Robert Milne

Pharmaceutical Antitrust

Representing Pfizer, Inc. in ground-breaking litigation challenging Johnson & Johnson's efforts to deter biosimilar competition in respect of its blockbuster biologic Remicade.

Representing Pfizer, Inc. in multiple class action antitrust litigations challenging alleged "reverse payment" patent settlements and/or conduct in procuring patents in connection with the blockbuster products Lipitor, Effexor XR, Celebrex and Epi-Pen.

Representing Allergan in multiple class action antitrust litigations challenging alleged "reverse payment" patent settlements, product hopping and/or conduct in procuring patents, in connection with such leading products as Asacol, Loestrin, Namenda and Doryx.

Representing Boehringer-Ingelheim in class action antitrust litigation challenging an alleged "reverse payment" patent settlement in connection with its leading Aggrenox product.

Represented Sandoz, Inc. in the first-ever jury trial of a claimed "reverse payment" patent settlement, involving the product Hytrin, securing a jury verdict in defendants' favor.

Represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in class action litigation challenging co-pay assistance programs, securing dismissal of all claims.

Represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in litigation commenced by hundreds of retail drugstores claiming unlawful price discrimination, securing summary judgment dismissing all claims.

Represented Lek Pharmaceuticals, a Slovenian pharmaceutical manufacturer, in a major monopolization case.

Represented Sandoz, Inc. in litigation filed by sanofi-aventis seeking to invalidate approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the first generic equivalent to Sanofi’s blockbuster biologic drug, Lovenox, securing win for client. The court's decision allowed Sandoz to continue to sell its product, and vindicated the power of the FDA to approve generic equivalents of complex biological drug products using a flexible scientific approach.
 

Cartel

Secured dismissal of major class action claims alleging price fixing among producers of IV saline solutions for Hospira, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc. that has since sold the relevant business to ICU Medical, Inc.

Represented CertainTeed Gypsum in class action litigation alleging price fixing among producers of dry wall products. Secured summary judgement for client where all other defendants required to proceed to trial.

Represented Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in class action litigation challenging the activities of OPEC and its members under the U.S. antitrust law. Secured dismissal of all claims.

Represented OPEC (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) in several litigations seeking to challenge OPEC’s activities under U.S. antitrust law, securing dismissal of all claims.

Represented Experian Information Solutions, Inc. in class action litigation alleging a conspiracy to fix consumer interest rates among major financial institutions, credit reporting agencies and credit scoring companies, securing dismissal of all claims.

Represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in class action litigation accusing sixteen major international pharmaceutical companies and the largest U.S. pharmaceutical wholesalers of a group boycott in violation of the antitrust laws, securing dismissal of all claims.

Represented Experian Information Solutions, Inc. in an action brought by FICO the dominant provider of consumer credit risk scoring services, against the three major U.S. credit bureaus alleging collusion and trademark violations in the sale of credit scoring services, securing summary judgment on the antitrust claims and a jury verdict on the trademark claims. The jury also found that FICO committed fraud on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in procuring registration of the trademark in suit.

Represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in class action litigation claiming a conspiracy to inflate branded prescription drug prices charged to retail pharmacies, securing directed verdict for defendants after ten-week jury trial.

Represented Syngenta Seeds, Inc. in class action litigation alleging price fixing among the major producers of genetically modified seeds and herbicide products.  After a mini-trial on the issues relevant to class certification, the court denied plaintiffs’ motion to certify the case for class action status.

Represented the Belarusian Potash Company in class action litigation claiming price fixing against U.S. and non-U.S. Potash producers, securing favorable settlement.

Routinely represents clients in non-public criminal grand jury proceedings.
 

Mergers and Corporate Transactions

Trial counsel for Anthem in government challenge to Anthem’s proposed acquisition of Cigna.

Counsel for Vertex Pharmaceuticals in substantial asset acquisition from Concert Pharmaceuticals.

Counsel for Aramco Services Company in acquisition of remaining ownership stake in Motiva Enterprises LLC, a major refiner and retail gasoline marketer in the U.S.
 

Other

Represented a major financial services firm in connection with claims arising from data breach arising from cyber-attack.

Represented one of the defendants in litigation accusing numerous corporations of responsibility/complicity in the actions of the apartheid regime in South Africa.