Eric Barstad

Eric Barstad is a litigator and counselor whose work encompasses all aspects of the firm’s business litigation, antitrust, and appellate practices. Over the course of his career, Eric has represented major technology, healthcare, and sports and entertainment clients in connection with strategic transactions and government investigations, including serving as global coordinating counsel on multi-jurisdictional mergers and acquisitions. A skilled listener, Eric regularly advises Fortune 500 companies on the antitrust implications of potential business initiatives and has counseled and litigated on behalf of clients regarding all forms of unfair competition law, including intellectual property and trade secrets. 

Eric’s litigation experience encompasses a broad array of industries and claims, including healthcare, contract disputes, insurance claims, financial markets, Administrative Procedure Act litigation, and American Indian Law matters. He regularly litigates high-profile antitrust cases around the country, both prosecuting and defending multidistrict monopolization and cartel cases. 

Prior to joining Robins Kaplan, Eric spent six years in the antitrust group of a New York City law firm where his practice included a full range of antitrust counseling, merger control, and litigation.

Education

• University of Chicago Law School, J.D.; Donald E. Egan Scholar (2010)
• University of Michigan, A.B. in Philosophy (2007)

Representative Matters

In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 1720 (E.D.N.Y.): Serving as court-appointed co-lead counsel, Robins Kaplan reached a $5.6 billion antitrust class action settlement on behalf of a class of more than 10 million U.S. merchants who accepted Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards for the purchase of goods and services. Plaintiffs alleged that Visa and Mastercard, as well as major card-issuing banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank, Wells Fargo, and Capital One, violated antitrust laws and charged merchants who accept credit and debit cards supra-competitive fees on card transactions. The settlement, which was granted final approval in December of 2019 and affirmed on appeal in March of 2023, represents the largest settlement of a private antitrust action in the 130-year history of the Sherman Act.

In re Farm-Raised Salmon & Salmon Prods. Antitrust Litigation: As lead defense counsel for a Norwegian salmon sales and distribution company, reached global cost-of-defense settlement, resolving a series of putative nationwide class actions alleging a global price-fixing conspiracy among sellers of Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon.

• Member of team awarded “Antitrust Matter of the Year” by Global Competition Review (2013)

Professional

• American Bar Association; Antitrust Division, IP Committee

Speeches

• Antitrust Hot Spots for Business Lawyers and In-House Counsel
  Minnesota CLE Seminar, Minneapolis, Minnesota (December 5, 2022)

Media Mentions

• "Antitrust Regulators Mull Reworking of Key Merger Review Metric," Bloomberg Law (January 28, 2022)