ROBERTSON v. SEA PINES REAL ESTATE COMPANIES, INC.

Nos. 11-1538, 11-1539, 11-1540, 11-1541.

679 F.3d 278 (2012)

Albert ROBERTSON; Frances Robertson; William J. Garrity; Garrity Ventures, LLC, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. SEA PINES REAL ESTATE COMPANIES, INCORPORATED, a/k/a The Sea Pines Real Estate Company; Coastal Homes and Land, Incorporated, a/k/a Coastal Homes & Land Realty; Collins Group Realty, Incorporated; Engard Rental Company, LLC, a/k/a Engard Real Estate Company; Bruce A. Goff, Incorporated; Daufuskie Island Resort Realty, LLC; Searchlight Realty, Incorporated, a/k/a Searchlight Realty; Gateway Realty, LLC; Hilton Head Luxury Properties, Incorporated, a/k/a Prudential Premier Island Properties; Charter 1 Realty & Marketing; The William Hilton Company, a/k/a William F. Hilton Realty; EG Robinson III and Associates Realtors, Incorporated, a/k/a EG Robinson Real Estate; Gina Scott Realty; Julie Toon Pawley Real Estate Broker, Incorporated; CRG Properties, Incorporated, a/k/a Carolina Realty Group, Incorporated, Defendants-Appellants, and Lancaster Resort Rentals and Sales, Incorporated; Ingram Thompson & Associates, Incorporated, Defendants. United States of America, Amicus Supporting Appellees. Thomas Boland, on behalf of himself and others similarly situated, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Consolidated Multiple Listings Service, Incorporated; The Mungo Company, Incorporated; Sandion, d/b/a Coldwell Banker United, Realtors, a Texas general partnership; Bollin Ligon Walker Realtors, PA; Russell & Jeffcoat Realtors, Incorporated; LDG, Incorporated, d/b/a RE-MAX Metro Associates; DTBCR Holdings, Incorporated, f/k/a Bob Capes Realty, Incorporated; The Advantage Group, Incorporated; Landmark Resources LLC, Defendants-Appellants, and John Does, 1-8, Defendant. United States of America, Amicus Supporting Appellee. Albert Robertson; Frances Robertson; William J. Garrity; Garrity Ventures, LLC, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. Sea Pines Real Estate Companies, Incorporated, a/k/a The Sea Pines Real Estate Company; Coastal Homes and Land, Incorporated, a/k/a Coastal Homes & Land Realty; Collins Group Realty, Incorporated; Engard Rental Company, LLC, a/k/a Engard Real Estate Company; Bruce A. Goff, Incorporated; Daufuskie Island Resort Realty, LLC; Searchlight Realty, Incorporated, a/k/a Searchlight Realty; Gateway Realty, LLC; Hilton Head Luxury Properties, Incorporated, a/k/a Prudential Premier Island Properties; Charter 1 Realty & Marketing; The William Hilton Company, a/k/a William F. Hilton Realty; EG Robinson III And Associates Realtors, Incorporated, a/k/a EG Robinson Real Estate; Gina Scott Realty; Lancaster Resort Rentals And Sales, Incorporated, a/k/a Lancaster Resort Sales; Ingram Thompson & Associates, Incorporated; Julie Toon Pawley Real Estate Broker, Incorporated; CRG Properties, Incorporated, a/k/a Carolina Realty Group, Incorporated, Defendants-Appellees. United States of America, Amicus Supporting Appellees. Thomas Boland, on behalf of himself and others similarly situated, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Consolidated Multiple Listings Service, Incorporated; Landmark Resources LLC; The Mungo Company, Incorporated; LDG, Incorporated, a/k/a RE-MAX Metro Associates; DTBCR Holdings, Incorporated, f/k/a Bob Capes Realty, Incorporated; Sandion, d/b/a Coldwell Bankers United Realtors, a Texas general partnership; The Advantage Group, Incorporated; Bollin Ligon Walker Realtors, PA; Russell & Jeffcoat Realtors, Incorporated, Defendants-Appellees. United States of America, Amicus Supporting Appellant.

United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit.

Decided: May 14, 2012.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

ARGUED: Celeste T. Jones , McNair Law Firm, PA, Columbia, South Carolina; Harry Augustus Swagart, III , Columbia, South Carolina, for Appellants/Cross-Appellees. Garrett D. Blanchfield, Jr. , Reinhardt Wendorf & Blanchfield, St. Paul, Minnesota; Brian Douglas Penny , Goldman, Scarlato, Karon & Penny, PC, Wayne, Pennsylvania, for Appellees/Cross-Appellants. Nickolai Gilford Levin , United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., for Amicus Curiae. ON BRIEF: Jane W. Trinkley , McNair Law Firm, PA, Columbia, South Carolina, for Appellants/Cross-Appellees in No. 11-1538 and No. 11-1540; Edward M. Woodward, Jr. , Woodward, Cothran & Herndon, Columbia, South Carolina, Frederick A. Gertz , Gertz & Moore, Columbia, South Carolina, Mason A. Summers , David A. Anderson , Richardson Plowden & Robinson, Columbia, South Carolina for Appellants/Cross-Appellees in No. 11-1539 and No. 11-1541. Jesse A. Kirchner , Matthew E. Yelverton , Thurmond Kirchner Timbes & Yelverton, PA, Charleston, South Carolina; S. Randall Hood , Chad McGowan , McGowan, Hood & Felder, LLC, Rock Hill, South Carolina; John G. Felder, Jr. , McGowan, Hood & Felder, LLC, Columbia, South Carolina; Daniel R. Karon , Goldman Scarlato & Karon, PC, Cleveland, Ohio; Grant A. Goodman , Goodman Law Firm, Cleveland, Ohio; Mark Reinhardt , Reinhardt Wendorf & Blanchfield, St. Paul, Minnesota, for Appellees/Cross-Appellants. Sharis A. Pozen , Acting Assistant Attorney General, Catherine G. O'Sullivan , United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., for Amicus Curiae.

Affirmed and remanded by published opinion. Judge WILKINSON wrote the opinion, in which Judge KING and Judge AGEE joined.


OPINION

WILKINSON, Circuit Judge:

This case involves two putative class actions, consolidated on interlocutory appeal, brought by purchasers of real estate brokerage services in South Carolina. Each complaint alleges that the real estate brokerages serving as board members of the local multiple listing service conspired to unfairly restrain market competition in violation of § 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1. The district court denied...

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