Joseph R. Saveri

Joseph R. Saveri has made significant contributions to antitrust class actions and complex cases over his 30-year career. Additionally, since the founding of his firm in 2012, he and his colleagues have achieved more than $4.7 billion in settlements and successful resolutions.

One of his recent most high-profile cases was serving as lead counsel for a class of direct purchasers, achieving settlements totaling $604.55 million, a rare feat in antitrust law. In re Capacitors Antitrust Litigation 3:14-cv-03264 (N.D. Cal., filed July 18, 2014).

Filed nearly a decade ago, the matter challenged a cartel that conspired to fix, raise and stabilize prices in the multibillion-dollar market for capacitors, a component used in electronic devices.

“Capacitors involved organizing a massive discovery record, which included discovery from over 20 defendants, located throughout the world, including in Japan,” Saveri said. “Most of the discovery involved foreign language documents and testimony. There were significant procedural and substantive hurdles to overcome to favorably resolve class certification, summary judgment and the settlements reached during the case’s history. The 2020 trial had to be terminated due to the pandemic, forcing us to try the case again in 2021. So, we had to overcome the pandemic and the delays caused by it. Also, in the first trial, we presented our whole case, giving the defendants a free look. We had to overcome that in the second trial.”

In addition, last August, Saveri and co-counsel won final approval of a $30 million settlement with Allergan for end-payor consumers of the company’s Restasis dry-eye drops. In re Restasis (Cyclosporine Ophthalmic Emulsion) Antitrust Litigation, 1:18-md-02819 (E.D.N.Y., filed July 31, 2018).

Earlier this year, he and his firm filed four cases related to artificial intelligence challenging the use of large language models and generative artificial intelligence products upon which they are based.

“With respect to our firm’s recently filed generative artificial intelligence cases, the technology underlying the AI products at issue is entirely new, as is the attempt to seek redress for those harmed by these new technologies,” he said. “This poses significant challenges for the legal system, as well as society in general. We all have a stake in the outcome. In addition, I think we will see, based on our success in these cases and bringing this conduct to light, that there will be significant legislative and regulatory scrutiny in the United States and throughout the world.”

In addition to his litigation work, Saveri is a speaker and author on antitrust and complex litigation issues. He has spoken at various symposiums and roundtables, including those organized by the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division. He contributes to the California Antitrust and Unfair Competition Law treatise and is on the Advisory Board of the American Antitrust Institute.