Private Equity & Unfair Competition

The firm has long experience representing parties in private equity disputes. While private equity encompasses a wide diversity of industries and focus, the firm recognizes that private equity firms face similar, recurring legal issues and litigation risks. From failed deals and shareholder disputes to intellectual property and antitrust allegations, the firm understands the world of private equity and the litigation it routinely encounters.

Representative cases have dealt with claims that private equity firms conspired to allocate the market for leveraged buy-outs of public companies by, among other things, submitting sham bids, agreeing not to bid and including "losing" bidders in transactions; mortgage portfolio disputes; claims of interference with mergers; and disputes regarding solicitations and offers to private equity investors.

The firm is also experienced in price-fixing, market allocation, concerted refusal to deal, and monopolization claims involving products and services such as shipping and trade channels, steel, and peanut seed. The firm also has represented plaintiffs and defendants in predatory pricing cases, Robinson-Patman Act cases, and cases involving anti-competitive merchandising and wholesale distribution policies, overcharging, misappropriation and theft of trade secrets, dilution of marks and brands, conspiracy to restrain trade, manipulation and monopolization of markets, pricing power disputes, agreements to limit competition, and dealer terminations.