Reinhart Attorneys Successfully Defend Power Tool Industry Putting an End to Antitrust Claim

On April 18 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in favor of Reinhart attorneys and their clients by refusing to revive an antitrust suit against the power tool industry, ruling that SawStop LLC waited far too long to sue.

The three-judge panel issued a published opinion affirming the district court’s summary judgment ruling that the claims were brought outside the four-year statute of limitations.

The $200 million antitrust claim (before trebling) accused Ryobi, Bosch, Black & Decker and other table saw makers of boycotting SawStop LLC safety technology between 2000 and 2002.  SawStop said it did not file suit until 2010 because the accused conspirators concealed their alleged collusion until then.

The appeals court said interviews and statements given by SawStop’s founder, Dr. Stephen Gass, in 2004, 2006 and 2008 based on negotiations he conducted and meetings he attended between 2000 and 2002 proved he knew enough to sue the defendants 8 years before he actually did so. Without deciding whether there really was any illegal conspiracy, the appeals court agreed that the plaintiff waited far too long to file its case.

The Reinhart team included shareholders Scott Hansen and Laura Brenner, attorney James Law  and paralegal Eileen Linzmeyer.

Click here to read the full text of the judge’s decision in the case.