Sherman Act & Antitrust Class Action Attorneys
Illegal market manipulation, price fixing, and corporate collusion can distort entire industries and harm consumers, workers, and competitors. At Podhurst Orseck, our antitrust litigation team represents plaintiffs in high-stakes Sherman Act and antitrust class actions, working to hold corporations accountable and secure meaningful financial recoveries for those affected by anticompetitive conduct.
National leaders in Antitrust & Sherman Act Litigation
Podhurst Orseck has represented plaintiffs in some of the largest and most complex antitrust cases in U.S. history, including claims involving price-fixing, market allocation, and monopolistic practices that distort fair markets.
Most notably, Podhurst Orseck played a key role in achieving a $2.8 billion settlement in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation, one of the largest healthcare antitrust cases ever resolved. After over a decade of litigation, the federal court approved sweeping reforms designed to promote transparency, competition, and fairness in how insurers contract with healthcare providers. Founding Partner Aaron Podhurst served on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee. Peter Prieto, Chair of the firm’s Commercial Litigation and Class Action Practice, led the Experts Committee — helping secure monetary recovery and lasting industry change.
Corporate Collusion Harms More Than Competitors
Antitrust laws like the Sherman Act protect competition, which is the foundation of a fair and thriving economy. When corporations conspire to fix prices, rig bids, or divide markets, the damage reaches far beyond competitors. Consumers pay inflated prices, workers lose opportunities, and small businesses are shut out of fair markets.
At Podhurst Orseck, we’ve taken on complex and high-value antitrust litigation to unravel large-scale collusion and corporate conspiracy:
- Price-fixing cartels that artificially inflate the cost of medications, electronics, auto parts, and food supplies
- Bid rigging schemes in publicly funded projects like transportation, defense, or infrastructure procurement—undermining fair bidding and defrauding taxpayers
- Market allocation agreements in which companies agree not to compete in designated territories, denying consumers access to better prices or services
- Monopolistic practices that squeeze out smaller players by predatory pricing, refusal to deal, or weaponized litigation
- Tying and bundling arrangements that force customers to purchase unwanted or overpriced add-on products as a condition for accessing essential services
These aren’t just business disputes but systemic threats to fair economic participation. Whether you’re an individual paying too much, a small business pushed out of the market, or an entrepreneur blocked from competing, we’re ready to help you pursue justice.
We Hold Corporations Accountable for Antitrust Violations
Antitrust misconduct is often deeply embedded in corporate culture. It’s not usually a one-time violation. It’s an organized, long-term strategy carried out by top executives and entire industries to rig markets, control supply chains, and maximize profit at the expense of consumers and competitors.
These illegal tactics can go undetected for years, especially when cloaked in complex contracts, trade association meetings, or coded communication between corporate insiders. At Podhurst Orseck, we know what to look for and how to bring these schemes to light in court.
We represent plaintiffs in cases involving:
- Horizontal price-fixing: When companies that should be competing agree to fix, stabilize, or raise prices, it robs consumers of the benefits of competition and violates the core of the Sherman Act.
- Vertical restraints: These occur when suppliers or manufacturers dictate how retailers must price or distribute products, leading to artificially high prices or restricted market access.
- Exclusive dealing and predatory practices: Corporations sometimes use loyalty contracts, bundling schemes, or underpriced products to force competitors out of business and solidify dominance.
- False market control justifications: Some companies disguise anti-competitive behavior behind intellectual property claims, “standard setting,” or regulatory lobbying that masks collusion.
- Group boycotts and collusive refusals to deal: When competitors agree to cut off suppliers, clients, or disrupt competitors’ access to essential resources, it can crush legitimate businesses and destroy innovation.
At Podhurst Orseck, we dig deep into the facts, corporate emails, internal documents, pricing algorithms, and executive communications to expose coordinated behavior and secure accountability. We don’t back down from large corporations with vast legal teams and deep pockets. We’ve stood toe-to-toe with industry titans before and won.
The Authority on in Complex Antitrust Class Actions
Real Results. Respected Worldwide.
We’re not just litigators. We’re trial lawyers with a history of winning against corporate giants. Our firm brings decades of complex litigation experience, national recognition, and a fearless approach to uncovering and challenging unlawful market conduct.
Our firm’s commitment to legal excellence ensures that Podhurst Orseck clients receive the representation they need during challenging times.
Explore More Of Our Landmark CasesWho’s Liable in an Antitrust Class Action?
In antitrust litigation, success begins with naming the right defendants. That means identifying every party involved in the unlawful conduct, whether they planned it, benefited from it, or allowed it to continue unchecked.
At Podhurst Orseck, we leave no stone unturned. Our investigations often uncover wrongdoing that spans multiple supply chain layers, implicating powerful companies and influential individuals. Depending on the scope and complexity of the case, we may bring claims against:
Fortune 500 Companies & Industry Leaders
They used their dominance to fix prices, divide markets, or eliminate competition through coercive or deceptive practices.
Trade Associations & Industry Groups
That served as a vehicle for coordination, organizing secret meetings, sharing pricing strategies, or enabling group boycotts under the guise of collaboration.
Distributors, Wholesalers, or Suppliers
Those who participated in vertical pricing restraints or worked hand-in-hand with manufacturers to control market behavior.
Corporate Executives & Decision-Makers
Who orchestrated, approved, or helped conceal antitrust violations, especially where there is direct evidence of involvement or knowledge
Multinational Corporations
Including foreign firms participating in international cartels, which are impacting American consumers and businesses.
Our attorneys rely on sophisticated investigative tools, forensic data analysis, and expert economic modeling to trace the flow of information and money, revealing patterns of coordination that may have been hidden for years. We pursue every lead, subpoena key records, and scrutinize:
- Internal communications and pricing directives
- Contracts, NDAs, and supplier agreements
- Trade association materials and event records
- Executive calendars, call logs, and meeting notes
When companies abuse their market power, we build the strongest possible case to hold them accountable in court and ensure they can’t repeat that misconduct.
The Sherman Act: A Weapon Against Corporate Conspiracy
The Sherman Antitrust Act remains the cornerstone of American antitrust law. Passed more than a century ago to break up monopolies and curb anti-competitive behavior, the Sherman Act is still a powerful weapon for plaintiffs today, especially when used in class actions involving widespread corporate misconduct.
The Sherman Act prohibits two key categories of conduct:
- Section 1: Contracts, combinations, or conspiracies that unreasonably restrain trade—such as price-fixing, bid rigging, or market allocation among competitors.
- Section 2: Acts of monopolization, attempted monopolization, or conspiracy to monopolize a market, often involving predatory pricing or exclusionary tactics.
At Podhurst Orseck, we’ve used the Sherman Act to pursue justice for individuals, small businesses, and entire classes of plaintiffs harmed by:
- Overcharges resulting from collusion in industries such as healthcare, agriculture, consumer electronics, and transportation
- Lost profits and market share due to exclusionary conduct by monopolistic companies shutting out competitors
- Suppressed wages and career opportunities caused by illegal “no-poach” or wage-fixing agreements across employers or staffing firms
- Excessive prices passed down to consumers through anti-competitive mergers or bundled service offerings
Perhaps most importantly, the Sherman Act provides a financial incentive for victims to come forward and seek justice. If a violation is proven, plaintiffs may be awarded:
- Treble damages – triple the amount of actual economic harm suffered
- Court costs and attorneys’ fees – reducing financial risk to plaintiffs and enabling class actions by those who could not otherwise afford to sue
- Injunctive relief – court orders stopping illegal practices and requiring structural changes in how companies operate
By empowering the public to challenge corporate misconduct in court, the Sherman Act remains vital for safeguarding competition, deterring future violations, and leveling the economic playing field for all.
Labor Market Collusion & Antitrust Abuse
Antitrust enforcement isn’t just about protecting consumers—it’s also about protecting workers. When companies agree behind closed doors not to recruit from one another or to fix wages across an industry, they strip workers of bargaining power and mobility. The result is a rigged labor market favoring corporations and leaving hardworking employees undervalued.
At Podhurst Orseck, we represent employees, professionals, and independent contractors in antitrust class actions involving:
- Wage-fixing agreements: Competing employers agree to set standard wages or cap compensation, suppressing what workers would otherwise earn in a free market.
- “No-poach” or “no-hire” pacts: Companies agree not to hire each other’s employees. These are especially common in tech, healthcare, hospitality, and franchising, denying workers new opportunities.
- Mobility restrictions disguised as company policy: Employers may use non-compete clauses, “cooling-off” periods, or contract fine print to restrict movement in violation of antitrust laws.
- Retaliation for negotiation or whistleblowing: Employees who push back against wage suppression or unlawful hiring restrictions often face retaliation or termination.
We’ve fought for software engineers, warehouse workers, nurses, college coaches, and more. Building strong cases with the help of labor economists and employment law experts.
You may be entitled to significant compensation if you suspect you’ve been denied fair pay or opportunities due to employer collusion.
Do You Have an Antitrust Claim?
Many people don’t immediately recognize when they’ve been harmed by anti-competitive conduct. That’s by design; corporate conspiracies often operate in secrecy, and the impact on prices, wages, or market access may be gradual or hidden.
At Podhurst Orseck, we help clients uncover what happened, assess their losses, and determine whether they can join or file an antitrust class action. You may have a case if:
You Paid Inflated Prices Due to Corporate Collusion
When companies agree to fix prices or limit supply, it violates the Sherman Act and hurts consumers, municipalities, and businesses alike. These cases are common in:
- Pharmaceuticals
- Food and beverage products
- Technology and consumer electronics
- Freight shipping and logistics
- Construction materials and supplies
Even small overcharges across millions of transactions can add up to major recoveries for victims.
You Were Excluded From Competing in a Market
Startups and small businesses are especially vulnerable to exclusionary conduct. If a dominant player used exclusive dealing, refusals to deal, or tying arrangements to block your entry into a market or force you out, you may have a viable antitrust claim.
You Were Impacted by No-Poach Agreements
If you were unable to change jobs, secure raises, or explore better offers because of hidden employer agreements, you could be eligible for restitution and a role in changing how industries treat workers.
You Lost Revenue or Market Share
Antitrust law doesn’t punish success—it punishes abuse. If a monopolist used predatory pricing, sham litigation, exclusive licenses, or supply manipulation to eliminate you as a competitor, we can help you fight back.
+1(305) 358-2800Compensation in Antitrust Class Actions
Antitrust violations can cause widespread financial harm, but the law is designed to make victims whole. The Sherman Act and Clayton Act contain some of the most plaintiff-friendly remedies in U.S. law, including:
- Actual damages – for price overcharges, wage suppression, or lost profits due to anti-competitive conduct
- Treble damages – the law allows courts to triple a plaintiff’s actual losses to punish wrongdoers and deter future violations
- Disgorgement and restitution – forcing companies to return ill-gotten gains obtained through collusion or monopolization
- Attorneys’ fees and court costs – enabling plaintiffs to sue even the largest companies without bearing prohibitive expenses
- Injunctive relief – requiring corporations to halt illegal practices, dissolve agreements, or change business models going forward
At Podhurst Orseck, we don’t settle for lowball offers or superficial change. We partner with top economists, data analysts, and forensic accountants to present clear, compelling damage models in court or negotiation, and we fight for structural reforms to prevent future abuse..
See Our Landmark CasesAntitrust & Sherman Act FAQs
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS & WHEN TO ACT
What is the Sherman Antitrust Act?
The Sherman Act is a federal law prohibiting conspiracies that restrain trade or create monopolies. It forms the backbone of U.S. antitrust enforcement and provides injured parties a private right of action.
Can a Consumers or Small Business Join an Antitrust Class Action?
Yes. If a class is certified, individuals and businesses harmed by the same conspiracy can join and recover a share of any settlement or verdict, without having to file their own lawsuit.
How Long Do I Have to File an Antitrust Claim?
Most antitrust claims have a four-year statute of limitations. However, this can be extended under the “discovery rule” or if the conspiracy was fraudulently concealed. Prompt action is key.
What Evidence is Needed in a Price-Fixing or Collusion Case?
Direct communications (emails, texts, meeting notes) between competitors are strong evidence. But circumstantial evidence, such as price parallelism, coordinated behavior, and trade association involvement, can also support a claim.
CONTACT PODHURST ORSECK
Don’t Let Market Abuses Go Unchecked
Don’t wait for regulators to act if you suspect you’ve been affected by anti-competitive conduct, whether as a consumer, employee, or business. You may be entitled to substantial compensation. We’ll assess your situation, explain your rights, and pursue justice on your behalf—no matter how powerful the opposition.
We offer free initial consults and handle claims on contingentcy, meaning you don’t pay unless we recover for you.