Vincent J. Esades

B.A. cum laude, U. of N. Dakota
J.D., U. of N. Dakota School of Law

Admitted: Minnesota and North Dakota; U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota

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Vincent Esades is an equity member of Heins Mills & Olson P.L.C. located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has a national practice in the field of complex litigation, primarily in the areas of antitrust, consumer fraud and securities fraud. Mr. Esades was recently recognized as a top antitrust litigator in the The Legal 500 US 2008 which ranked Heins Mills & Olson as one of the top six class actions firms nationally. He has worked on numerous major antitrust cases and was recently appointed as co-lead counsel in Katz v. Fidelity National Title Insurance Co. (N.D. Ohio) and McCray v. Fidelity National Title Insurance Co. (D. Del.) which involve antitrust claims against the largest title insurers in Ohio and Delaware for fixing and controlling the price of title insurance and In re Puerto Rican Cabotage Antitrust Litigation (MDL No. 1960 D.P.R.) which involves price fixing by Jones Act shipping companies for ocean shipping services between the U.S. and Puerto Rico. He is currently serving as plaintiffs' lead or co-lead counsel on several other nationwide class actions, including In re Publication Paper Antitrust Litigation (MDL No. 1631 D. Conn.) (price-fixing claims against paper manufacturers); In re Polyester Staple Antitrust Litigation (MDL No. 1516 W.D. N.C.) (price fixing claims against polyester staple manufacturers on behalf of business purchasers); In Re Bulk Graphite Antitrust Litigation (D. N.J.) (price fixing claims against manufacturers of bulk graphite on behalf of business purchasers); and In re Activated Carbon-Based Hunting Clothing Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation (MDL No. 2059 D. Minn.) (consumer fraud claims against A.L.S. Enterprises, Cabela's, and Gander Mountain for misrepresentations about their “Scent-Lok” products). In addition to serving as lead counsel, Mr. Esades tried a price-fixing case to verdict as a member of multi-firm trial team in the In re High Pressure Laminates Antitrust Litigation (MDL No. 1368 S.D. N.Y.) (price fixing claims against manufacturers of high pressure laminates on behalf of business purchasers) and serves as lead counsel in a case tried by Heins Mills and other co-lead counsel in November 2008, In re Universal Service Fund Telephone Billing Practices Litig. (MDL No. 1468 D. Kan.) (consumer fraud and antitrust claims against AT&T, MCI and Sprint for USF telephone charges). Since 2004, Mr. Esades has represented classes of consumers and obtained nationwide settlements in In re Lawnmower Engines Horsepower Marketing & Sales Practices Litigation (MDL No. 1999 E.D.Wis.) (alleging consumer fraud, civil conspiracy and unjust enrichment claims against manufacturers of lawn mowers and lawn mower engines).

Mr. Esades is also currently involved as a member of Plaintiffs' Executive Committee in numerous other nationwide class actions including In re TFT-LCD (Flat Panel) Antitrust Litigation (MDL No. 1827 N.D. Cal.) (price-fixing claims against producers of Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Displays); In re Municipal Derivatives Antitrust Litigation (S.D. N.Y.) (claims on behalf of local governments against brokers, banks and insurance companies alleging bid-rigging and other anti-competitive practices in the municipal derivatives industry); In re Rail Freight Fuel Surcharge Antitrust Litigation (D. D.C. ) (claims alleging conspiracy among major domestic railroads to fix prices for rail freight transportation); In re Intel Corp. Microprocessor Antitrust Litigation (D. Del) (claims alleging monopolistic practices by Intel in the x86 microprocessor market). Mr. Esades is also participating in the In re Hydrogen Peroxide Antitrust Litigation (E.D. Pa.) (price-fixing claims against manufacturers of hydrogen peroxide); and In re Air Cargo Shipping Services Antitrust Litigation (E.D. N.Y) (claims against major airlines alleging price-fixing of fuel surcharges for freight transportation).

Mr. Esades has actively participated in numerous other complex class actions as well, including In re Vitamins Antitrust Litigation (D. D.C.) (Discovery Co-Chair); Howe v. Microsoft Corp. (N.D.) (Lead Counsel); Gordon v. Microsoft Corp. (Minn., 4th Jud. Dist.); In re NASDAQ Market-Makers Antitrust Litigation (S.D. N.Y.); and In re Motorsports Merchandise Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Ga.).

Mr. Esades has presented at the ABA Annual Convention and the Annual National Institute on Class Actions as part of panels on major antitrust issues, including the Class Action Fairness Act.

Panelist, American Antitrust Institute's Annual Invitational Symposium on the Future of Private Antitrust Enforcement, Action on the Class Action Front: A Potpourri, Washington, DC, December 11, 2008.

Panelist, ABA's 12th Annual National Institute on Class Actions, I Could Have Sworn it was CAFA, not Kafka! The Metamorphosis of Pleading, Defending, and Settling Multi-State Class Actions—A Surreal-Life, Three-Act Play, New York, NY, November 7, 2008, sponsored by the ABA's Litigation Section's Class Action and Derivative Suits Committee.

Lecturer, Class Actions: Growing Your Business by Understanding the Basics and Recognizing Opportunities, Cleveland, OH, October 31, 2008, sponsored by the Cleveland Bar Association.

Panelist, ABA's 11th Annual National Institute on Class Actions, The Nationwide Class: White Elephant, Endangered Species, or Alive and Well?, Chicago, IL, October 19, 2007, sponsored by the ABA's Litigation Section's Class Action and Derivative Suits Committee.

Panelist, ABA's 2007 Annual Meeting, Is this CAFA or Kafka? Multi-State Class Actions in a Time of Metamorphosis—A Surreal-Life, Three-Act Play, San Francisco, CA, August 9-12, 2007, sponsored by the ABA.