March 28, 2015
In Re: Puerto Rican Cabotage Antitrust Litigation
The plaintiffs are a class of direct purchasers of cabotage (sea transportation) services between Puerto Rico and the continental U.S. who allege that the defendants violated antitrust laws by fixing rates, surcharges, and other fees associated with those services. Subsequent to these allegations, the plaintiffs’ counsel reached a settlement agreement with three of the defendants.
Econ One was retained by counsel for the plaintiffs to opine regarding class certification issues relating to the settlement class. Russell Lamb submitted an affidavit in which he concluded that: (1) all class members would have been harmed by the alleged misconduct; and (2) multiple regression analysis could be used to measure damages owed to class members in a formulaic manner without individual inquiry. Dr. Lamb also submitted a reply affidavit regarding those conclusions. The Court subsequently granted certification of the settlement class, noting that Dr. Lamb “.set forth a reputable and workable model for determining damages as to individual class members in his affidavit.” The settlements are pending final approval from the Court.
