Ellen Jalkut

Ellen Jalkut has spent her career developing legal strategies based on detailed analysis and critical thinking. With a focus on antitrust law, she prosecutes actions involving price-fixing, unlawful monopolization and other anticompetitive practices. Ms. Jalkut draws from her knowledge in economics, along with experience representing clients in white collar defense, contract disputes, and government enforcement actions to bring a broad perspective to each case. She currently works on the team representing a class of end-user purchasers of external hard disk drives and computers who claim overcharges resulting from a price fixing conspiracy in In re HDD Suspension Assemblies Antitrust Litigation and represents a proposed class of purchasers of broadcast television spot advertising alleging that defendants engaged in a scheme to artificially inflate prices in violation of federal antitrust law. Additionally, Ms. Jalkut is on the team representing a proposed consumer end-user class in In re Granulated Sugar Antitrust Litigation.

Prior to law school, Ellen worked in economic consulting and earned her Master’s of Arts from the Economics Department at the University of Michigan, Rackham Graduate School. She relied upon her economics background in her early legal career, working closely with experts in defending clients in securities and antitrust actions. After practicing for several years, she clerked for Judge William G. Young in the District of Massachusetts.

Education

• University of Michigan, J.D., cum laude (2003); Journal of Gender and Law, Editor
• University of Michigan – Rackham Graduate School, M.A. in Economics (2002)
• Wellesley College, B.A. in Economics, magna cum laude (1999)

Representative Matters

Part of the leadership team in In re HDD Suspension Assemblies Antitrust Litigation, a complex multidistrict case alleging a global price-fixing conspiracy in the market for hard disk drive suspension assemblies, that secured class certification for end-user plaintiffs. The team also defeated a partial summary judgment motion challenging the claims based on a foreign commerce exception to antitrust laws. As part of the team, Ms. Jalkut helps guide strategy on behalf of the indirect purchaser class, working to hold manufacturers accountable for anticompetitive conduct and to secure meaningful recovery for consumers impacted by inflated prices.

Ellen Jalkut is a member of the leadership team representing end-user plaintiffs in In re Granulated Sugar Antitrust Litigation, a case involving allegations that major sugar producers conspired to fix, raise, and stabilize the price of granulated sugar in violation of federal antitrust laws. She plays a key role in developing case strategy on behalf of the indirect purchaser class, with a focus on uncovering industry coordination and advancing claims to ensure consumers receive compensation for overcharges resulting from the alleged cartel behavior.

Ms. Jalkut represented a Chinese vitamin manufacturer in the early stages of the landmark In re Vitamin C Antitrust Litigation, a high-profile case addressing complex issues at the intersection of international comity, antitrust law, and foreign sovereign compulsion. The representation involved novel questions about how U.S. courts interpret and defer to representations of foreign law by sovereign governments. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan)

Ms. Jalkut represented a major accounting firm during the settlement phase of one of the largest securities class actions in U.S. history. She played a central role in analyzing investor claims and overseeing the settlement payout process, ensuring accurate evaluation and efficient distribution in a complex, multi-billion-dollar litigation. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan)

Ms. Jalkut represented a bank in connection with U.S. regulatory proceedings after the bank was identified as a primary money laundering concern under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act. She engaged with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and coordinated with counsel across jurisdictions. The matter involved sensitive geopolitical considerations, particularly related to alleged illicit finance linked to North Korea, and required nuanced legal strategy at the intersection of international banking, sanctions, and anti-money laundering enforcement. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan)

Speeches

• COSAL Lunchtime Insights: Unpacking Federal Rule 16.1: Essentials for Class Action Litigators
  Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws (COSAL) Rules Committee, Virtual (August  5, 2025)

Articles

• Chambers and Partners Collective Redress & Class Actions Trends and Developments
  Emerging Trends in New York Class Action Litigation – Standing (February 26, 2024)
• “Prior User Rights Expansion: Congress, the Courts, and Constitutional Considerations,” BNA’s Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal (2011)