REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
Lauren Norris Donahue
Civil Litigation & Class Action Defense
Representing a US property developer, owner, and operator in a nationwide antitrust class action brought by renters of multifamily residential housing units alleging a price-fixing and information sharing conspiracy based on common use of a pricing algorithm within a vendor’s property management software.
Representing a global energy trading company and its US-subsidiary in a series of 25 federal class actions and a civil action by the California Attorney General involving allegations of market manipulation and violations of the antitrust and unfair competition laws stemming from trading activity in the California gasoline spot market.
Represented a Japanese auto-parts manufacturer and its US-subsidiary in a nationwide antitrust class action brought by various purchasers alleging a global price-fixing cartel in the sale of automotive parts.
Represented a Japanese electronic components manufacturer and its US-subsidiary in a nationwide multidistrict antitrust class action brought by direct and indirect purchasers alleging a global price-fixing cartel. These actions followed a criminal antitrust investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division.
Representing a global generic pharmaceutical manufacturer headquartered in Australia in a nationwide multidistrict antitrust class action brought by various purchasers alleging an industry-wide cartel involving price-fixing and customer allocation agreements and conspiracies.
Represented a global agricultural equipment manufacturer in multi-district antitrust, consumer fraud, and RICO class actions involving lawnmower horsepower.
Represented Canadian containerboard manufacturer in an antirust class action brought by direct purchasers alleging a price-fixing conspiracy to raise the price of containerboard products. We also represented the company in a related opt-out action filed by one of its customers where we won our motion to dismiss state antitrust claims against our client, and eventually succeeded in having the entire action dismissed with prejudice.
Represented a US railway component manufacturer in a nationwide antitrust class action brought by employees alleging anticompetitive “no-poach”/“no-hire” agreements in railway employee labor markets.
Cartel Investigations
Represented a US-based food processor and distributor in a grand jury investigation and prosecution conducted by the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division regarding alleged bid-rigging and price-fixing in the sale of poultry products. We achieved a full dismissal of the indictment for our client.
Representing the former senior vice president of sales for Starkist, a packaged seafood manufacturer, in a criminal antitrust investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division concerning price-fixing.
Represented an investment management company in a grand jury subpoena from the Department of Justice Antitrust Division concerning alleged no-poach agreements.
Represented an individual in response to a grand jury subpoena from the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division concerning anticompetitive “no-poach” agreements in the health care industry.
Represented a Japanese electronic capacitor manufacturer in a criminal antitrust investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division. The representation included coordination with investigations conducted in numerous other countries, as well as representation of both the parent and its US-subsidiary in numerous follow-on class actions and opt out litigations.
Represented a global generic pharmaceutical manufacturer in response to grand jury and investigatory subpoenas from the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and state attorneys general concerning alleged price-fixing and customer allocation in the generic drugs market.
Represented the president of a transportation and entertainment industry company in a criminal antitrust investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division concerning alleged price-fixing and market allocation. The investigation was resolved without enforcement action against the company or its president.
Represented a large Japanese manufacturer of resistors and other passive electronic components and its US-subsidiary in a criminal antitrust investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division concerning alleged price-fixing and bid-rigging. We conducted a thorough and rapid internal investigation, and used the information to persuade the Antitrust Division to terminate the investigation against our client.
Represented the president of an oil and gas exploration company located in Oklahoma City in an investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division concerning alleged price-fixing, bid-rigging, and market allocation. Our client was not charged in the investigation although a criminal indictment was brought against the competitor company and its president.
Represented a senior executive from a Japanese automotive parts manufacturer in an investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division concerning alleged price-fixing, bid-rigging, and market allocation in the sale of plastic components.
Represented a senior sales executive from a North American chain of truck stops in the United States and Canada in an investigation conducted by the US Attorney’s Office in Knoxville, Tennessee concerning fraudulent conduct in the withholding of diesel fuel price discounts.
Represented a senior executive from an automotive parts electronics manufacturer in an investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division concerning alleged price-fixing, bid-rigging, and market allocation. The government was persuaded to decline prosecution against our client.
Represented a senior executive from an investment bank in Dallas in an investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division concerning alleged bid-rigging in municipal bond sales. Although the prosecutors in Dallas recommended a multi-count indictment, we persuaded the senior decision-makers in the Antitrust Division in Washington, DC to decline prosecution.
Represented the president of a major electronics and lighting company located in Amsterdam in an investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division concerning alleged price-fixing and bid-rigging in the TV monitor market. The government was persuaded to decline prosecution against our client although charges were brought against the corporation.
Represented a Chicago company that produces and distributes ice in a criminal antitrust investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and a civil antitrust investigation conducted by the Illinois Attorney General concerning alleged price-fixing among sellers of ice in the Chicago regional market and throughout the nation. We persuaded the Antitrust Division to decline prosecution of both the company and its employees, and resolved the civil investigation conducted by the Illinois Attorney General.
Represented an agricultural chemicals company from Australia in a civil investigation and litigation conducted by the Federal Trade Commission in the United States. The case was resolved through a favorable agreement.
Represented a global manufacturer of automotive parts and its US-subsidiary in a criminal antitrust investigation conducted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division. Representation included participation in the coordination of the company’s response to investigations in numerous other jurisdictions.
Merger Control
Represented Shields Health Solutions, a specialty pharmacy management company, on the antitrust aspects of its US$1.37 billion sale to Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) which required a premerger notification in the United States.
Represented II-VI Incorporated, a leader in engineered materials and optoelectronic components, on the antitrust aspects of its US$6.3 billion acquisition of a worldwide provider of semiconductor solutions which involved competition approvals in the United States, Germany, China, and South Korea.
Represented T-Mobile, a US wireless carrier, on antitrust aspects of its US$26.5 billion merger with Sprint Corp.
Represented II-VI Incorporated, a leader in engineered materials and optoelectronic components, on the antitrust aspects of its US$3.2 billion acquisition of Finisar Corporation, a leading optical communications developer, which involved competition approvals in the United States, China, Germany, Mexico, and Romania.
Represented a large health care system in its acquisition of a local hospital.
Advised a health care system on its potential acquisition of a competing physician group practice.
Compliance & Counseling
Advised multiple health care providers in the development of Clinically Integrated Networks (CINs), as well as other antitrust regulatory matters.
Advised multiple health care providers and GPOs on antitrust compliance issues related to joint purchasing arrangements.
Advised multiple national and multinational corporations in the development, implementation, and maintenance of antitrust compliance programs across multiple business units and product lines in the agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, health care, and consumer products industries.
Retained advisor to a sales and distribution joint venture formed by competitors in the transportation industry, counseling on a variety of antitrust and compliance issues.
