Angelo M. Russo Partner

Save current page as PDF

Angelo’s practice focuses on antitrust and trade regulation matters and compliance counseling. His practice also includes other complex commercial litigation matters, such as civil RICO litigation, healthcare litigation, false claims and qui tam litigation, and white-collar criminal defense.

Angelo has vast experience handling criminal antitrust investigations and civil antitrust litigation for international and domestic companies, as well as individuals, in federal and state courts, and before arbitration tribunals. His cases involve international cartels, price fixing, bid rigging, wage fixing, no-poach and non-solicitation agreements, customer and market allocations, tying arrangements, exclusive dealing, bundled discounts, monopolization, attempted monopolization, and unfair and deceptive trade practices. He has experience representing plaintiffs in competitor-on-competitor antitrust litigation involving health care providers, life sciences companies, and manufacturers.   Angelo also has experience representing clients before the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and State Attorneys General. He has successfully persuaded authorities to close investigations without taking enforcement action and has secured non-prosecution agreements and leniency protection for companies and individuals.

Angelo also routinely counsels clients on a variety of antitrust issues, such as exclusive dealing, competitive information exchanges, competitor collaborations, discounting practices, price discrimination, most-favored nation provisions, non-compete agreements, non-solicitation provisions, distribution relationships, and group boycotts. He assists clients with internal investigations and audits to assess compliance with the antitrust and corruption laws. He also drafts and implements national and international antitrust compliance programs and audits to reduce antitrust and corruption risk. He is a frequent speaker on numerous topics relating to antitrust, compliance, life sciences, and healthcare.

Along with a McGuireWoods team, Angelo helped secure a May 2010 victory on behalf of Jo Tankers before the U.S. Supreme Court in Stolt-Nielsen v. Animalfeeds Int’l, 130 S. Ct. 1758 (2010), which held that the respondents could not be compelled under the Federal Arbitration Act to engage in class arbitration where the arbitration agreement was silent on the issue of class arbitration.

Angelo is listed in Chambers USA as a Recognized Practitioner for Antitrust (Illinois). He is actively involved in the Antitrust Sections of the American Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association.

Angelo is the Chairperson of the firm’s National Recruiting Committee.

Community Involvement

Angelo serves on the Board of Directors for Special Olympics Illinois. He also serves on Leaders Council for Special Olympics Illinois. Angelo was recognized as one of the top individual fundraisers for the Special Olympics Illinois Polar Plunge in 2009 and 2014.

Experience

Litigation

  • Representation of a staffing services agency in a lawsuit brought by the Illinois Attorney General involving allegations of wage fixing and no-poach agreements.
  • Representation of a financial institution in a bid rigging investigation by the Department of Justice and the Oregon Department of Justice.
  • Representation of a trade association in drafting an amicus curie brief in a criminal no-poach case brought by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
  • Representation of Fresenius Kabi as a plaintiff in antitrust litigation alleging unlawful exclusive dealing relating to the supply of an active pharmaceutical ingredient.
  • Defense of multiple high-level executives in investigations brought by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice involving the pharmaceutical and manufacturing sectors.
  • Representation of a hospital as a plaintiff in antitrust litigation alleging exclusive dealing, monopolization, and attempted monopolization claims against a major hospital system in Central Illinois.
  • Representation of a domestic ocean container shipping company in a criminal investigation by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice regarding price-fixing of ocean transportation rates between the continental United States and Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, and defense of related treble­ damage actions brought by customers seeking to recover damages because of the alleged conspiracy.
    United States v. Horizon Lines, Inc. (U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico) and
    In re Puerto Rican Cabotage Antitrust Litigation, MDL 1960 (U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico).
  • Representation of industry-leading manufacturer in a global cartel investigation involving simultaneous government investigations in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
  • Representation of a major carrier of liquid chemicals in parcel tanker vessels in international cartel investigation and related treble-damage actions alleging price fixing and bid rigging.
    In re Parcel Tanker Antitrust Litigation (U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut).
  • Representation of a manufacturer in an investigation of the ready-mix concrete and cement industry by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
  • Defense of an executive in a criminal investigation of the capacitor industry by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
  • Defense of an executive in a criminal investigation of the automotive parts industry by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
  • Representation of an ambulatory surgery center as a plaintiff in antitrust litigation alleging tying, bundling, and exclusive dealing claims against a major hospital system in Central Illinois.
    Peoria Day Surgery Center v. OSF Healthcare System, Case No. 06- 1236 (U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois).

Corporate Counseling

  • Development of expedited, internal investigation of possible anticompetitive behavior and secured admission into the U.S. Department of Justice’s Corporate Leniency Program.
  • Development and implementation of proactive antitrust audits of multinational corporations in North America, South America, and Europe in several industries, such as transportation, paper products, chemicals, construction, and packaging and building materials.
  • Development and implementation of antitrust compliance programs, as well as training programs and seminars for clients and their employees.
  • Advice on a variety of pricing and distribution issues, such as resale price maintenance, exclusivity, bundled discounts, most favored nation clauses, and price discrimination.