Attorney Christopher J Cormier's Legal Cases

Class action

Urethane Antitrust Litigation (D. Kan.)

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OUTCOME: The jury returned a $400 million verdict for the plaintiffs, which the district court trebled under federal antitrust law to more than $1 billion. This was the largest verdict in the country in 2013, as reported by the National Law Journal.

Chris was part of the co-lead counsel team for direct purchaser plaintiffs in an antitrust class action alleging a nationwide conspiracy to fix the prices of chemicals used to make polyurethane foam, a ... basic component of ubiquitous everyday products such as bed mattresses, car seat cushioning and furniture cushioning. Four defendants — Bayer, BASF, Huntsman, and Lyondell — settled for a total of $139.5 million, while the case against the fifth manufacturer, Dow Chemical, went to trial. After a four-week jury trial, in which Chris was a member of the trial team, the jury returned a $400 million verdict for the plaintiffs, which the district court trebled under federal antitrust law to more than $1 billion. This was the largest verdict in the country in 2013, as reported by the National Law Journal. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed the judgment. In early 2016, Dow ultimately settled for $835 million while the case was on appeal to the Supreme Court, bringing the total recovery to $974 million – nearly 250% of the damages found by the jury.

Class action

Anadarko Basin Oil and Gas Lease Antitrust Litigation (W.D. Okla.)

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OUTCOME: In September 2018, the parties signed a settlement agreement resolving the case for $7 million; the settlement is currently awaiting court approval.

Chris was personally appointed co-lead counsel for plaintiffs in a class action alleging that Chesapeake Energy, SandRidge Energy and a former executive of both companies conspired to rig bids for leas ... es of land held by private landowners in parts of Oklahoma and Kansas. This litigation follows the U.S. Department of Justice’s early 2016 indictment of a co-founder and former CEO of Chesapeake Energy for allegedly participating in this bid-rigging conspiracy. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants illegally conspired to stabilize and depress the price of royalty and bonus payments paid to landowners in the Anadarko Basin oil and gas province — a massive geological formation holding natural gas and oil deposits that includes large parts of Oklahoma and Kansas. Pursuant to this conspiracy, Plaintiffs allege that Defendants communicated about and agreed on prices, allocated particular geographic areas between themselves, and rigged bids for leases of land, lowering acquisition prices across the region and thereby harming the proposed class of landowners.

Class action

Dental Supplies Antitrust Litigation (E.D.N.Y.)

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OUTCOME: In September 2018, the parties signed a settlement agreement resolving the case for $80 million; the settlement is currently awaiting court approval.

Chris was part of the leadership team representing a proposed class of dental practices and dental laboratories. The case alleges that Defendants Henry Schein, Inc., Patterson Companies, Inc., and Benc ... o Dental Supply Company — the three largest dental supply and dental equipment distributors in the United States — fixed price margins on dental equipment, jointly pressured manufacturers to squeeze out competitors, and agreed not to “poach” each other’s employees, in violation of federal antitrust law. As a result of the alleged conspiracy, dental practices and dental laboratories may have paid artificially inflated prices for many kinds of dental supplies and dental equipment, from consumables like gauze and cement to big-ticket equipment like chairs and x-rays. In September 2018, the parties signed a settlement agreement resolving the case for $80 million; the settlement is currently awaiting court approval.

Class action

Plasma-Derivative Protein Therapies Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Ill.)

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OUTCOME: Following numerous depositions across the globe and the filing of plaintiffs’ opening class certification motion and expert report, Chris and his team obtained settlements with all defendants totaling $128 million.

Chris was part of the co-lead counsel group for direct purchaser plaintiffs alleging a conspiracy to reduce the supply and increase prices of IVIG and Albumin — life-saving therapies derived from blood ... plasma. He and his colleagues represented named plaintiff The University of Utah Health System as well as the remaining class members in this matter. The defendants were CSL Ltd., CSL Behring, Baxter Healthcare and the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (the trade association the manufacturer defendants controlled). Chris played an integral role in the investigation and filing of the first complaint in the country in this matter. Following numerous depositions across the globe and the filing of plaintiffs’ opening class certification motion and expert report, Chris and his team obtained settlements with all defendants totaling $128 million.

Christopher J Cormier's Legal Cases (4)

Urethane Antitrust Litigation (D. Kan.)

Anadarko Basin Oil and Gas Lease Antitrust Litigation (W.D. Okla.)

Dental Supplies Antitrust Litigation (E.D.N.Y.)

Plasma-Derivative Protein Therapies Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Ill.)