Professionals

R. Bruce Holcomb — Partner
202-580-8819 (Direct)
202-580-8821 (Fax)

Bruce Holcomb focuses on litigation strategy and settlement in major antitrust cases, in which he has represented more than twenty-five Fortune 500 companies. Before founding Adams Holcomb, he was a litigation partner at the law firm of Dickstein Shapiro LLP where he headed the firm's Antitrust & Financial Services and Business Litigation Practices. He is ranked in the 2007 and 2008 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business as a leading individual in the area of Antitrust for the District of Columbia. In 2006, Mr. Holcomb was named one of The Best Lawyers in America in antitrust law and was listed in Lawdragon's Leading Lawyers.

Representative Matters
Antitrust

• Representation of a prominent computer software provider in litigation alleging monopolization of the market for word processing and related software used on personal computers. Novell v. Microsoft.
• Representation of a world-wide credit and charge card network in defense of allegations that exclusivity agreements with issuers violated the antitrust laws. American Express v. Visa International; Discover Financial Services v. Visa International.
• Representation of tire and rubber companies seeking damages caused by a conspiracy to fix the prices of chemicals used in the manufacturing of rubber products. In re Rubber Chemicals Antitrust Litigation.
• Representation of a client group that purchased almost $7 billion worth of corrugated boxes, in litigation alleging price fixing by a cartel of integrated paper products companies. In re Linerboard Antitrust Litigation.
• Representation of a leading manufacturer of polyester staple fiber in the settlement of class and direct action claims by plaintiffs alleging that the manufacturer fixed prices. In re Polyester Staple Antitrust Litigation.
• Representation of a major chemicals manufacturer as settlement counsel in defense of antitrust class actions and direct litigation by customers to recover treble damages on purchases of synthetic rubber. In re EPDM Antitrust Litigation; Alco v. DuPont Dow Elastomers.
• Representation of a group of food, beverage, and nutritional supplement companies that purchased more than $3 billion worth of bulk vitamins products in actions to recover overcharges from an international price fixing cartel. The cases were settled for the largest recoveries in antitrust history. In re Vitamins Antitrust Litigation.
• Representation of a group of major food manufacturers that purchased citric acid from members of a worldwide price fixing cartel. In re Citric Acid Antitrust Litigation.
• Representation of one of the nation's leading securities firms in an investigation by the Department of Justice into alleged agreements among options exchanges to restrict the listing of certain options to a single exchange. Acted as Liaison Counsel for the market-maker defendants in the litigation and settlement of related class action cases. In re Stock Exchange Options Trading Antitrust Litigation.
• Representation of a prominent securities firm in defense of a class action alleging a conspiracy among underwriters to fix the fees paid by issuers in connection with initial public offerings. The client was dismissed as a defendant. In re Public Offering Fee Antitrust Litigation.
• Representation of one of the largest Nasdaq market makers and service as co-liaison counsel for the defendants in the litigation and settlement of class actions charging market makers with fixing bid/ask spreads. The case also involved responding to an investigation by the Department of Justice and the negotiation of a consent decree to resolve the government's antitrust allegations. In re Nasdaq Market Makers Antitrust Litigation.
• Representation of one of the nation's largest household goods van lines in groundbreaking antitrust litigation following deregulation in the moving and storage industry. The case concerned the van line's ability to restrict its local agents from engaging in direct competition with the van line. The district court granted summary judgment for the client. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirming the summary judgment ruling is a leading precedent on the lawfulness of marketing restrictions on agents and distributors. Rothery Storage & Van Co. v. Atlas Van Lines, Inc.

Complex Dispute Resolution

• Representation of the nation's leading manufacturer of artificial stucco as settlement counsel in class action litigation with purchasers of homes clad with an allegedly defective product. A class settlement was reached that substantially quantified and reduced the client's potential exposure. Posey v. Dryvit Systems, Inc.
• Representation of flight attendants in a class action settlement alleging employment discrimination. The matter was settled with a substantial recovery for the flight attendants. Kehe v. Delta Air Lines.
• Representation of the court-appointed Examiner in the Eastern Air Lines bankruptcy. The effort included negotiations with labor unions, the debtor, and affiliated companies. The representation also included a settlement of more than $1 billion in fraudulent conveyance claims. In re Eastern Airlines Bankruptcy.
• Representation of a foreign industrialist in the resolution of a high profile, bitter, and protracted child custody dispute. Habie v. Habie.

Professional Background
From 1981 to 1983, Mr. Holcomb was an associate at Howrey & Simon. He joined Dickstein Shapiro in 1983.

Professional Activities
Mr. Holcomb is admitted to practice before the courts of the District of Columbia, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He is a member of the Antitrust and Litigation Sections of the American Bar Association and the Bar Association of the District of Columbia. In addition, he has been admitted pro hac vice in many courts throughout the country. In 2006, Mr. Holcomb was honored by Lawdragon magazine as a "Leading Lawyer," in a list that represents less than one percent of the legal profession and is determined based on a combination of independent research and peer reviews.

Publications
"Standards for an Integrated Monopolist's Liability Under Section 2 of the Sherman Act," 48 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 620 (May 1980).

Education
Mr. Holcomb is a graduate of Ithaca College (B.A., political science, magna cum laude, 1978) and received his legal education at The George Washington University Law School (J.D., with honors, 1981), where he was Notes Editor for The George Washington University Law Review (1980-1981).

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