Since joining the firm in 1973, David A. Donohoe, P.C. has focused on antitrust and securities litigation.
Practice & Background
Mr. Donohoe began practicing law in 1963 as an associate at a law firm in New York, where he handled a wide variety of antitrust matters, both private and government. He also was involved in a number of securities fraud cases, as well as New York Stock Exchange arbitrations. From 1967 to 1969, he was the assistant general counsel at the Hartford Insurance Group headquartered in Connecticut, serving as the principal in-house antitrust and securities lawyer. In 1969 he joined another firm in Washington, D.C. doing principally antitrust. At Akin Gump, he served as chair of the firmwide litigation group for four years.
Mr. Donohoe was elected to Phi Beta Kappa at The Catholic University of America and served as the articles editor of the Catholic University Law Review.
Representative Matters
Mr. Donohoe has handled a number of antitrust and securities cases, including:
acting as lead counsel in the ongoing government and private antitrust litigation in the Southern District of New York against the principal electronic book publishers
acting as lead counsel in the Midwest Milk Monopolization MDL cases in the Western District of Missouri and the 8th Circuit – successfully defending antitrust claim and recovering $25 million on counterclaim
acting as lead counsel in the 1990 to 1996 Federal Trade Commission Robinson-Patman proceeding against the largest U.S. book publishers – FTC complaint dismissed
acting as principal counsel in the SIGMA criminal and civil antitrust gasoline price-fixing litigation in the District Court of Maryland and the 4th Circuit (four-month trial)
litigating a series of cases in Florida and the 11th Circuit defending hospitals against antitrust charges
litigating the first Williams Act securities case involving the banking industry
acting as counsel for Samsung in criminal and civil antitrust price-fixing litigation in the Northern District of California concerning semiconductors
litigating a 1934 Act “fraud on the market” claim in the Eastern District of New York
litigating two securities fraud trials in the Eastern District of Virginia involving suits by limited partners in failed real estate syndications
acting as counsel for defendants in the 10th and 11th Circuits successfully establishing “state action” defense to private antitrust claims
representing a large drugstore chain in a multidistrict securities fraud litigation in the Western District of Pennsylvania
representing a computer hardware manufacturer in the defense of an investors’ class 1934 Act fraud trial
representing numerous corporate and individual clients in grand jury investigations and trials involving antitrust issues in the milk, auto parts, paper and electric contracting industries.
Community Involvement
Mr. Donohoe served as a member of the Catholic University Board of Trustees for 12 years, the last six as vice chairman of that board. He also served for six years as chair of the Board of Visitors of Catholic University Law School.
Speaking Engagements:
New York Practicing Law Institute lecturer on antitrust compliance
Petroleum Marketing Attorneys lecturer in Washington, D.C., on Robinson-Patman issues
Antitrust Section of American Bar Association in Washington D.C., lecturer on recent trends in RICO decisions
Agriculture Sub-Committee of ABA Antirust Section in Kansas City, MO, lecturer on Capper-Volstead exemption to the antitrust laws
Numerous antitrust compliance seminars to corporate clients in the United States and Europe.
