Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ANTITRUST—N.D. Cal.: Office Depot, other direct action plaintiffs agree to dismiss state law claims in CRT price-fixing action, (Dec 22, 2014)
Law Firms Mentioned:Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP | Kirkland & Ellis LLP | Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP | Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP | Weil, Gotshal and Manges LLP | White & Case LLP | Winston & Strawn LLP
Organizations Mentioned:ABC Appliance, Inc. | Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP | Compucom Systems | Electrograph Systems, Inc. | Hitachi, Ltd. | Interbond Corporation of America | Kirkland & Ellis, LLP | LG Electronics, Inc. | MARTA Cooperative of America, Inc. | Munger, Tolles & Olson, LLP | Office Depot, Inc. | Panasonic Corporation | Richard & Son Long Island Corporation | Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. | Schultze Agency Services | Toshiba Corporation | Weil Gotshal & Manges, LLP | White & Case, LLP | Winston & Strawn, LLP
By Linda O’Brien, J.D., LL.M.
A group of direct action plaintiffs have agreed to dismiss their state law claims in the multidistrict class action litigation against Hitachi, LG Electronics, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, and other cathode ray tube (CRT) manufacturers for an alleged international price fixing conspiracy, according to a stipulation and order of dismissal entered by the federal district court in San Francisco (In re Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Antitrust Litigation, December 18, 2014, Conti, S.).
Distributor Electrograph Systems, retailer Office Depot, and other direct action plaintiffs (DAPs) filed a multidistrict class action against cathode ray tube (CRT) manufacturers that involved allegations of an international conspiracy to fix prices on CRT’s included in products purchased by Electrograph, Office Depot, and other manufacturers and retailers.
The DAPs voluntarily agreed to dismiss the state law claims in part because the state statutes did not confer standing on indirect purchasers. However, the plaintiffs will continue to proceed with their claims against the defendant manufacturers under the Sherman Act.
The case is No. C-07-5944-SC.
Attorneys: Philip J. Iovieno, William A. Isaacson, and Stuart Singer (Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP) for Electrograph Systems, Inc., Office Depot, Inc., Compucom Systems, Interbond Corporation of America, Richard & Son Long Island Corporation, MARTA Cooperative of America, Inc., ABC Appliance, Inc., and Schultze Agency Services. Eliot A. Adelson (Kirkland & Ellis LLP) for Hitachi, Ltd. Jerome C. Roth (Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP) for LG Electronics, Inc. Jeffrey L. Kessler (Winston & Strawn LLP) and Steven A. Reiss (Weil, Gotshal and Manges LLP) for Panasonic Corporation. Christopher M. Curran (White & Case LLP) for Toshiba Corporation. Gary L. Halling (Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP) for Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
Companies: Electrograph Systems, Inc.; Office Depot, Inc.; Compucom Systems; Interbond Corporation of America; Richard & Son Long Island Corporation; MARTA Cooperative of America, Inc.; ABC Appliance, Inc.; Schultze Agency Services; Hitachi, Ltd.; LG Electronics, Inc.; Panasonic Corporation; Toshiba Corporation; Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
Cases: Antitrust CaliforniaNews