Marc M. Seltzer

LOS ANGELES - Over the course of his decadeslong career, Seltzer has litigated some of the most complex and prominent cases in the country, securing landmark wins for his clients.

The partner and head of the firm's Los Angeles office worked on behalf of plaintiffs in the Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation, which secured settlements of more than $1.2 billion. He was also a senior member of the firm's trial team that served as court-appointed co-lead counsel in a consolidated antitrust class action arising out of the LIBOR-rate fixing scandal. The litigation resulted in recoveries for the class he represented of $590 million.

Seltzer is frequently appointed by courts to serve as lead counsel for plaintiffs in massive multidistrict class action litigations. He currently leads a Susman Godfrey team appointed by the Court to serve as co-lead counsel for plaintiffs in Moehrl v. National Association of Realtors, 1:19-cv-01610 (N.D. Ill., filed March 6, 2019).

The groundbreaking antitrust case challenges real estate brokerage commission practices, claiming that the National Association of Realtors conspired with four major franchisers to inflate commissions through its multiple listing service policy. The case, which has attracted widespread attention, alleges that these rules and practices have caused home sellers to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in excessive commissions to their realtors.

"The court supervising the litigation denied the defendants' motion to dismiss the action, and plaintiffs' motion for class certification has been briefed by the parties," Seltzer wrote in an email. "The case may have a significant and potentially far-reaching impact on how home sales are conducted in the United States."

Seltzer and a team from Susman Godfrey were also appointed as lead counsel for a class of investors accusing Ripple Labs of fraudulently offering an unregistered cryptocurrency, XRP. In re Ripple Labs Inc. Litigation, 4:18-cv-06753 (N.D. Cal., filed Nov. 7, 2018).

"The Ripple Labs class action case is being actively litigated at this time," Seltzer wrote. "In that case, the plaintiff alleges that Ripple Labs is responsible for the sale of crypto assets that were required to be, but which were not, registered for sale with the SEC."

The case raises important questions about whether the tokens are securities within the meaning of securities laws. The Court denied in large part the defendants' motion to dismiss. A companion case brought by the SEC is proceeding to trial in the near future.

Seltzer continues to participate in organizations aimed at improving the legal system and access to justice. In fact, he cites as his proudest professional achievement his "continuing engagement with organizations that serve those who need, but who cannot afford, legal services, including my service on the board of directors of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles," he wrote.