Firm Partner K. Craig Wildfang Named 2012 Law360 Competition MVP

MINNEAPOLIS (December 2012) – Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. is pleased to announce that Law360 has named Antitrust Partner K. Craig Wildfang as one of its Competition MVPs of 2012. Mr. Wildfang served as co-lead attorney in the 2012 Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation. The case resulted in a landmark $7.25 billion settlement agreement in July 2012 with Visa, MasterCard and major U.S. banks for alleged anticompetitive practices and price fixing in setting interchange fees.

Mr. Wildfang is one of 113 lawyers in 22 practice areas recognized by Law360 as this year’s MVPs who stood out from the pack with accomplishments in major litigation and transactions over the past year that have set a new standard for accomplishment in corporate law.

Mr. Wildfang’s experience, legal acumen and perseverance were instrumental to achieving the historic settlement agreement over alleged price-fixing on credit card transaction fees on behalf of a class of about seven million merchants. In November 2012, U.S. District Judge John Gleeson gave preliminary approval to the antitrust class settlement agreement that was secured after a seven-year battle. It is believed to be the largest ever settlement of a private antitrust case under the Sherman Act. 

“Craig and his team’s years of hard work on this important interchange fees antitrust litigation has been truly impressive, resulting in unparalleled success for our clients and the firm during the past year,” said Martin R. Lueck, Chairman of the firm’s Executive Board. “We congratulate Craig on this national recognition.” 

Mr. Wildfang has more than 25 years of experience in antitrust litigation and counseling. He has represented parties in private civil antitrust actions in industries ranging from insurance to agricultural commodities and has counseled clients on a wide variety of antitrust and trade regulation issues from mergers and joint ventures to marketing and sales programs. 

Previously, Mr. Wildfang served as Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice. In that capacity he advised the Assistant Attorney General on civil antitrust enforcement priorities and managed several high priority civil cases. In 2007, he served as a member of the American Antitrust Institute’s Department of Justice Transition Committee for the incoming Obama Department of Justice, Antitrust Division.