Antitrust Lawyer

Allen v. Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., et al.

Shapiro Haber & Urmy LLP represents a certified settlement class of dairy farmers in the Northeastern United States who allege that Defendants unlawfully monopolized and fixed the prices that they paid the farmers for their milk and unlawfully allocated markets.  Defendants include Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Dairy Marketing Services, LLC, and Dean Foods Company.  On August 3, 2011, the Court approved the settlement between Plaintiffs and Dean Foods Company that provides for $30 million in settlement funds. The case is entitled Allen v. Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 09-cv-230 in the District of Vermont.

In re Marine Products Antitrust Litigation

On July 7, 2010, Judge Wu appointed Shapiro Haber & Urmy LLP to serve as Vice Chair of the Executive Committee representing the class of direct purchasers in the case In re Marine Products Antitrust Litigation, C.A. No. 10-cv-2319 (C.D. Cal.) (continuing as Ace Marine Rigging & Supply, Inc. v. Virginia Harbor Services, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 11-cv-00436 (C.D. Cal) and Board of Commissions of the Port of New Orleans v. Virginia Harbor Services, Inc., et al., C.A. No. 11-cv-00437 (C.D. Cal)). Shapiro Haber & Urmy LLP represents a class of direct purchasers of several products used in the marine industry to protect vessels, docks and piers. The class actions allege that manufacturers of these marine products collaborated to rig bids and divide the market in order to avoid competition and maximize profits. Settlements with certain defendants for more than $5 million and securing extensive cooperation with the continued prosecution of the case are currently pending approval. The case is being litigated before Judge Wu in the Central District of California, and Charles Tompkins is a member of the leadership team.

 

Prior to joining the firm, Charles Tompkins, the head of Shapiro Haber & Urmy’s antitrust practice, served as a member of co-lead counsel teams litigating antitrust actions across the country, representing individuals, small businesses, and multi-national corporations in state and federal actions alleging violations of antitrust laws.  Mr. Tompkins was a lead member of the trial team that litigated Pease, et al. v. Jasper Wyman & Son, et al., a price-fixing action in which the Plaintiffs, a class of Maine blueberry farmers, obtained a $54 million judgment following years of hard- fought litigation and a two-week jury trial.  This remains the largest judgment of any kind in Maine’s history.  Mr. Tompkins was also a member of the Co-Lead Counsel team in one of the largest antitrust cases ever litigated, In re Air Cargo Shipping Services Litigation, in which the Plaintiffs allege damages of over $1 billion, and In re Air Passenger Antitrust Litigation, which was successfully settled for nearly $200 million following complex litigation and mediation of antitrust claims brought under the laws of both the United States and the United Kingdom.  Mr. Tompkins also served as a member of the Co-Lead Counsel team in In re Carbon Black Antitrust Litigation (D. Mass.), which settled after the close of discovery and shortly prior to trial for $20 million, and In re Flat Glass Antitrust Litigation (E.D. Pa.), which settled on the eve of trial for $60 million.