/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/WWSC3XHZLZMJVHZZP3QDS6ILBU.jpg)
[ad_1]
(Reuters) – The UK units of Baker Bots and Steptoe & Johnson should not have sent letters to potential class members in a class action lawsuit over a vehicle-shipping cartel, a London tribunal ruled on Monday.
Law firms represent two out of five shipping companies facing collective lawsuits after the European Commission found that the companies collated prices and allocated customers.
After the Competition Appeal Tribunal dismissed the case, Baker Bots (UK) and Steptoe & Johnson UK wrote to major business buyers of the vehicles on behalf of four of the five companies, the CAT said in a ruling on Monday.
Judge Marcus Smith said the letters suggested to potential claimants that “if they did not opt out [of the lawsuit] They are likely to be involved in a time-consuming and expensive advertising process”.
He added: “The [defendants] Letters should not be written to class members. It was not proper behavior on the part of [defendants’] Representatives.”
The judge ruled that the proposed defendants are not allowed to send any communications directly to potential class members, even before the collective action — roughly equivalent to US class actions — is certified.
Both Baker Botts and Steptoe and Johnson declined to comment. Representatives for British consumer champion Mark McLaren, which is bringing the case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A collective action – worth up to 143 million pounds ($171 million) – is being brought against CSAV, K-Line, NYK, MOL and WWL-EUKOR.
MOL warned the European Commission about the cartel, avoiding a 203 million-euro fine, while four others were fined a total of 395 million euros.
The companies, with the exception of CVAS, objected to the Competition Appeal Tribunal allowing the collective lawsuit on the basis that the methodology for demonstrating any harm was flawed.
The case is Mark McLaren Class Representative Limited Vs. MOL (Europe Africa) Limited, is 1339/7/7/20.
For McLaren: Sarah Ford Casey and Brick Court Chambers and Emma Mockford of Scott+Scott UK
For various defendants: Daniel Pickinin of Brick Court Chambers and Kaye Scholer (UK) of Arnold & Porter; Steptoe & Johnson UK; Baker Bots (UK); and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hell and Door
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
[ad_2]
Source link