Jury returns verdict in favor of Bates White client in In re Capacitors Antitrust Litigation
In the case In re Capacitors Antitrust Litigation, plaintiff Avnet alleged that numerous companies conspired to control and set prices of electrolytic capacitors sold to US companies for at least 12 years. Capacitors are fundamental in the operation of electronic circuit boards, including those in computers, televisions, car engines, and smartphones. The first suit was filed in 2014 in multidistrict litigation.
Bates White was retained in 2017 on behalf of six direct action plaintiffs, including some of the world’s largest electronic component distributors such as Avnet. Leslie Marx provided written and oral testimony over the course of several years estimating overcharges that direct action plaintiffs suffered as a result of the conspiracy. Her analysis for Avnet estimated overcharges in the range from $89.2 million to $89.4 million.
After two days of deliberation, a California federal jury returned a verdict for Avnet in the amount of $89.2 million, in line with Dr. Marx’s calculation.