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Participation in these cartels to fix prices or rig bids can carry a ten year prison sentence, and fines in the tens of millions of dollars.  Because these cases carry such significant penalties, the Government is willing to devote substantial resources to investigating alleged violations.

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Competition authorities across the globe have made increased antitrust enforcement a priority during the past two decades.  The U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division (“DOJ”), has collected criminal fines in excess of $7B in the past five years, and imposed lengthy prison sentences against targets in bid rigging and price fixing cases.  In addition, authorities in the United States often coordinate investigations with foreign competition authorities, who have imposed even greater sanctions in the past decade.

 

The DOJ often proceeds with “dawn raids” and detailed grand jury subpoenas to obtain the evidence it requires to make cases. The typical scenario unfolds with federal agents conducting simultaneous raids at the headquarters for each alleged co-conspirator, seizing all of the relevant files on hand, and making copies of their email servers and portable electronic devices.  They will also typically try to interview corporate agents during the course of the raids.  The DOJ may seize every email for the past 5 years and will subpoena a similar amount of information, as well.

 

After reviewing the seized information, the DOJ will likely begin interviewing corporate agents, either in the grand jury or by “drop in interviews” at the corporate employees’ homes.  This is in an effort to find witnesses who can corroborate the information that the DOJ has already obtained or to lay a foundation for the electronic evidence that has been seized.  Often times the investigations are jointly conducted with international antitrust authorities – which will conduct similar investigations abroad and share that evidence with the authorities in the U.S.  The net result of this cooperation is that a very complex and far-reaching investigation can be implemented in a fairly short period of time.

 

The increasing sanctions, combined with joint investigations by U.S. and foreign enforcement agencies, point to the necessity of having experienced and motivated criminal antitrust counsel.  With over 35 years of experience in dealing with antitrust investigations, the Dillon Law Group has handled some of the largest matters that the Antitrust Division has brought.  Our objective is, if at all possible, to avoid criminal sanctions – and to minimize exposure if liability is unavoidable.

 

Bill has counseled clients in numerous domestic and international antitrust issues.  He has worked on investigations involving:

 

• Concrete and paving

• Pharmaceuticals

• Poultry and agribusiness

• Petrochemicals

• Civil construction

• Dairy and agricultural price fixing

• Paper products

• Sewer construction

• Real estate auctions

• Air cargo shipments

 

Mr. Dillon worked for decades at the Antitrust Division, as well as in United States Attorney’s Offices. Our team has played key roles in the largest antitrust investigations in the past two decades.  Bill has represented a number of subjects in antitrust investigations, both domestic and international.  In addition, he has counseled numerous clients on compliance issues to avoid potential criminal exposure in antitrust matters.

 

Experience matters when your company has been implicated in a bid rigging, price fixing, or market allocation investigation. Bill has handled dozens of criminal antitrust matters and knows from experience what is necessary to prevail at trial or at the negotiating table.  At the Dillon Law Group, we represent executives and individuals in a wide array of investigations and stand ready to assist you in addressing the matter that concerns you now.

 

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