William V. Reiss

William V. Reiss has nearly 25 years of experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in high profile antitrust litigation. Mr. Reiss was a member of the successful trial team in the precedent-setting antitrust litigation captioned Coalition for a Level Playing Field, L.L.C. v. AutoZone, Inc.

Mr. Reiss focuses his practice on complex antitrust litigation and class actions. Mr. Reiss has also provided extensive antitrust counseling work on behalf of generic pharmaceutical companies, as well as for a leading New England healthcare service company. Mr. Reiss is also court-appointed co-lead class counsel on behalf of a class of end-payor purchasers of automobiles in In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation for which he has been instrumental in achieving the largest indirect purchaser recovery in U.S. history (more than $1.2 billion in settlements to date). In addition, he currently serves as court-appointed co-lead counsel in In re Hard Disk Drive Suspension Assemblies Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Cal.) for a proposed class of end-user plaintiffs who purchased products containing hard disk drive suspension assemblies that were the subject of an alleged price-fixing conspiracy among the leading manufacturers of suspension assemblies for more than a decade. Mr. Reiss is also co-lead counsel in In re Keurig Green Mountain Single-Serve Coffee Antitrust Litigation, a proposed class action which alleges that Keurig obtained an unlawful monopoly through a multifaceted scheme of anticompetitive acquisitions, exclusive dealing, and sham patent litigation.

Mr. Reiss served as co-lead counsel in In re Interior Molded Doors Indirect Purchaser Antitrust Litigation, a suit alleging that the two leading manufacturers of interior molded doors engaged in a years-long unlawful conspiracy to fix prices of interior molded doors. In 2022, Mr. Reiss secured a settlement of $19.5 million on behalf of his clients, the indirect purchasers of interior molded doors. In 2015, Mr. Reiss achieved a $16.75 million settlement on behalf of a class of plaintiffs who traded light sweet crude oil, heating oil, and gasoline futures contracts at manipulated prices in In re Optiver Commodities Litigation. Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP, he represented a class of plaintiffs who directly purchased aftermarket automotive lighting products from certain manufacturers which ultimately resulted in a $53.45 million settlement in In re Aftermarket Automotive Lighting Products Antitrust Litigation. Also prior to joining the firm, Mr. Reiss obtained $32 million in settlements on behalf of businesses injured by an alleged conspiracy to fix the prices of marine hose in In re Marine Hose Antitrust Litigation.

Education

• New York University School of Law, J.D. (2001); Staff Editor, Environmental Law Journal 
• George Washington University, B.A. in Political Science and History, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa (1998)

Representative Matters

In re Hard Disk Drive Suspension Assemblies Antitrust Litigation – Involving an alleged price-fixing conspiracy by the leading manufacturer of hard disk drive suspension assemblies and several of their subsidiaries for more than a decade.

In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation – Involving alleged price-fixing conspiracies as to various automotive parts that are components of new motor vehicles.  Partial settlement to date in excess of $1.2 billion, the largest indirect purchaser recovery in U.S. history.

In re Interior Molded Doors Indirect Purchaser Antitrust Litigation – settlement of $19.5 million.

In re Optiver Commodities Litigation – settlement of nearly $17 million.

In re Aftermarket Automotive Lighting Products Antitrust Litigation – settlements in excess of $53 million. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)

In re Marine Hose Antitrust Litigation – settlements totaling nearly $32 million. (Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP)

• Benchmark Litigation—New York Future Star (2024)
• Chambers USA—Antitrust: Mainly Plaintiff, New York—Band 2 (2021-2024)
• Lawdragon: 500 Leading Litigators in America (2023-2025)
• Concurrences Antitrust Writing Awards: Readers’ Choice Award, Best Business Article Category (2021)
• Chambers USA—Antitrust: Mainly Plaintiff, New York—Up and Coming Attorney (2020)
• American Antitrust Institute: Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Practice Award (2019)
• The National Law Journal: Antitrust and M&A Trailblazer (2018)
• American Antitrust Institute: Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement by a Young Lawyer (2016)
• Law360: Rising Star (2016)
• New York Law Journal: Rising Star (2014)

Civic

• Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, Board of Directors
• KIND (Kids In Need of Defense), Volunteer Lawyer

Professional

• New York State Bar Association; Antitrust Law Section Executive Committee Member, Secretary (2024-Present), Committee Liaison Officer (2023), Membership Chair (2021-2022)
• American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law
• American Antitrust Institute, Advisory Board Member
• The Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws (COSAL), Member

Speeches

• Undercurrents Unveiled: The Marine Hose Cartel Antitrust Odyssey (Episode 3)
  Podcast, New York State Bar Association Antitrust Law Section (October 2023)
• Why Antitrust? Perspectives on Antitrust Career Paths
  Panelist, New York State Bar Association Antitrust Law Section, New York City (November 8, 2023)
• Food, Equity and Competition: Unpacking Antitrust Issues in the Food Industry
  Moderator, New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting (January 18, 2023)
• Should the Antitrust Laws Be Used to Promote Societal Change? An Exploration of the Intersection Between Antitrust Enforcement and the Promotion of Environment and Societal Welfare
  Moderator, New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting, Webinar (January 24, 2022)
• Health Care Antitrust Under President Biden
  Robins Kaplan LLP, Webinar (March 9, 2021)
• Pleading and Defending Coordinated Conduct Claims
  Moderator, American Bar Association, Webinar (February 26, 2021)
• Discovering a Hidden Revenue Stream: Recoveries from Antitrust Class Action Settlements in Economic Downturn
  Webinar, Robins Kaplan LLP (July 21, 2020)
• The Butterfly Effect: When the Little Things Made a Huge Difference in My Antitrust Case
  New York State Bar Association, Antitrust Law Section and Corporate Counsel Section, New York, New York (January 30, 2020)
• Antitrust Plus Factors
  New York State Bar Association, Antitrust Law Section, New York, New York (February 27, 2019)
• Discovering a Hidden Revenue Stream: Recoveries from Antitrust Class Action Settlements
  Webinar, Robins Kaplan LLP (January 29, 2019)
• Don't Be Afraid of the DARC
  Panel, New York State Bar Association (January 17, 2019)
• Is Direct Really Correct Bricks Tix Kicks and Apps After Apple V Pepper
  Panel, American Bar Association (October 2, 2018)
• Should I stay or Should I go?
  Robins Kaplan Webinar (May 15, 2018)
• Negotiating Cartel Fines and Civil Settlement
  Panel, American Bar Association Spring Meeting, Washington, DC (April 10, 2018)
• Antitrust Class Actions
  University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida (via videoconference) (October 4, 2017)
• REMS and Other Drug Distribution Restrictions: When Does a Brand Company Have a Duty to Deal with its Generic Rivals?
  New York State Bar Association, New York, New York (November 3, 2016)
• What Do Recent Decisions Mean for Indirect Purchaser Class Actions in the US
  Panel, American Bar Association (July 24, 2015)

Media Mentions

• Bloomberg Law, "Live Nation Antitrust Case Shows Peril of 'Batched' Arbitration," (November 29, 2024)
• Forbes, “Why Baltimore And 2 Other Cities Sued America’s Largest Body Camera Maker,” (April 22, 2024)
• Law360, “Competition Case To Watch In 2015,” (January 2, 2015)