Corporate & Securities Law

DOJ’s Antitrust Division (Criminal Section) Suffers Third Major Loss Within the Last Year

By Matthew S. Wild

March 12, 2008.  The U.K. House of Lords declined to extradite Ian Norris, the former CEO of Morgan Crucible who the Antitrust Division (Criminal Section) had indicted for price-fixing in connection with electrical carbon cartel.  Price-fixing was not a crime in the U.K. at the time that Norris was indicted and, therefore, Norris was not subject to extradition for the offense.  To avoid that obstacle, the Antitrust Division also charged Norris with obstruction of justice and sought his extradition on that charge.  Norris is subject to further proceedings and potential extradition on the obstruction charge.  He was represented by Lawrence Byrne (Linklaters LLP) in the United States and Alistair Graham (White & Case LLP) in the U.K.  This is the third recent blow to the Antitrust Division’s Criminal Section.  On November 30, 2007, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware dismissed a price-fixing indictment against Stolt-Nielsen holding that the Antitrust Division breached its amnesty agreement.  See United States v. Stolt-Nielsen S.A., 524 F. Supp. 2d 609 (E.D. Penn 2007).  Solt was represented by Mark Gidley and Chris Curran (White & Case LLP).  On July 19, 2007, Stora Enso North America was acquitted of price-fixing in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut.  The jury returned its verdict in less than two hours.

Full post as published by Antitrust Commentary on March 14, 2008 (boomark / email).