Michael D. Hausfeld

Chair Emeritus
Washington, DC

OVERVIEW

Michael Hausfeld, widely recognized for his leadership on competition matters and his groundbreaking cases in human rights law, is Chair Emeritus. Michael’s distinguished career has included some of the largest and most successful class actions in the fields of human rights, discrimination and antitrust law.

Clients

Michael has an abiding interest in social reform, and has been a part of some of the most groundbreaking cases in that arena both in the U.S. and around the world. Michael was among the first lawyers in the U.S. to assert that sexual harassment was a form of discrimination prohibited by Title VII, and he successfully tried the first case establishing that principle. He has represented Native Alaskans whose lives were affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill and later negotiated a then-historic $176 million settlement from Texaco, Inc. in a racial-bias discrimination case. In Friedman v. Union Bank of Switzerland, Michael represented a class of Holocaust victims whose assets were wrongfully retained by private Swiss banks during and after World War II. The case raised novel issues of international banking law and international human rights law. In a separate case, he also successfully represented the Republic of Poland, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Ukraine and the Russian Federation on issues of slave and forced labor for both Jewish and non-Jewish victims of Nazi persecution. He has represented individuals and NGOs in litigation alleging liability for aiding and abetting the South African system of apartheid.

Michael has a long record of successful litigation in the antitrust field, on behalf of individuals and classes, in cases involving monopolization, tie-ins, exclusive dealing and price fixing. In the landmark O’Bannon v. NCAA litigation, Michael represented a class of current and former Division I men's basketball and FBS football players against the NCAA and its member institutions, based on rules foreclosing athletes from receiving compensation for the use of their names, images, and likenesses. At the conclusion of a three-week bench trial, the Court determined that the NCAA had violated the antitrust laws and issued a permanent injunction as requested by the plaintiffs. He was a member of the ABA Antitrust Section’s Transition Taskforce, which advised the incoming Obama Administration, and has chaired the ABA’s Civil Redress Committee. Michael has been co-lead counsel in antitrust cases against manufacturers of genetically engineered foods, managed healthcare companies, bulk vitamin manufacturers, technology companies, and the world’s largest banking institutions. He is involved in ongoing investigations of antitrust cases abroad and pioneering efforts to enforce competition laws globally. He was the only private lawyer permitted to attend and represent the interests of consumers worldwide in the 2003 closed hearings by the EU Commission in the Microsoft case.

WHAT OTHERS SAY

American Antitrust Institute

Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Law Practice, an honor he received twice:
- As one of the leaders of the In re Vitamin C Antitrust Litigation case team in 2018
- As one of the leaders of the In re Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation case team in 2021

American Bar Association

Lifetime Achievement Award, 2022

Benchmark Litigation

National Practice Area Star, Local Litigation Star in 2021, and Litigation Star in 2023

"Few would contest that the firm's legacy is credited to firm founder and visionary Michael Hausfeld, the name partner who entrepreneurially built his firm into a zealous plaintiff empire." (Benchmark Litigation, Dispute Resolution, 2021)

Best Lawyers

Best Lawyer since 2006
- Antitrust Law
- Litigation – Antitrust
- Special Focus: Class Actions

Chambers and Partners

Band 1, Antitrust: Plaintiff – Nationwide, year-after-year
Recognized Practitioner, Sports Law – Nationwide in 2019

A source reported, "Michael is in my opinion one of the best lawyers in America, especially with regard to antitrust cases and other complex litigation." (Chambers US, Antitrust: Plaintiff - Nationwide, 2021)

"Michael Hausfeld is a key player in the antitrust space, skillfully handling prominent class actions, often concerning anticompetitive behavior and price manipulation. Sources report: 'What sets him apart is his creativity and strategic sense of how to resolve a dispute to satisfy all sides.'" (Chambers US, Antitrust: Plaintiff – Nationwide, 2020)

"Lauded by market sources as an 'amazing lawyer.'" (Chambers US, Antitrust: Plaintiff – Nationwide, 2019)

"An innovative and a well-respected leader of the antitrust Bar." (Chambers US, Antitrust: Plaintiff – Nationwide, 2018)

Concurrences

Winner, Academic: Private Enforcement category in 2015 for his co-authored article titled, "Antitrust Class Proceedings – Then and Now"

Global Competition Review

Lifetime Achievement Award, 2023
Litigation of the Year - Cartel Prosecution in 2021: an honor he received as part of the In re Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation case team.
Named Lawyer of the Year in 2019

Michael is "recognized as one of the best plaintiffs' lawyers in the country" who "consistently brings in the biggest judgments in the history of law" and is "a Washington lawyer determined to change the world – and succeeding." (Global Competition Review Awards, 2019)

Law360

One of just six attorneys named as a Competition MVP by Law360 in 2014.

Lawdragon

500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers since 2019
500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers since 2019
500 Leading Lawyer in America since 2012
500 Leading Litigators in America in 2022
500 Leading Global Litigators since 2021
500 Global Plaintiff Lawyers in 2024
500 Legends in 2019
Hall of Fame since 2021 – described by Lawdragon as "outstanding lawyers who have made remarkable contributions as leaders, litigators, dealmakers, power brokers, judges and innovators."

Legal 500

Hall of Fame since 2020 – described by the Legal 500 as "including individuals who have received constant praise from their clients for continued excellence. The Hall of Fame highlights, to clients, the law firm partners who are at the pinnacle of the profession."
Recommended Lawyer, Civil Litigation, Class Actions: Plaintiff, Year-after-year
Top 10 Leading Lawyer in the U.S. representing plaintiffs in antitrust and cartel matters, 2016

"Stationed in the firm’s DC office is talismanic founding chairman Michael Hausfeld, one of most sought-after names in plaintiff-side actions in the US, and an expert in cases involving monopolization, tie-ins, exclusive dealing and price-fixing." (Legal 500 US, Antitrust - Civil Litigation/Class Actions, 2021)

National Law Journal

Litigation Trailblazer & Pioneer in 2014

Super Lawyers

Super Lawyer, Antitrust Litigation in Washington, DC since 2007

Who’s Who Legal

Thought Leader, USA: Competition, 2023
Thought Leader, Competition: Plaintiff, 2023, 2021
Global Leader, Competition: Plaintiff, 2023, 2020
Global Elite Thought Leader, Competition: Plaintiff since 2019
Recommended Lawyer, Competition: Plaintiff since 2018

"Michael Hausfeld is a pre-eminent practitioner who is well renowned for his track record in monopolies, tie-ins and price fixing." (Who’s Who Legal, Competition - Plaintiff - Legal Marketplace Analysis, 2022)

"One of North America's foremost plaintiff specialists in the antitrust space, dubbed a 'legend in the field.'" (Who’s Who Legal, Competition - Plaintiff - Legal Marketplace Analysis, 2020)

"One of the titans of the competition plaintiff space, and is a perennial selection as a Global Elite Thought Leader. He attracts numerous recommendations from peers across North America and Europe for his standout practice, which encompasses antitrust litigation on the part of both individuals and classes." (Who’s Who Legal, Competition - Plaintiff - Legal Marketplace Analysis, 2019)

Other

Described by one of the country's leading civil rights columnists as an "extremely penetrating lawyer" and by a colleague (in a Washington Post article) as a lawyer who "has a very inventive mind when it comes to litigation. He thinks of things most lawyers don't because they have originality pounded out of them in law school."
Immediately following the groundbreaking NCAA v. O’Bannon decision in 2015, Michael was named AmLaw Litigation Daily’s 'Litigator of the Week,' citing the "consensus among courtroom observers [was] that Michael Hausfeld…got the best of a parade of NCAA witnesses at trial." Law360 dubbed the trial team led by Michael as "Legal Lions," citing the firm’s historic victory over the NCAA.
Awarded the Torch of Learning Award by the American Friends of Hebrew University in 2012
Shortlisted, ‘Attorneys Who Matter’ in the field of Corporate Compliance by The Ethisphere Institute in 2009
Legal Elite by SmartCEO Magazine in 2009
Cited by Chambers US, Products Liability category in 2009
Top 30 "Visionaries" in the Washington legal community by the Legal Times in 2008
50 Most Powerful People in DC by GQ Magazine in 2007
“International World-shakers” list of 40 international lawyers “making waves” in the UK by The Lawyer in 2007
Fierce Sister Award by The Lawyer in 2007: an honor he received for his work on the Japanese Comfort Women case.
100 Most Influential Lawyers by the National Law Journal in 2006
The New York Times referred to Michael as one of the nation's "most prominent antitrust lawyers," and the Washingtonian named him one of thirty “Stars of the Bar."
Recipient of the B’Nai Brith Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2002
One of thirty negotiators profiled in Done Deal: Insights from Interviews with the World's Best Negotiators, by Michael Benoliel, Ed.D.
Recipient of the Simon Wiesenthal Center Award for Distinguished Service
Michael received the U.S. Department of Energy Human Spirit Award, presented "in tribute to a person who understands the obligation to seek truth and act on it is not the burden of some, but of all; it is universal."

- "Private enforcement, Global Dictionary of Competition Law," Concurrences, Art. N° 86753, Contributor
- "Class Actions & Competition Law, An Overview Of EU and National Case Law," Concurrences e-Competition Bulletin - Special Issue on Class Actions (Aug. 27, 2020), Co-Author with Anthony Maton, David R. Wingfield
- "The Equitable Future of Intercollegiate Athletics," Competition Policy International's Antitrust Chronicle (April 28, 2020), Co-Author with Sathya S. Gosselin, Sarah D. LaFreniere, Eduardo Carlo
- "Litigating Indirect Purchasers Claims: Lessons for the EU from the U.S. Experience," Antitrust Magazine (Fall 2017), Co-Author with Irving Scher, Laurence Sorkin
- "Damage Class Actions After Comcast: A View from the Plaintiffs' Side," Antitrust Magazine (Spring 2016), Co-Author with Irving Scher
- "Antitrust Class Proceedings – Then and Now," Research in Law and Economics (Vol. 26, 2014), [Recipient of Concurrences’ 2015 Antitrust Writing Award for Private Enforcement (Academic) Category], Co-Author with Gordon C. Rausser, Gareth J. Macartney, Michael P. Lehmann, Sathya S. Gosselin
- "The Business of American Courts in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum," Jurist - Sidebar (Oct. 2012), Co-Author with Kristen Ward
- "Prosecuting Class Actions and Group Litigation." World Class Actions, Ch. 26., (Sept. 2012), Co-Author with Brian A. Ratner, et al.
- "Private Enforcement of Antitrust Law in the United States, A Handbook - Chapter 4: Initiation of a Private Claim." (2012) Co-Author with Brent Landau, et al.
- "The Importance of Private Competition Enforcement in Europe," Hackney Publications: Concussion Litigation Reporter, Vol. 1, No. 1, (July 2012), Co-Author with Swathi Bojedla
- "CAT-astrophe: The Failure of 'Follow-On' Actions," American Bar Association's International Cartel Workshop, (Feb. 2012), Co-Author with Brent W. Landau, Sathya S. Gosselin
- "Private Enforcement in Competition Law: An Overview of Developments in Law and Practice in the US and Europe," Bergamo University, (July 2011), Co-Author with Ingrid Gubbay
- "The Contingency Phobia - Fear Without Foundation," Global Competition Litigation Review, Issue 1 (Jan. 2011), Author
- "Competition Law Claims – A Developing Story," The European Antitrust Review (2010), Author
- "Initiation of a Private Claim," International Handbook on Private Enforcement (2010), Author
- "The United States Heightens Plaintiff’s Burden of Proof on Class Certification: A Response," Global Competition Litigation Review (Volume 2 Issue 4/2009), Author
- "Global Enforcement of Anticompetitive Conduct," The Sedona Conference Journal (Fall 2009), Author
- "Observations from the Field: ACPERA’s First Five Years," The Sedona Conference Journal (Fall 2009), Author
- "Twombly, Iqbal and the Prisoner’s Pleading Dilemma," Law360 (Oct. 22, 2009), Author
- "The Value of ACPERA," Law360 (June 2, 2009), Author
- "Collective Redress for Competition Law Claimants," The European Antitrust Review (2008), Author
- "Managing Multi-district Litigation," The Antitrust Review of the Americas (2008), Author
- "A Victim's Culture," European Business Law Review (2007), Author

Press:

- "The Toughest Lawyer in America Is On Your Side," Neal Gabler, Playboy Magazine (Feb. 2015)
- "Gangster Bankers - Too Big to Jail," Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone Magazine (Feb. 2013)
- "UBS Mea Culpa May Give Libor Antitrust Plaintiffs Upper Hand," Max Stendahl, Law360 (Dec. 2012)
- "DOJ Heralds 'Robust' UBS Deal; Gibson Dunn on Defense," Mike Scarcella, The AmLaw Litigation Daily (Dec. 2012)
- "Documents May Boost Civil Suits - Revelations That Rate-Rigging Succeeded Could Prove Expensive to Banks Facing Litigation," Dana Cimilluca and Jean Eaglesham, Wall Street Journal (Dec. 2012)
- "Banks Facing New Wave of Mortgage Lawsuits," Forrest Jones, Moneynews (Dec. 2012)
- "Where There's a Will, There's a Way," The American Lawyer (March 2012)
- "The Great Gamble," Global Competition Review (March 2012)

- In re Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litigation – In one of the largest and most complex antitrust class action cases ever litigated, Michael represented tens of millions of subscriber plaintiffs alleging higher premiums and loss of competition in the market for health insurance due to a conspiracy among 36 insurer defendants to allocate geographic territories. In November 2020, the Court granted preliminary approval to the proposed settlement agreement resolving the claims of Blue Cross Blue Shield subscribers for $2.67 billion. The settlement was unanimously affirmed by the Eleventh Circuit, and in June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court declined any further review, paving the way for the distribution of billions of dollars to subscribers nationwide, along with systemic changes to BCBS practices that will create opportunities for more competition.
- In re Rail Freight Fuel Surcharge Antitrust Litigation – Counsel to dozens of rail freight shippers in a high-profile antitrust case concerning alleged fuel surcharge collusion among the nation’s largest rail freight carriers.
- O’Bannon v. NCAA – Trial counsel in this landmark litigation regarding pay for student athletes; negotiated $40 million settlement with Electronic Arts, Inc., which was distributed among current and former college athletes.
- In re Domestic Airline Travel Antitrust Litigation – Currently leading this class action lawsuit alleging a conspiracy by United, American, Delta, and Southwest to artificially inflate domestic airline ticket prices by limiting capacity growth. Although discovery is ongoing, settlements total $60 million to date.
- In re Libor-Based Financial Instruments Antitrust Litigation – Currently leading this class action lawsuit alleging a global conspiracy by some of the world’s largest financial institutions to manipulate LIBOR. The manipulation of LIBOR, which is the primary benchmark for short-term interest rates for trillions of dollars-worth of financial transactions worldwide, is alleged to have caused billions of dollars in damage to municipalities, businesses, and investors. Settlements with four out of the sixteen defendants total $590 million to date.
- In re Foreign Exchange Benchmark Rates Antitrust Litigation - Currently leading this high-stake lawsuit alleging a global conspiracy by some of the world’s largest financial institutions to fix and manipulate foreign exchange rates, which to date has resulted in settlements totaling over $2.3 billion on behalf of investors. For its work on the case, the firm received Global Competition Review’s award for ‘Litigation of the Year – Cartel Prosecution.’
- In re Vitamin C Antitrust Litigation – Represented plaintiff class against Chinese vitamin C manufacturer defendants accused of price-fixing in settlements and successful trial. 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.
- In re Vitamins Antitrust Litigation – Served as counsel on this landmark case on behalf of vitamin direct purchasers who were overcharged as a result of a ten-year global price-fixing and market allocation conspiracy. The case settled for over $1 billion, and in 2003 the case went to a jury trial resulting in a verdict of $148 million in trebled damages - the twelfth largest U.S. jury verdict that year.
- In re Libor-Based Financial Instruments Antitrust Litigation - Currently leading this class action lawsuit alleging a global conspiracy by some of the world’s largest financial institutions to manipulate LIBOR. The manipulation of LIBOR, which is the primary benchmark for short-term interest rates for trillions of dollars-worth of financial transactions worldwide, is alleged to have caused billions of dollars in damage to municipalities, businesses, and investors. Settlements with four out of the sixteen defendants total $590 million to date.
- In re Foreign Exchange Benchmark Rates Antitrust Litigation - Currently leading this high-stake lawsuit alleging a global conspiracy by some of the world’s largest financial institutions to fix and manipulate foreign exchange rates, which to date has resulted in settlements totaling over $2.3 billion on behalf of investors. For its work on the case, the firm received Global Competition Review’s award for ‘Litigation of the Year – Cartel Prosecution.’
- MTB Investment Partners, LP v. Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc. – Secured a securities fraud settlement that returned more than 115% of recognized losses after attorneys’ fees and expenses to former shareholders in HearUSA, Inc.
- Children v. the Climate Crisis: Chiara Sacchi et al. v. Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, and Turkey – In which Hausfeld and co-counsel Earthjustice represent 16 children from around the world, including Greta Thunberg and Alexandria Villaseñor, in a complaint filed before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child alleging violations of children’s rights to life, health, and culture by five members of the G20 whose failure to reduce carbon emissions is perpetuating climate change.

- South African Silicosis - Involved in litigation in both the UK and in in South Africa on behalf of South African gold miners who have suffered from silicosis. In South Africa, the Johannesburg High Court certified the case as a class action against most of South Africa’s gold mining industry. Following certification, extensive negotiations resulted in a landmark settlement in May 2018.
- Low Income Bread Consumers - Currently at the forefront of competition claims in South Africa, having worked with South African counsel in groundbreaking litigation on behalf of low-income bread consumers. This case resulted in a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) which determined for the first time the specific requirements for filing a collective action in South African courts.
- Bhopal, India Union Carbide Plant - Represented residents of Bhopal, India who were exposed to toxic wastes. These wastes contaminated the soil and drinking water surrounding the infamous Union Carbide Plant, which was the site of the 1984 gas leak that killed and injured thousands of residents.
- Japanese "Comfort Women" - Represented former "comfort women," a title given to women and girls who were forced into sexual slavery during World War II.
- O’Bannon v. NCAA – Trial counsel in this landmark litigation regarding pay for student athletes; negotiated $40 million settlement with Electronic Arts, Inc., which was distributed among current and former college athletes.

Michael Hausfeld is strategic.

Chambers US, 2024

Michael Hausfeld is a key player in the antitrust space, skillfully handling prominent class actions, often concerning anticompetitive behavior and price manipulation. 'Michael commands respect among other members of the Bar, particularly in antitrust matters. His strategic sense is outstanding', commented a source.

Chambers US, 2022

Stationed in the firm’s DC office is talismanic founding chairman Michael Hausfeld, one of the most sought-after names in plaintiff-side actions in the US, and an expert in cases involving monopolization, tie-ins, exclusive dealing and price-fixing.

Legal 500 US, 2021

A source stated, 'Michael is in my opinion one of the best lawyers in America, especially with regard to antitrust cases and other complex litigation.'

Chambers US, 2021

Few would contest that the firm’s legacy is credited to firm founder and visionary Michael Hausfeld, the name partner who entrepreneurially built his firm into a zealous plaintiff empire.

Benchmark Litigation, 2021

A key player in the antitrust space, skillfully handling prominent class actions, often concerning anticompetitive behavior and price manipulation. Sources report: 'What sets him apart is his creativity and strategic sense of how to resolve a dispute to satisfy all sides.'

Chambers US, 2020

One of North America's foremost plaintiff specialists in the antitrust space, dubbed a 'legend in the field.'

Who's Who Legal, 2020

Michael is one of the titans of the competition plaintiff space, and is a perennial selection as a Global Elite Thought Leader. He attracts numerous recommendations from peers across North America and Europe for his standout practice, which encompasses antitrust litigation on the part of both individuals and classes.

Who's Who Legal, 2019