Summary
This antitrust class action alleges that employers of naval architects and marine engineers conspired not to recruit each other's employees in violation of the federal antitrust laws.
Scharpf, et al. v. General Dynamics Corp., et al., Case No. 1:23-cv-013272 (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia)
This antitrust class action alleges that employers of naval architects and marine engineers conspired not to recruit each other's employees in violation of the federal antitrust laws.
Defendants include large ship builders (General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls Industries), small ship builders (Bollinger Shipyards, Marinette Marine, and Austal USA), and consultants (BMT Group, CSC/CACI, Gibbs & Cox, The Columbia Group, Thor Solutions, Tridentis, AMSEC, and SERCO).
The lawsuit alleges that, for decades, Defendants and a close-knit, community of their executives and managers have broken the law by maintaining an illegal agreement not to actively recruit or “poach” each other’s employees. This unwritten “gentlemen’s agreement” suppressed wages for naval architects and marine engineers below competitive levels, depriving Plaintiffs and the Class of hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation.
Plaintiffs seek to represent all persons employed by Defendants, their subsidiaries, and/or related entities as naval architects and marine engineers in the United States from January 1, 2000, to until Defendants’ unlawful conduct ceases persons.
If you have any questions concerning this case, please contact George Farah, at 212-477-8090 or [email protected]. A copy of the complaint can be found HERE.