LinkedIn Seeks to Block Depositions of Senior Leaders in Ongoing Antitrust Class Action

The motion, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks to shield five executives—including Chief Executive Officer Daniel Shapero—from depositions requested by the plaintiffs. LinkedIn argues that the executives do not possess unique information that cannot be obtained through other witnesses or existing discovery, Reuters reported. 

The lawsuit, Todd Crowder et al. v. LinkedIn Corp., alleges that the Microsoft-owned platform used its market position to restrict competition in professional networking services. LinkedIn has denied the allegations and continues to contest the claims in court.

Related: LinkedIn Antitrust Settlement Faces Setback in California Court

The discovery dispute comes months after the same federal court declined to give preliminary approval to a proposed settlement between LinkedIn and the plaintiffs. At the time, U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. concluded that the agreement contained “serious problems” and did not satisfy the legal standards required for approval, according to prior court reporting by Reuters.

With settlement efforts unsuccessful, the litigation has returned to active pretrial proceedings, including disagreements over the scope of witness testimony and discovery. Plaintiffs contend that testimony from senior leadership is relevant to the company’s competitive practices, while LinkedIn maintains that compelling top executives to testify would be unnecessary and burdensome.