Shinder Cantor Lerner LLP Brings Together Premier Lawyers from Two High-Caliber Antitrust Practices
NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2024 -- A group of leading antitrust attorneys has launched Shinder Cantor Lerner LLP (SCL), a full-service antitrust boutique law firm with offices in New York City and Washington, D.C. Founding Partners Jeffrey I. Shinder, Matthew L. Cantor and Kellie Lerner, renowned for their success in litigating some of the largest antitrust disputes in U.S. history, are joining forces to bring something fresh to the antitrust bar. Starting with 10 seasoned attorneys formerly of Constantine Cannon LLP and Robins Kaplan LLP, and primed for strategic growth, the firm maintains a laser-sharp focus on all facets of antitrust law.
SCL litigates high-stakes, bet-the-company matters on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants, regularly working both alongside and against federal and state antitrust enforcers. Boasting well over a century of combined experience, SCL advises clients on antitrust issues across a variety of industry sectors, including health care and pharmaceuticals; payments and financial services; media and telecommunications; and technology.
"I'm thrilled to bring together my antitrust practice with those of Jeff, Matt and the rest of our SCL partners to create a specialized shop that can deftly handle any antitrust litigation or regulatory matter," said Lerner, who also serves as SCL's managing partner. "No matter which side of the courtroom we stand on, we offer our clients unyielding representation to protect healthy competition in our economy."
The SCL team focuses on prosecuting or defending cases alleging a variety of antitrust violations, including price fixing, group boycotts, tying/bundling, market allocation, monopolization and anticompetitive mergers. The firm also advises clients on joint ventures and other competitor collaborations, as well as general compliance with federal and state antitrust laws.
"Based on our combined experience, complementary strengths and shared philosophies, we felt the time was right to build something new together, for the benefit of our clients but also our partners, and the talented attorneys we hope to attract and collaborate with at SCL moving forward," said Cantor. "We are deeply grateful to the top-notch law firms that have nurtured our development until now, as their support has prepared us to take this bold step."
SCL was born out of a shared vision to meaningfully shape competition law, ensuring the protection of free enterprise while advancing economic justice. The firm is built on the belief that a busy trial firm, intensely focused on high-stakes cases, can also foster a collegial environment and prioritize the professional development and mentorship of its attorneys.
"We've built SCL to cultivate best-in-class antitrust attorneys who will spearhead the next generation of cases that will shape industries and benefit consumers," said Shinder. "Our size and singular focus helps us not only avoid major conflicts but enables us to remain bold, nimble and entrepreneurial in how we identify and serve our clients."
Joining Shinder, Cantor and Lerner at SCL as partners are Meegan Hollywood and Ben Steinberg from Robins Kaplan LLP, and J. Wyatt Fore, James J. Kovacs, Ethan E. Litwin, Harrison McAvoy and David Scupp from Constantine Cannon LLP.
Notable matters led by SCL founding partners:
Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Litigation – SCL attorneys represent a group of leading merchants and merchant trade associations, which defeated seven summary judgment motions brought by defendants. SCL attorneys also led a broad coalition of the largest merchants in the United States, including Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Starbucks, 7-Eleven, The Gap and Lowe's, among others, in an industrywide objection to a $7.25 billion settlement, resulting in the vacature of that agreement in the Second Circuit. They also spearheaded the opposition to a revised settlement, which was rejected by the District Court on preliminary approval.
Sidibe et al. v. Sutter Health – SCL attorneys have co-led this case against a large hospital system on behalf of a certified class of millions of employers and individuals. The class has alleged that Sutter, by leveraging its dominance, has caused class members to pay substantially more for their health care than they otherwise would have. In this matter, SCL attorneys have prevailed at the Ninth Circuit on three occasions, most recently in June 2024 where the appellate court reversed the trial court's final judgment.
World Association of Icehockey Players Unions North America Division et al. v. National Hockey League et al. – SCL attorneys are co-lead counsel representing a putative class of major junior hockey players regarding an alleged conspiracy involving the National Hockey League, and the three independent leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League to eliminate competition for developmental hockey players 20 and under in North America.
Visa Check/Mastermoney Antitrust Litigation – SCL attorneys were part of the lead team in this monumental antitrust litigation concerning tying and attempted monopolization claims. It resulted in a settlement – on behalf of a certified merchant class led by Walmart, The Limited, Circuit City, Sears and three large national merchant trade associations – of $3.4 billion and an injunction worth $25 billion (conservatively estimated).
Stand Up MRI v. CareCore National – SCL attorneys won a month-long antitrust trial on group boycott and unreasonable restraint of trade claims alleging that defendant CareCore, on behalf of its radiologist owners, had been operating as a gatekeeper that prevented radiologist competitors from offering services to patients covered by larger insurance plans.
Discover v. Visa and MasterCard – SCL attorneys were co-lead counsel in this case concerning unreasonable restraints of trade. After defeating a summary judgment motion by defendants and being awarded collateral estoppel (related to a prior U.S. Department of Justice case), their client received a $2.75 billion settlement.
Air Cargo Shipping Services Antitrust Litigation – SCL attorneys were part of the team that led this decade-long litigation where plaintiffs' cumulative recoveries surpassed $1.2 billion. In a case referred to by the court as "irrefutably complex," SCL attorneys represented businesses that purchased air freight services directly from defendants, many of the world's largest airlines, and alleged a global conspiracy to unlawfully inflate the prices charged to ship goods.
About Shinder Cantor Lerner LLP
Shinder Cantor Lerner LLP (SCL) is a boutique law firm with offices in New York and Washington, D.C., focused predominantly on antitrust law. SCL has an established track record of success litigating and advising on high-stakes, bet-the-company matters on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants nationwide. Our attorneys are driven to shape U.S. competition law in a manner that protects free enterprise while promoting economic justice. To learn more, visit www.scllegal.com.
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