Melinda R. Coolidge

US Managing Partner
Washington, DC

she / her

OVERVIEW

Melinda serves as the US Managing Partner, responsible for the successful management and business of the firm’s US offices. Melinda strives to lead by example, embodying the firm’s values of tenacity and pragmatism throughout her work. She believes that success lies in maximizing opportunities for the professional and personal development of every team member. She seeks to empower a culture of bold actions, pioneering cases, and unconventional thinking.

Deeply committed to the firm's vision of global civil redress for those harmed by wrongdoing, Melinda also maintains an active legal practice focused on private enforcement of the antitrust laws. She has represented clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to classes of consumers with a common goal of maximizing their recoveries from cartel price-fixing or monopolization; her clients have obtained more than $1 billion in settlements and a US Supreme Court victory.

Melinda works to safeguard free and open markets and is proud to be named one of the Top 100 Women in Antitrust by Global Competition Review.

Clients

Melinda has represented clients in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, industrial gas, auto parts, and rail freight and air cargo industries. She represents companies listed in the Fortune 200, as well as classes of direct and indirect purchasers of products impacted by antitrust violations.

- In re Apple Inc., Smartphone Antitrust Litigation – Hausfeld represents a class of direct purchasers seeking recovery for alleged monopolization of smart phones.
- In re Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation – Representing a class of app developers that sold apps or in-app products via the Google Play store. The developers allege that Google has abused its market power to exclude competing app stores from Android phones, stifling innovation and consumer choice, and resulting in a supracompetitive default 30% transaction fee.
- In re Broiler Grower Antitrust Litigation – Representing a certified class of broiler chicken farmers (referred to as “Growers”) claim that over twenty of the country’s largest poultry producers, including Tyson, Pilgrim’s, Perdue, Koch Foods, and Sanderson Farms colluded to suppress Grower pay through agreements not to recruit, solicit, or “poach” one another’s Growers and through comprehensive and systematic exchanges of Grower compensation information. Settlements have been reached with Tyson ($21 million), Perdue ($14.75 million), Koch Foods ($15.5 million), and Sanderson Farms ($17.75 million), totaling $69 million and the litigation continues against the sole remaining defendant, Pilgrim’s.
- In re Rail Freight Fuel Surcharge Antitrust Litigation – Representing rail freight shippers against BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific for damages stemming from the alleged rail freight cartel in the early 2000s.
- In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation – Representing various car manufacturers and other OEMs in successful recovery of damages incurred from the massive worldwide auto parts cartel. The cartel resulted in over 80 guilty pleas in the United States, and fines and decisions by regulatory authorities around the world.
- In re Thalomid and Revlimid Antitrust Litigation – Representing a class of end-payors of Thalomid and Revlimid in antitrust litigation against Celgene (settled for $34 million), and In re Zymar and Zymaxid Litigation, representing a class of direct purchasers of two eye medications against Allergan, Kyorin, and Senju.
- In re Air Cargo Antitrust Litigation – Representing freight forwarders and other direct purchasers of air cargo shipping services against a worldwide price-fixing cartel, in which her clients and the class recovered over $1 billion in settlements.
- In re Vitamin C Antitrust Litigation – Served on the trial team for the plaintiff class at trial in this case which secured a trebled jury verdict of $162 million against Chinese vitamin C manufacturer defendants. On appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in favor of Hausfeld’s clients, creating an important precedent for any transnational litigation where U.S. victims’ rights are threatened by interpretations of foreign law and international comity principles.
- United States v. ASSA ABLOY AB – Serving as court-appointed monitoring trustee following contested merger and divestiture.
- In re Prempro Products Liability Litigation – Served as primary brief writer on liability issues and represented dozens of women in a mass tort action against Pfizer and Wyeth over their hormone replacement therapy and links to breast cancer.

Easy to work with and very smart and responsive.

Legal 500 US, 2021

Melinda Coolidge and Brian Ratner are both first class. They are personable, knowledgeable and deliver results.

Legal 500 US, 2020

Melinda Coolidge and Scott Martin go above and beyond at all hours to provide the best level of customer service. They are always there with an explanation.

Legal 500 US, 2020

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Melinda R. Coolidge

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