About Us
The Committee to Support the Antitrust Laws (COSAL) was established in 1986 to promote and support the enactment, preservation, and enforcement of a strong body of antitrust laws in the United States. In our fourth decade, COSAL remains the only organization in the U.S. that is dedicated to lobbying for strong antitrust laws and effective private enforcement.
COSAL members recognize our important role in advocating on behalf of the antitrust plaintiff’s bar in the halls of Congress, at the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, and before the Judicial Conference.
“The federal law promoting and protecting competition has remained robust over the past thirty-five years. This is not an accident. These laws have survived numerous attempts at degradation due in considerable part to the vigilance and advocacy of COSAL, the only organization on the national stage specifically dedicated to the preservation of strong private antitrust enforcement.”
-Joseph Goldberg, Freedman, Boyd, Hollander & Goldberg P.A.
“As an antitrust litigator, I have devoted my career to ensuring that our laws and our courts safeguard free markets and fair competition. COSAL has been a steadfast ally in the fight. For decades, it has lobbied for strong antitrust laws and effective private enforcement. COSAL’s thoughtful analyses and tireless advocacy have been invaluable in keeping our markets free and open to all. “
-Joseph Bruckner, Lockridge, Grindal, Nauen, P.L.L.P
“COSAL's steadfast legislative and policy advocacy over the last 35 years have without question strengthened private antitrust enforcement. And its more recent expansion into amicus advocacy and prescient work on tech, diversity, climate show that we are ready to meet the moment. The future is free enterprise.”
-Rishi Raithatha, Radice Law Firm
“COSAL is the beating heart of the private antitrust enforcement bar. It is where pro-competition attorneys coalesce to promote enforcement of antitrust laws within the judicial system and to support strengthening the antitrust laws in the legislature.”
-Lin Y. Chan, Lieff Cabraser
Key Events in Our History
2023
COSAL created the Jonathan W. Cuneo COSAL/Justice Catalyst Fellowship to enable new lawyers to pursue antitrust litigation as a crucial tool for accountability within the U.S. legal system, with a particular focus on facilitating the advancement of underrepresented individuals within the field, emphasizing inclusivity, fairness, and equal opportunity in the antitrust field.
2022
COSAL’s Amicus Committee filed a record-breaking six amicus briefs in five different Circuit Courts of Appeal, addressing a wide range of important antitrust issues.
2021
COSAL was part of a coalition of public interest and civil society groups supporting the“American Innovation and Choice Online Act” and “Open App Markets Act” to rein in Big Tech. COSAL worked with Congress to include strong private right-of-action language in the legislation so that consumers and small businesses could enforce the law as a supplement to government enforcement.
2020
COSAL represented the views of the antitrust plaintiffs’ bar in the successful effort to permanently reauthorize the Antitrust Criminal Penalties Enhancement and Reform Act (ACPERA), which was signed into law on October 1, 2020.
2017
COSAL was a leader of the coalition that successfully defeated the so-called Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act, which would have made it virtually impossible to certify class actions by, among other provisions, requiring every class member to suffer the same injury.
2015
COSAL members testified and submitted comments to the Civil Rules Advisory Committee regarding proposals to modify Rule 23 and place limits on discovery in civil lawsuits.
COSAL was a leader in the coalition that helped ensure that the final rules did not unduly restrict access to the courts.
2014
COSAL member testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the importance of private enforcement against antitrust cartels.
2009-2010
COSAL led the effort to modify the Antitrust Criminal Penalty Enhancement and Reform Act (ACPERA) so that cooperating defendants are required to provide timely cooperation to antitrust plaintiffs in order to be eligible for single damages and relief from joint and several liability. The changes also prohibit unreasonable delay in providing cooperation once a Department of Justice stay has been lifted. The revised ACPERA was signed into law by President Obama on June 9, 2010.
2005-2007
COSAL closely monitored the activities of the Antitrust Modernization Commission (AMC). COSAL’s General Counsel and individual members testified at hearings on AMC topics, including indirect purchaser lawsuits and joint and several liability. COSAL met with staff of the relevant Congressional committees to educate them about the AMC’s recommendations, and the organization has been instrumental in preventing anti-consumer recommendations from being considered by Congress.
2004
COSAL worked with congressional staff to shape the Antitrust Criminal PenaltyEnhancement and Reform Act (ACPERA), which grants single damage liability to antitrust defendants who cooperate with claimants in private antitrust enforcement actions. COSAL helped to ensure that joint and several liability for full treble damages would be preserved in such cases as to the uncooperating defendants and that the law would need to be reauthorized in 5 years so that improvements can be made.
2003
COSAL was part of a coalition that stopped detrimental class action legislation from passing Congress, and then helped to make improvements in legislation that ultimately became law in 2005.
1996-1997
COSAL members testified successfully against proposed revisions to Rule 23 that would have made it more difficult to maintain class actions in the U.S. courts. Years later, in 2000, COSAL submitted final comments opposing a new set of proposed changes that would hinder class actions