Melinda R. Coolidge

US Managing Partner
Washington, DC

she / her / hers

OVERVIEW

As the US Managing Partner, Melinda oversees the US operations and finances and collaborates with its 60+ US attorneys to ensure the firm's success.

Experience

Melinda represents large companies and classes of direct and indirect purchasers of products that have been the subject of antitrust violations across the globe. She has litigated complex class actions through the hurdles of class certification, summary judgment, and trial. In her cases, clients and classes she represents have obtained more than $1 billion in settlements, and in one recent case, a 9-0 victory in the U.S. Supreme Court. Melinda works hard to ensure private enforcement of the country’s antitrust laws and 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 Google Play Developer Antitrust Litigation – Represents 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 Rail Freight Fuel Surcharge Antitrust Litigation – Represents large corporations that directly purchased rail freight shipping services from BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific in their claims for damages stemming from the alleged rail freight cartel in the early 2000s.
- In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation – Represents various car manufacturers and other OEMs, working to recover damages incurred from the massive worldwide auto parts cartel. The cartel has 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 – Represents 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 Broiler Grower Antitrust Litigation – Represents a class of poultry growers alleging a nationwide conspiracy among vertically-integrated poultry companies to suppress and maintain compensation for growing services below competitive levels.
- In re Air Cargo Antitrust Litigation – Represented 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 – In 2013, Melinda 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.
- 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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