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- christine.levin@dechert.com
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Philadelphia OfficeCira Centre, 2929 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America 19104-2808
Christine C. Levin concentrates her practice on complex civil and criminal litigation, including antitrust and consumer fraud class action matters. She has extensive experience including litigation and grand jury investigations involving the pharmaceutical, chemical, and computer technology. She has been involved in class actions raising price fixing, RICO, false advertising, and a variety of product liability claims.
Ms. Levin has been recognized for several years by Chambers USA, a referral guide to leading lawyers in the United States, as a leading antitrust lawyer in Pennsylvania. In its 2008 edition, Chambers noted she is “a highly skilled defense counselor” who is “particularly praised for her international cartel work in the USA and the EU.” In its 2012 edition, Chambers wrote, “Popular among clients, she garners praise for being both ‘a brilliant strategist’ and ‘a quick-witted and formidable advocate.’” Ms. Levin is also listed in Benchmark Litigation and The Best Lawyers of America, which named her the Philadelphia Antitrust Lawyer of the Year in its 2013 edition.
Ms. Levin also has significant pro bono experience in the area of prisoner civil rights, most recently successfully arguing on behalf of the plaintiff class in Shelton v Bledsoe, the seminal Third Circuit decision on the use of Rule 23(b)(2) for class certification in challenges to conditions of confinement.
- Hydrogen Peroxide Antitrust Litigation: Ms. Levin represented a defendant manufacturer of hydrogen peroxide in this nationwide, multi-defendant antitrust class action involving allegations of a conspiracy to fix prices for hydrogen peroxide and related products. Ms. Levin handled the expert testimony on class certification, which resulted in a seminal decision from the Third Circuit decertifying the class. She also represented the manufacturer in the parallel U.S. grand jury investigation (in which a declination was issued) and a cartel prosecution in the EU (in which the client’s participation was found to have been greatly circumscribed relative to other participants).
- Kottaras v. Whole Foods Markets, Inc.: Ms. Levin defeated plaintiff’s motion for class certification in this action alleging that Whole Foods Market’s acquisition of Wild Oats Markets violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act resulting in overcharges to Whole Foods customers.
- In re Eggs Antitrust Litigation: Ms. Levin represents R. W. Sauder, Inc. in class actions brought by direct and indirect purchasers of shell eggs, as well as several opt out actions, alleging collusion to reduce capacity and increase prices. The indirect purchaser motion for class certification was defeated.
- In re Steel Antitrust Litigation: Ms. Levin represented a major steel producer in this action alleging coordinated capacity reductions in the steel industry. Ms. Levin negotiated a nuisance value settlement while others paid tens of millions of dollars to settle. The indirect purchasers have appealed the dismissal of their claims at the pleading stage.
- In re Opana Antitrust Litigation: Ms. Levin is co-lead counsel for Endo in this action alleging that underlying patent litigation was settled through a so-called “reverse payment.” The case is in fact discovery.
- In re Relafen Antitrust Litigation: Ms. Levin was one of the lead counsel for a Fortune 100 research-based pharmaceutical company in this monopolization and attempted monopolization case based on allegations of sham patent litigation and unlawful intellectual property strategies. The case involved direct and indirect purchaser class actions, opt out actions and state attorney general actions, all of which were settled on favorable terms.
- In re Paxil Antitrust Litigation; BCBS of Minnesota v. GlaxoSmithKline: Ms. Levin was one of the lead counsel for a Fortune 100 research-based pharmaceutical company in these companion monopolization and attempted monopolization class action and opt out cases based on allegations of sham patent litigation and unlawful intellectual property strategies. All the cases were settled and a related FTC investigation was closed without further action.
- Reyes v. Harleysville National Bank: After Ms. Levin filed a motion to dismiss this RICO consumer fraud class action, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint naming all the same defendants but dropping Ms. Levin’s client from the case.
- The Apartment Source of PA v. Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.: Ms. Levin represented the defendant in an antitrust case involving allegations that the defendant newspaper monopolized the relevant market by refusing to allow other apartment locators to advertise in its newspaper. Following a bench trial, a defense judgment was obtained on behalf of the newspaper.
- Generic Drugs & Emerging Price-Fixing Cases Agenda - HarrisMartin's Pharmaceutical Antitrust Litigation Conference, Philadelphia, PA (March 3, 2017)
Speaker, "The Changing Tides of Ascertainability and Numerosity: Recent Wins and Losses Under Rule 23(a), Direct and Indirect" panel, and the "Ethical Conduct of Class Actions: Conduct Towards Class Members and Opt-Outs" panel.
- Watch What You Say — Philadelphia Bar Institute, Philadelphia (November 2, 2014)
- Lessons for In-House Counsel: Penn State's Handling of the Sandusky Case — Philadelphia Bar Institute, Philadelphia (November 1, 2013)
- Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide: Antitrust Defense in the Age of Amnesty Agreements and Corporate Self-Reporting — National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Meeting, Lake Tahoe, NV (June 16, 2011)
- Managing the Corporate Legal Crisis — Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Philadelphia, PA (February 15, 2006)
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- University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D.
- Duke University, B.A.
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- Pennsylvania
- Supreme Court of the United States
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
- Supreme Court of the United States
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
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- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Honorable Clarence C. Newcomer