On the latest episode of Law, disrupted, John B. Quinn discusses Quinn Emanuel's $330 Million Antitrust Win with Partners Bill Price and Steig Olson
On the latest episode of Law, disrupted, John B. Quinn is joined by Partner Bill Price, based in the Los Angeles office, and Partner Steig Olson, based in the New York office.
Together they discuss the landmark $110 million jury verdict, trebled to $330 million under antitrust law, that Bill and Steig recently won in the U.S. District Court for the District of Northern California, favoring Pacific Steel Group. The award will be increased to compensate for the costs and attorney's fees incurred by the plaintiff.
The dispute arose when Commercial Metals, a Texas-based competitor of Pacific Steel, purchased and shut down California’s only rebar mill, creating a regional monopoly in the rebar market—a critical component in construction. Pacific Steel planned to disrupt this monopoly by building a state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly steel mill using advanced Italian technology. However, Commercial Metals allegedly pressured the Italian supplier to block plaintiff Pacific Steel from accessing the necessary technology by creating a 500-mile radius “exclusivity” zone for the Italian technology around the steel mill they bought and shut down. Victory at trial hinged on simplifying a complex antitrust narrative into a clear, compelling story. In this episode, we’ll learn how Bill and Steig narrowed their case by focusing on the core issues, which cut extraneous expert testimony to streamline the presentation, used an adverse witness to expose the company's internal communications, and how cross-examinations proved pivotal in exposing contradictions and discrediting the defendants’ narrative. They also discuss the skillful collaboration between Steig, a rising young trial attorney, and Bill, a seasoned litigator renowned for his many trial victories. This case underscores the importance of strategic focus, persuasive storytelling, and adaptability in high-stakes litigation.
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