A PYMNTS Company

US: Prominent antitrust lawyer served rare penalty

By  |  March 25, 2013

A renowned antitrust plaintiffs’ lawyers based in San Francisco has been hit with a rare order after challenging the 2011 Southwest Airlines/AirTran Holdings merger. Joseph Alioto and the Alioto Law Firm have been ordered by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals to pay $67,495 to the defendants of the case that challenged the merger. While motions to sanction lawyers are often filed, they are rarely granted; the court granted the motion after the filing claimed Alioto’s litigation was “unreasonable and vexatious.” According to a professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, granting the motion “almost never happens.” Additionally, the case has stirred up debate on the merit of private antitrust suits that challenge mergers, questioning whether the ruling could potentially discourage other lawyers from bringing such cases. The amount Alioto and the firm were ordered to pay equates the defendants’ law fees.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    Subscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    Full Content: Thomson Reuters

    We’d love to be your preferred source for news.

    Please add us to your preferred sources list so our news, data and interviews show up in your feed. Thanks!

    Add as Preferred Source

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.