Google tees up venue clash over U.S. advertising antitrust lawsuit
Company cites "judicial efficiency" in plan to seek transfer of new DOJ lawsuit
DOJ could oppose such an effort, legal experts say
By Mike Scarcella
Feb 2 (Reuters) -Lawyers for Alphabet Inc's Google LLC on Wednesday said they will ask a federal judge in Virginia to move the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit to Manhattan federal court, where the company is already fighting claims that it has abused its market power for online advertising technology.
In a filing in the Manhattan litigation, Google's attorneys said transferring the lawsuit was necessary for "judicial efficiency and to mitigate the obvious risk of inconsistent judgments." Google said the new DOJ case, filed jointly with eight states last month, which also alleges advertising-related abuses, overlaps with multidistrict litigation in New York that formed in 2021.
Google's planned effort sets up an early possible flashpoint in the new lawsuit. The DOJ can be expected to oppose the company's attempt to transfer the case to New York, where it would be part of a complex process involving a host of private and state plaintiffs, legal experts following the cases told Reuters.
A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment, as did a representative from Google.
Google has disputed the claims in the new lawsuit, saying it "duplicates an unfounded" one that Texas filed and now is part of the New York litigation.
U.S. courts facing transfer requests weigh a variety of factors, including location of witnesses and evidence.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia was assigned to the lawsuit there. The Justice Department and eight states, including Virginia and California, are seeking an order to force Google to sell its ad manager suite, a key business that was 12% of the company's revenue in 2021.
The consolidated New York cases — from Texas and other states, publishers and advertisers — are before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.
Consumer protection expert David Vladeck at Georgetown University Law Center said the Justice Department could make an argument for a separate case in Virginia on the basis that its nationwide interest in structural reform — breaking apart Google — distinguishes it from other suits over damages.
"They just want DOJ versus Google, nobody else," Vladeck said. The DOJ, he said, "would not want in any way, shape or form" to be transferred to the multidistrict litigation in New York.
Antitrust expert Eleanor Fox, who teaches at New York University School of Law, predicted that the Virginia federal court "would let the DOJ have its choice of forum and would not move the case."
Fox also said there is a new federal law that gives state plaintiffs their preference for venue in antitrust litigation.
The case is In re Google Digital Advertising Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 1:21-md-03010-PKC.
For state plaintiffs: Mark Lanier of The Lanier Law Firm
For publisher class: David Boies of Boies Schiller Flexner
For advertiser class: Dena Sharp of Girard Sharp and Tina Wolfson of Ahdoot & Wolfson
For Google: Eric Mahr of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Justina Sessions of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Read more:
Justice Dept. team suing Google includes longtime Paul Weiss partner
Judge Leonie Brinkema named to oversee U.S. lawsuit against Google
U.S. targets Google's online ad business monopoly in latest Big Tech lawsuit
Reporting by Mike Scarcella; editing by Leigh Jones
Mga Kaugnay na Asset
Pinakabagong Balita
Disclaimer: Ang mga kabilang sa XM Group ay nagbibigay lang ng serbisyo sa pagpapatupad at pag-access sa aming Online Trading Facility, kung saan pinapahintulutan nito ang pagtingin at/o paggamit sa nilalaman na makikita sa website o sa pamamagitan nito, at walang layuning palitan o palawigin ito, at hindi din ito papalitan o papalawigin. Ang naturang pag-access at paggamit ay palaging alinsunod sa: (i) Mga Tuntunin at Kundisyon; (ii) Mga Babala sa Risk; at (iii) Kabuuang Disclaimer. Kaya naman ang naturang nilalaman ay ituturing na pangkalahatang impormasyon lamang. Mangyaring isaalang-alang na ang mga nilalaman ng aming Online Trading Facility ay hindi paglikom, o alok, para magsagawa ng anumang transaksyon sa mga pinansyal na market. Ang pag-trade sa alinmang pinansyal na market ay nagtataglay ng mataas na lebel ng risk sa iyong kapital.
Lahat ng materyales na nakalathala sa aming Online Trading Facility ay nakalaan para sa layuning edukasyonal/pang-impormasyon lamang at hindi naglalaman – at hindi dapat ituring bilang naglalaman – ng payo at rekomendasyon na pangpinansyal, tungkol sa buwis sa pag-i-invest, o pang-trade, o tala ng aming presyo sa pag-trade, o alok para sa, o paglikom ng, transaksyon sa alinmang pinansyal na instrument o hindi ginustong pinansyal na promosyon.
Sa anumang nilalaman na galing sa ikatlong partido, pati na ang mga nilalaman na inihanda ng XM, ang mga naturang opinyon, balita, pananaliksik, pag-analisa, presyo, ibang impormasyon o link sa ibang mga site na makikita sa website na ito ay ibibigay tulad ng nandoon, bilang pangkalahatang komentaryo sa market at hindi ito nagtataglay ng payo sa pag-i-invest. Kung ang alinmang nilalaman nito ay itinuring bilang pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, kailangan mong isaalang-alang at tanggapin na hindi ito inilaan at inihanda alinsunod sa mga legal na pangangailangan na idinisenyo para maisulong ang pagsasarili ng pananaliksik sa pag-i-invest, at dahil dito ituturing ito na komunikasyon sa marketing sa ilalim ng mga kaugnay na batas at regulasyon. Mangyaring siguruhin na nabasa at naintindihan mo ang aming Notipikasyon sa Hindi Independyenteng Pananaliksik sa Pag-i-invest at Babala sa Risk na may kinalaman sa impormasyong nakalagay sa itaas, na maa-access dito.