AREAS OF PRACTICE
COMPLEX LITIGATION
Antitrust
Federal and state antitrust laws promote economic freedom by ensuring the existence of competitive markets. We have a strong record of successfully litigating antitrust cases challenging such anti-competitive practices as price-fixing, monopolization of markets, mergers between corporations that reduce competition, and agreements between competitors that restrict supply or output to keep prices artificially high. With extensive experience in antitrust law, theory, and economics, our firm has a history of success in antitrust litigation and advocacy.
Protein Antitrust
CGL is prosecuting a variety of actions alleging price-fixing and related horizontal conduct in markets for food products. CGL has pioneered class action lawsuits on behalf of commercial indirect purchasers, such as restaurants, and recently won a first-of-its-kind contested certification of a class of commercial food preparer purchasers in a lawsuit alleging price-fixing in the market for packaged tuna products. Several of CGL’s antitrust lawsuits about food price-fixing deal with the emergent issue of the relationship between information sharing/benchmarking services and anticompetitive conduct.
Defective Building Products
Our firm is nationally recognized for our successful representation of clients in suits seeking redress for injuries caused by defective products. We particularly specialize in defective building cases. Currently, we are working on several major cases concerning defective shingles in the roofing industry as well as defective brass fittings and piping systems in the plumbing industry. As part of our defective product cases, usually large, even national class actions, we hold corporations accountable for false advertising, concealing risks to customers, and failing to honor warranties. Over the years, we have recovered almost one billion dollars for our clients in dozens of cases.
Civil Rights, Human Rights, and Workplace Disputes
CGL is nationally recognized for our representation of plaintiffs in civil and international human rights class actions. Our work on behalf of Constitutional rights in the United States and human rights abroad has earned our lawyers many accolades, including selection as finalists for Trial Lawyer of the Year. On the workplace front, we have had success representing plaintiffs in class actions brought under federal and state laws governing the payment of wages. We have successfully achieved substantial returns for workers denied payment for overtime and “off-the-clock” work.
Cases For and Against Governments
Our lawyers have represented individuals, companies, financial institutions, insurance companies, utilities, state governments, foreign governments, and public interest groups on a wide range of issues, including federal and state constitutional law, environmental and nuclear regulatory law, product safety, Medicare and Medicaid, tax law, utility rate regulation, securities regulation, the regulation of financial institutions, and public international law.
Healthcare & Pension Plans
For the past decade, CGL has been involved in prosecuting actions on behalf of subscribers and providers against insurance companies for inadequate reimbursements for “out of plan” charges for medical care.
Securities Fraud and Corporate Governance
We are involved in several cases brought by investors arising from the malfeasance of officers and directors in connection with both the sale of securities and the management of business enterprises.
Our attorneys have extensive experience representing investors in securities fraud actions, bringing cases against financial schemes and malfeasance that harmed investors. This includes our participation in some of the most significant securities cases in recent history, as well as many other securities fraud cases of more modest dimensions. Under federal securities laws, we have recovered damages against the wrongdoing corporation and its officers and directors. With our Washington expertise, we were involved in the famous Enron and WorldCom securities fraud cases, which involved billions of dollars of financial losses to shareholders.
We are also currently involved in a number of “derivative” cases which allow shareholders to pursue claims on behalf of a corporation against corporate officers and directors who have caused injury to the corporation.
Whistleblower Litigation
We represent whistleblowers seeking to recover for fraud against the government.
The federal False Claims Act, and similar laws enacted by many states, allow whistleblowers to bring suit to recover funds lost to the government due to fraud, and to receive a percentage of the government’s recovery.
A whistleblower claim will exist when a person providing goods or services to the government, or paid for by the government, fails to provide the goods or services for which they are paid, bills for services or equipment that are not necessary, bills the government for a good or service that is more expensive than the one actually provided, or pays a kickback.
Medical billing fraud, in particular, is a problem that costs the federal and state governments billions of dollars every year. Common fraudulent practices include
— billing for services not performed, or for medical equipment that is not provided
— billing for services or equipment that are not necessary
— “upcoding,” or billing for a good or service that is more expensive than the one actually provided
— paying kickbacks to referring doctors, or to patients
If you are aware of any fraudulent practices relating to goods or services paid for by the federal government or a state government, please contact attorney Monica Miller at 202-789-3960, or by email at monica@cuneolaw.com.
LEGISLATIVE AND PUBLIC ADVOCACY
Public Advocacy
Our lawyers have served at senior levels of government and politics. They are skilled in helping clients formulate arguments that will prevail in the court of public opinion. From managing a statewide referendum campaign on legal reform issues in California to acting as executive director of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) or serving as the media spokesperson for a campaign to pass strong investor protection laws, our lawyers have strong resumes as public advocates. Our lawyers have written many op-ed articles and books and have appeared scores of times on radio and television.
Legislative Advocacy
We have unique experience handling Washington representations in litigation matters. Navigating the complex concerns of public opinion, media coverage, political forces, and the interplay among branches of government, we help lawyers from around the country to monitor legislation, hearings, investigations, and regulatory proceedings that may affect their cases.
We have also provided Washington representation for several organizations, including the National Association of Securities and Consumer Attorneys (NASCAT), the Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws (COSAL), the Songwriters Guild of America, West Publishing Company, and the American Association for Justice (AAJ).
LET’S WORK TOGETHER
CGL is currently engaged in dozens of cases from product defect class actions to antitrust litigation to civil rights advocacy.
If you feel we could represent you in any of our current cases or in a new case, we would love to hear from you.