King & Spalding's antitrust practice group has particular expertise in cartel litigation. We understand that government antitrust investigations and prosecutions involve high stakes for a corporation and its employees. Our experienced antitrust attorneys have a proven record of successfully representing corporate and individual clients in antitrust cartel investigations and enforcement actions conducted by various government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the European Commission, and the Canadian Competition Bureau.
With broad investigative powers, these enforcement authorities routinely execute search warrants, issue subpoenas for documents and other information, and conduct other types of inquiries, including covert monitoring of employee activity. For companies with international operations, these matters often include coordinated investigations by multiple enforcement agencies across the globe.
Which is where we can help.
Our antitrust lawyers have been involved in virtually all the significant cartel cases over the past decade, including most of the major criminal cartel cases brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, and many of the cartel Statement of Objection/Oral Hearing proceedings before the European Commission. In addition, our antitrust team includes lawyers with substantial government prosecuting experience, including the former deputy assistant attorney general for criminal enforcement at the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.
Drawing on our extensive enforcement authority and private practice experience, we effectively guide clients through all phases of these investigations, including search warrants, subpoenas, "dawn raids," "drop-in" interviews of corporate employees, immunity and plea negotiations, and, where appropriate, trial.
Experience has shown us how each enforcement agency approaches its investigation and how to quickly organize and conduct internal corporate client investigations in order to determine the facts, assess liability, and minimize risks. Our lawyers are well-equipped to assist clients in anticipating and limiting exposure in these government enforcement actions and the private treble damage actions that follow. Our antitrust group is also knowledgeable about the requirements of the numerous leniency programs now in place worldwide and skilled at prioritizing and simultaneously negotiating multiple amnesty agreements in multijurisdictional investigations.
Clients also look to the firm to manage the civil litigation that frequently accompanies these types of investigations, including antitrust class actions, opt-out suits, indirect and foreign purchaser actions, securities and shareholder derivative actions, and other types of civil claims.
Our experience in defending clients in such cases also helps us in identifying and prosecuting plaintiff antitrust actions. We monitor antitrust class actions on an ongoing basis for those clients who are potential class members. We have represented major corporations in asserting antitrust claims and have obtained substantial recoveries on their behalf.
