Melinda R. Coolidge

EXPERIENCE

Antitrust/Competition

• 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), Sanderson Farms ($17.75 million), and Pilgrim’s Pride ($100 million) totaling $169 million. 
• 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.

Environmental & Product Liability

• 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.