Ellen Jalkut

Ellen Jalkut is a seasoned antitrust litigator who helps drive litigation strategy in complex class actions and multidistrict litigation involving allegations of price-fixing, unlawful monopolization, and other anticompetitive practices. She serves in court-appointed leadership roles in high-stakes matters and draws on her background in economics to develop sophisticated litigation and class certification strategies.

Ms. Jalkut currently serves as co-lead counsel representing a class of end-user purchasers of external hard disk drives and computers in In re HDD Suspension Assemblies Antitrust Litigation, an MDL involving allegations of a global price-fixing conspiracy. In that matter, the team recently secured class certification for end-user plaintiffs and defeated a dispositive motion challenging claims under the foreign commerce exception to the antitrust laws, preserving key claims for the class at a critical stage of the litigation. She also represents a proposed class of purchasers of broadcast television spot advertising in litigation challenging an alleged scheme to artificially inflate prices in violation of federal antitrust laws, and serves on the leadership team in In re Granulated Sugar Antitrust Litigation, which involves allegations of coordinated price-fixing among major sugar producers.

Prior to law school, Ms. Jalkut worked in economic consulting and earned her Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Michigan’s Rackham Graduate School. She draws on her economics training in complex antitrust and securities matters, working closely with experts to develop and challenge economic analysis central to liability, class certification, and damages. Earlier in her career, she clerked for the Hon. William G. Young of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Ms. Jalkut also regularly writes and speaks on developments in class action and antitrust litigation, further reinforcing her role as a trusted advisor on emerging issues in the field.

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

Ms. Jalkut is 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 hard disk drive suspension assembly market. The team secured class certification for end-user plaintiffs and defeated a partial summary judgment motion challenging the claims under the foreign commerce exception to the antitrust laws. In this role, Ms. Jalkut helps guide strategy on behalf of the indirect purchaser class, working to hold manufacturers accountable for anticompetitive conduct and to obtain meaningful recovery for consumers affected by inflated prices.

She also serves on the leadership team representing end-user plaintiffs in In re Granulated Sugar Antitrust Litigation, which alleges that major sugar producers conspired to fix, raise, and stabilize the price of granulated sugar in violation of federal antitrust laws. Ms. Jalkut plays a key role in shaping litigation strategy for the indirect purchaser class, with a focus on uncovering industry coordination and advancing claims to secure compensation for consumers harmed by alleged overcharges.

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

She also represented a major accounting firm during the settlement phase of one of the largest securities class actions in U.S. history. In that role, she analyzed investor claims and oversaw the settlement distribution process, ensuring accurate evaluation and efficient administration in a multi-billion-dollar matter. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan.)

Additionally, Ms. Jalkut represented a bank in U.S. regulatory proceedings after it was designated 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, including alleged illicit finance linked to North Korea, and required sophisticated 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)