Co-Lead Counsel on Behalf of Consumers Alleging Unlawful Conspiracy of Leading Manufacturers’ of Hard Disk Drive Suspension Assemblies to Fix Prices

In re Hard Disk Drive Suspension Assemblies, 19-md-02918 (N.D. Cal.)

Robins Kaplan filed the first private civil antitrust action following news the U.S. Department of Justice filed a one-count criminal information against NHK Spring Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of hard disk drive suspension assemblies, charging NHK with fixing prices and allocating market shares for the product. NHK agreed to plead guilty and pay a $28.5 million criminal fine for its role in the conspiracy.  The Firm was appointed by the court as co-lead counsel representing a class of end-user consumers who indirectly purchased hard disk drive suspension units. The complaint alleges that the defendants and co-conspirators entered into unlawful agreements to fix prices and allocate markets for hard disk drive suspension assemblies starting in at least May 2008. The case is ongoing before the trial court.