Reinhart Clients, Attorneys Prevail in Significant Antitrust Suit

Reinhart clients and attorneys prevailed in a significant, closely watched case on Oct. 18 when a Virginia federal judge dismissed an antitrust suit on summary judgment two days before the final pretrial conference. The suit accused power tool companies Black & Decker, Bosch and Ryobi of conspiring to boycott table saw manufacturer SawStop’s blade safety technology.

U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton concluded that SawStop delayed more than a decade too long to raise its claim that the power tool companies conspired not to license its "active injury mitigation technology," or AIMT. The judge said SawStop claimed to have been harmed by the alleged conspiracy as early as 2002.

Judge Hilton also determined that SawStop’s claims of fraudulent concealment were flawed and therefore unable to halt the running clock on the antitrust claims. The judge said SawStop failed to prove that the power tool companies hid facts that formed the basis of SawStop’s antitrust claim.

The Reinhart team included shareholders Scott Hansen and Laura Brenner, attorneys James Law and Jeff Roeske and paralegal Eileen Linzmeyer. Additional support was provided by attorneys Malinda Eskra, Justin Webb, Jeunesse Rutledge, Sarah Sargent and specialist Meghan Engsberg-Cunningham during the final trial preparation process.

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