Oct. 8, 2002

Prevailing Cartwright Act Defendant May Not Recover Its Attorney Fees

Focus Column - By Mitchell S. Shapiro - The allocation of attorney fees in antitrust cases is of considerable interest to the franchise practitioner. Actions against franchisers for price fixing, exclusive dealing, illegal tie-ins and other antitrust abuses are common. Indeed, it was antitrust class actions such as Siegel v. Chicken Delight, 448 F.2d 43 (9th Cir. 1971), that, to a great degree, gave impetus to franchising as a specialty area of practice.