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MANUFACTURING, DISTRIBUTION, AND FRANCHISING ANTITRUST

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Ed Harvey: 314 552 6049 314 552 6049 direct | Email
Nicole Williams: 972 629 7113 972 629 7113 direct | Email

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- Health Care
- Pharmaceutical

We advise clients on competition issues throughout the supply chain and help them implement antitrust compliance programs. We help clients navigate antitrust limitations on their supply chain, regardless of the level at which the clients operate. We also assist clients and advise them with respect to purchase and supply agreements, distribution, dealerships, franchises, advertising, packaging and labeling, marketing and advertising, group purchasing organizations, trade associations, and the use of sweepstakes and contests, including responding to inquiries from the FTC, DOJ, or National Advertising Division and complaints from competitors or consumers.

Our antitrust lawyers represent clients before state and federal government enforcement agencies, as well as private party litigation involving a multitude of antitrust issues arising from distribution and franchising. We have defended clients facing allegations of exclusive dealing, tying, resale price maintenance, price fixing, monopolization, monopoly leveraging, conspiracy to monopolize, and attempted monopolization. For example, we successfully defended an FTC investigation of a client that was accused of monopolizing a market by using exclusive distribution agreements. We convinced the FTC staff attorneys that our client’s large national market share was the result of providing superior products and service. We have defended numerous Sherman Act Section 1 and 2 challenges to dealer agreements, as well as claims that distribution arrangements violate state laws.

We also have defended clients facing enforcement agency allegations involving packaging and labeling, trade regulations, resale customs regulations, intellectual property concerns, dealer termination, and refusal to deal issues. And when our clients have been impacted by anticompetitive conduct from competing manufacturers or distributors, we have advised regarding available remedies, including bringing legal action.

In addition, many states have enacted “franchise protection acts” that broadly define “franchisors” to arguably include a wide spectrum of distribution/dealer relationships that most distributors would never consider to be “franchise” in nature. We represent distributors and “traditional” franchisors in dealer termination matters and other claims brought by dealers, franchisees, or competing franchisors.

John Atkins	Counsel	Dallas	972 629 7119 972 629 7119 Email Download Vcard	John is a commercial litigator who focuses on provider-side health care matters and all types of insurance coverage and indemnity litigation and counseling. John is a commercial litigator who focuses on provider-side health care mat...
Jonathan Benner	Senior Counsel	Washington, D.C.	202 585 6985 202 585 6985 Email Download Vcard	Jonathan focuses on regulatory issues and litigation affecting domestic and international maritime and shipping matters, as well as international trade regulation issues ... Jonathan focuses on regulatory issues and litigation affecting domestic and...
Alfred Blue III	Associate	Dallas	972 629 7130 972 629 7130 Email Download Vcard	Alfred is a litigation associate in Thompson Coburn's Dallas office representing clients in all phases of state and federal litigation and arbitrations. Alfred is a litigation associate in Thompson Coburn's Dallas office represe...
Elizabeth Casale	Associate	St. Louis	314 552 6484 314 552 6484 Email Download Vcard	Libby assists clients with a wide variety of business litigation matters. Libby assists clients with a wide variety of business litigation matters.
Matt Darrough	Partner	St. Louis	314 552 6552 314 552 6552 Email Download Vcard	Matt serves as co-chair of our insurance practice group, guiding policyholders, insurers and insurance professionals on everything from policy placement through the litig... Matt serves as co-chair of our insurance practice group, guiding policyhold...
Warren Dean, Jr.	Partner	Washington, D.C.	202 585 6908 202 585 6908 Email Download Vcard	Warren Dean practices in the field of federal regulation of transportation services, both domestic and international. Warren Dean practices in the field of federal regulation of transportation ...
Nathan Fonda	Partner	St. Louis	314 552 6134 314 552 6134 Email Download Vcard	Nathan is committed to helping his clients protect some of their most valuable assets whether it be through intellectual property counseling or in litigation. Nathan is committed to helping his clients protect some of their most valua...
Thomas Groeller	Associate	St. Louis	314 552 6427 314 552 6427 Email Download Vcard	Tom represents clients in complex commercial litigation including class actions, contract disputes, business torts, financial service matters, and antitrust issues. Tom represents clients in complex commercial litigation including class act...
Ron Haglof	Partner	St. Louis	314 552 6045 314 552 6045 Email Download Vcard	Ron Haglof's practice with the firm includes substantial experience in privately negotiated acquisitions and dispositions of businesses, including transactions requiring ... Ron Haglof's practice with the firm includes substantial experience in priv...
Ed Harvey	Partner	St. Louis	314 552 6049 314 552 6049 Email Download Vcard	Ed is a veteran litigator and head of the Firm's Antitrust Practice Group. Ed is a veteran litigator and head of the Firm's Antitrust Practice Group.
Dave Mangian	Partner	St. Louis	314 552 6540 314 552 6540 Email Download Vcard	Dave represents and advises a host of major corporations in class action defense, complex business disputes, and state and local tax (SALT) controversy. Dave represents and advises a host of major corporations in class action de...
Alan Norman	Partner	St. Louis	314 552 6284 314 552 6284 Email Download Vcard	Alan represents clients in all aspects of intellectual property litigation, with a strong emphasis on patent litigation at both the trial and appellate court levels, and ... Alan represents clients in all aspects of intellectual property litigation,...
Greg Patterson	Partner	St. Louis	314 552 6219 314 552 6219 Email Download Vcard	Greg counsels entrepreneurs, investment advisors and major institutional investors on a wide range of securities offerings and transactions while providing comprehensive ... Greg counsels entrepreneurs, investment advisors and major institutional in...
Sharon Rosenberg	Partner	St. Louis	314 552 6173 314 552 6173 Email Download Vcard	Sharon develops and executes highly effective MDL and class action defense strategies for major companies across a variety of sectors, including agriculture, transp... Sharon develops and executes highly effective MDL and class action de...
Mackenzie Wallace	Partner	Dallas	972 629 7124 972 629 7124 Email Download Vcard	Mackenzie is an experienced trial attorney representing health care entities, businesses, and directors in high-stakes litigation. Mackenzie is an experienced trial attorney representing health care entitie...
Nicole Williams	Partner	Dallas	972 629 7113 972 629 7113 Email Download Vcard	Nicole is a highly experienced trial lawyer representing clients in matters involving antitrust, advertising, business divorces and disputes, fraud investigations and lit... Nicole is a highly experienced trial lawyer representing clients in matters...