Mr. Austin’s trial and appellate practice concentrates on complex litigation in state and federal courts nationwide, with an emphasis on antitrust/competition law, RICO, state consumer protection act class actions, False Claims Act and qui tam litigation, and government and internal investigations. Mr. Austin’s clients come from the financial services and insurance, manufacturing, health care, and retail sectors. For example, he has represented various property and casualty insurers for years in significant commercial and contractual disputes, as well as consumer class actions challenging rates and premiums, marketing and sales practices, claims-handling practices, and brokering activities. His work often centers on industry-wide challenges to products or business practices.
Mr. Austin also writes and speaks frequently on issues of antitrust, RICO, consumer fraud and whistleblower issues, as well as developments in federal evidence and civil procedure. Prior to joining Eimer Stahl, he was a partner and co-chair of the commercial litigation practice group of a large national law firm.
Experience
Case Experience
- Lead trial counsel in $18+ million dispute over deductible reimbursements and other charges arising under workers’ compensation insurance programs spanning three years. Judgment was entered in client’s favor following eight-day trial. Continental Casualty Co., et al. v. Staffing Concepts, Inc., et al.
- Lead counsel in successful argument before the Louisiana Supreme Court to reverse certification of community-wide pollution and diminished value class action. Price, et. al. v. Roy O. Martin Lumber, et al., 79 So. 2d 960 (La. 2011).
- Represented Fortune 500 corporations in alleged nationwide class action brought under federal antitrust and RICO statutes, as well as various state antitrust statutes and state common law. The matter also included numerous "tag along" actions consolidated for pretrial proceedings by the Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation. The case alleged conspiracies among insurance brokers and property and casualty insurers to allocate markets and customers for commercial insurance in addition to various state law violations. In re Insurance Brokerage Antitrust Litigation, 618 F.3d 300 (3d Cir. 2010).
- Represented manufacturers of blood glucose meters in class action and federal False Claims Act cases alleging product defects, human health risks, and false sales and marketing. Obtained summary judgment in favor of client in the Circuit Court of Madison County, Illinois. Obtained dismissal with prejudice of False Claims Act complaint based on similar allegations, which was affirmed by the Eighth Circuit on appeal. United States ex. Rel. Roop v. Hypoguard USA, Inc., 559 F.3d 818 (8th Cir. 2009).
- Lead defense counsel in series of nationwide and statewide putative class actions against a long-term care insurer arising from challenges to pricing, rate increases and claims-handling practices. Thompson v. Continental, U.S. District Court (D. Arizona 2013); Shaffer v. Continental Casualty Company, 2010 U.S. App. LEXIS 726 (9th Cir. 2010); Landau v. CNA Financial Corp., 381 Ill.App.3d 61 (1st Dist. 2008).
- Represented chemical manufacturers in negligence, nuisance, and trespass class actions and mass actions involving creosote and pentachlorophenol wood treatment processing. Bullard v. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Ry. Co., 535 F. 3d 759 (7th Cir. 2008); Brinston v. Koppers Industries, Inc., 538 F. Supp. 2d 969 (W.D. Tex. 2008).
- Represented an insurer in a proposed nationwide class action challenging the purported failure to Medicare set asides with respect to workers' compensation claims under the Medicare Secondary Payor statute.) Frazer v. Transcontinental Insurance Co., 374 F. Supp. 2d 1067 (N.D. Ala. 2004).
- Represented various insurers in an industry-wide RICO class action alleging unlawful and excessive rates for loss sensitive workers' compensation insurance programs. Sandwich Chef of Texas, Inc. v. Reliance National Indemnity Insurance Co., 319 F.3d 205 (5th Cir. 2003).
- Lead defense counsel in defeating certification of nationwide false marketing, consumer fraud, nuisance and product liability class action involving industry-wide challenge to CCA pressure treated wood. Miller v. Home Depot U.S.A., Inc., 199 F. Supp. 2d 502 (W.D. La. 2001); Jacobs v. Osmose, 213 F.R.D. 607 (S.D. Fla. 2003); Ardoin v. Stine Lumber Co., 220 F.R.D. 459 (W.D. La. 2004); Kitzes v. Home Depot U.S.A., Inc., 872 N.E.2d 53 (Ill. App. 2007).
- Represented major property and casualty insurers in a series of class actions filed in federal and state courts in which the plaintiffs claimed that workers' compensation insurers had improperly passed through residual market assessments and violated premium rate filings. Plaintiffs sought certification of nationwide or statewide classes under federal and state antitrust laws, the RICO statute, conspiracy theories, deceptive trade practices acts, fraud theories and contract theories. AARP v. National Surety Corp., 2001 WL 1530348 (Mich. Cir. Ct. Oct. 23, 2001); AARP v. National Surety Corp., 2001 WL 1530353 (Mich. Cir. Ct. Feb. 23, 2001); Foodarama Supermarkets, Inc. v. American Insurance Co., 43 Pa. D. & C.4th 467, 2000 WL 356697 (Pa. Comm. Pl. Jan. 10, 2000).
- Represent manufacturer in constitutional and qui tam action against a municipality's use of "red light cameras" to enforce traffic regulations.
- Represented a major insurer in a Madison County, Illinois class action alleging that defendant workers’ compensation carriers committed consumer fraud and were unjustly enriched by charging premiums based on total payroll when workers’ compensation benefits for high wage earners were capped. The plaintiffs sought to represent a class of employers affected by the "total payroll" rule.
- Represented a major property and casualty carrier in a class action arising from disputes over coverage for losses suffered during the August 14, 2003 Northeast Blackout. Succeeded in obtaining summary judgment for our client.
- Represented Fortune 500 corporation in a putative nationwide class action challenging the practice of reviewing and reducing charges in medical bills submitted pursuant to workers’ compensation insurance policies.
- Represented an insurer in successful defense of putative nationwide class action challenging the use of computer software to value properties in paying claims on homeowners' insurance policies.
- Represented automobile insurers in a series of putative nationwide class actions in Miller County, Arkansas, challenging the use of "Colossus" software to adjust claims on automobile policies.
- Represented workers' compensation carrier in putative nationwide class action alleging "silent PPO" theories, i.e., that carriers who took discounts on medical bill charges under PPO agreements had affirmative obligation to steer or refer patients to PPO providers; obtained dismissal in favor of defendant.
- Represented Fortune 500 corporation in a putative collective and class action brought by former employees under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and various state laws.
- Lead defense counsel in defeating consolidation of putative nationwide class actions as multidistrict litigation, In re Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) Treated Wood Prod. Liab. Litig.