November 8, 2024
California Jury Awards Full Damages Based on Dr. Jeffrey Leitzinger’s Damages Calculation in PSG vs. Commercial Metals
In a landmark decision, a California federal jury awarded Pacific Steel Group (PSG) a $110 million verdict against Commercial Metals Company (CMC) for antitrust violations. Econ One’s expert, Dr. Jeffrey Leitzinger, provided expert analysis, calculated damages, and testified at trial.
After less than three hours of deliberation, the jury delivered a unanimous verdict following a high-stakes trial that began on October 22 in Oakland, California. PSG accused CMC of restraining competition through an exclusivity contract with Danieli Corp., which allegedly blocked the development of competing mills within a 500-mile radius of CMC’s Rancho Cucamonga mill.
Dr. Leitzinger’s analysis was pivotal in quantifying PSG’s damages resulting from CMC’s anticompetitive conduct. The jury awarded PSG $74 million in lost profits, $12.9 million in lost transportation savings, $10.8 million in lost fabrication cost savings, and $12.28 million in increased costs due to inflation—matching the total amount PSG sought and underscoring the jury’s confidence in Dr. Leitzinger’s comprehensive assessment.
This verdict underscores the critical role of expert economic analysis in complex antitrust cases and represents a significant win for PSG.