (Lead Counsel Committee)
In re CenturyLink Residential Customer Billing Disputes Litig. (D. Minn.) (Executive Committee Co-Chair)
In re Allura Fiber Cement Siding Products Liability Litig. (D.S.C.) (Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee)
In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litig. (N.D. Ill.) (Co-Lead Counsel – Commercial & Institutional Indirect Purchasers)
In re Pork Antitrust Litig. (D. Minn.) (Co-Lead Counsel – Consumer Indirect Purchasers)
In re Generic Pharmaceuticals Pricing Antitrust Litig. (E.D. Pa.)
In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litig. (E.D. Mich.)
In re Opana ER Antitrust Litig. (N.D. Ill.)
In re Restatsis (Cyclosporine Opthalmic Emulsion) Antitrust Litig. (E.D.N.Y)
In re Asacol Antitrust Litig. (D. Mass.)
In re Celebrex (Celecoxib) Antitrust Litig. (E.D. Va.)