Class warfare: Why antitrust class actions are essential for compensation and deterrence

Antitrust class action cases, in contrast, get little respect and much criticism, with critics asserting that antitrust class actions are usually not in the public interest.53 This critical view may help explain the large number of judicial decisions that have made it more difficult for victims of anticompetitive conduct, and especially those victims with limited resources, to recover significant portions of their overcharges and, at times, have prevented any recovery whatsoever.54 In light of the crucial role that antitrust class action recoveries play in compensating victims of illegal activity and deterring anticompetitive behavior, these cases should be encouraged rather than hampered through restrictive judicial interpretations of the applicable law.