What is an antitrust law?

Simply put, antitrust laws prohibit unfair business practices and monopolization in the U.S. marketplace. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), antitrust matters date as far back as the 1800s. In the 1800s, giant businesses (trusts) monopolized the American economy. These large trusts controlled entire subdivisions of the U.S. economy such as the steel, sugar, oil and railroad markets. Standard Oil and U.S. Steel were two of the most well-known trusts of the time.

Unfortunately, when a large trust exclusively holds the market on a product, smaller businesses can’t survive. Additionally, trusts were able to charge consumers exorbitant amounts of money because there was not competing businesses to drive prices down. To eliminate this problem, President Theodore Roosevelt broke up big-business trusts by enforcing antitrust laws. These laws are designed to protect consumers from overzealous businessmen by facilitating healthy competition in the economy.

Violations of Antitrust Laws

You need to take immediate action to preserve your assets and avoid imprisonment if you have been accused of or are under investigation for any violation of antitrust laws. These are federal offenses that will be aggressively prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office. You need a Los Angeles antitrust violation lawyer who has the resources and drive to provide equally aggressive defense representation inside and outside of the courtroom – even before formal charges are filed.

My name is Robert Helfend, and I take pride in my ability to provide clients with tenacious, knowledgeable legal counsel and personalized client service in the face of their federal criminal charges. Antitrust violations involve complex laws and aggressive efforts by federal prosecutors who have the resources to conduct lengthy investigations and build extensive evidence against a defendant. I recognize this and therefore provide federal criminal defense counsel that gives the government a run for their money, so to speak. I help clients in Los Angeles and throughout the U.S. in all federal district courts.

There are three primary antitrust laws in place that are considered an integral part of establishing and maintaining a thriving economy by preventing monopolies and keeping a competitive, fair environment for all businesses, large and small. The Sherman Act of 1890, the Clayton Act of 1914 and the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914 all govern antitrust violations in the United States. Violations of these Acts may result in serious penalties for an individual or business.

Some examples of potential antitrust violations include price fixing, market dividing, mergers, monopolization, unfair competition, unfair business practices, preventing fair competition and discriminating between merchants. Under the Sherman Act, a defendant may face federal sentencing of up to $1,000,000 in fines as an individual or $100,000,000 as a business. A 10-year prison sentence may also be imposed. Do not let your future be placed at risk by forgoing legal counsel or waiting too long to involve an attorney. Take action now and talk to a legal professional who will provide you with practical, honest insight into your antitrust violation charges.