Two competing groups of law firms are petitioning a U.S. judge to appoint them as leaders of what they hope will potentially become lucrative consumer class action lawsuits accusing Apple of monopolizing the smartphone market.
The opposing coalitions of plaintiffs lawyers on Thursday made their pitches to U.S. District Judge Julien Neals in New Jersey, who is presiding over private antitrust cases that were filed against Apple after the U.S. Justice Department and a coalition of states sued the iPhone maker in March.
The firms seeking to represent consumers who bought iPhones from Apple include Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, Girard Sharp, Seeger Weiss and Carella, Byrne, Cecchi, Brody & Agnello on one side, with Hausfeld and Susman Godfrey on the other.
At stake is the chance to win an outsized share of legal fees stemming from any settlement of judgment in the consolidated case, which could be worth billions of dollars if it succeeds.
The civil cases mirror the Justice Department’s complaint, which accused Apple of violating antitrust law by using contractual restrictions to force developers to play by its rules. The lawsuits allege Apple has set up roadblocks diminishing consumer choice for third-party services.
Cupertino, California-based Apple has denied the government’s claims and asked the court to throw them out. Apple has not responded yet in the consumer cases.
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MacDailyNews Note: In a March statement to the media, Apple said of the U.S. DOJ’s lawsuit:
At Apple, we innovate every day to make technology people love—designing products that work seamlessly together, protect people’s privacy and security, and create a magical experience for our users. This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple — where hardware, software, and services intersect. It would also set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology. We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it.
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