Pete Marketos and Leslie Chaggaris defeated the FTC’s $4 billion Deceptive Advertising Suit against client AT&T/DIRECTV

Pete Marketos and Leslie Chaggaris were co-lead counsel defending the firm’s long-time client, AT&T/DIRECTV, in a lawsuit brought by the Federal Trade Commission in the Northern District of California. The FTC alleged that DIRECTV engaged in misleading advertising practices over a 10-year period and sought nearly $4 billion in restitution. On August 16, 2018, after two weeks of trial, Judge Haywood S. Gilliam, Jr. granted, in large part, DIRECTV’s motion to dismiss the case. See Judge guts FTC’s $4-billion lawsuit against DirecTV and Judge Rejects Large Parts of FTC Suit Against DIRECTV in the LA Times and Wall Street Journal. The FTC then voluntarily dismissed its case with prejudice. See FTC Abandons False Advertising Case Against DIRECTV and FTC Drops $4B False Ad Suit Against DirectTV Midtrial in the Texas Lawbook and Law360.