Kuruvilla J. Olasa

Kuruvilla J. Olasa

Kuruvilla Olasa is an accomplished litigator who has tried high-stakes antitrust cases for both plaintiffs and defendants.

Kuru has tried antitrust merger cases in courtrooms across the country. He recently represented the State of Washington in successfully challenging the merger of Kroger and Albertsons, and he represented a private plaintiff in pursuing a post-consummation challenge to a merger – a challenge that resulted in the first-ever divestiture in private merger litigation.

Kuru also represents defendants in complex and multi-district litigation involving allegations of price fixing, monopolization and other alleged anticompetitive conduct.

Outside the courtroom, Kuru advises clients on a wide range of antitrust matters, including merger clearance, litigation contingency planning and antitrust compliance.

A former software engineer, Kuru brings a deep knowledge and affinity for technology to the legal analysis and advice he provides to clients. In the litigation context, Kuru relies on his technology background to defend and cross-examine technology witnesses, including computer science experts.

Experience

Antitrust Litigation

  • Washington State Office of the Attorney General in obtaining a permanent injunction against the $24.6 billion merger of the Kroger and Albertsons grocery chains. Kuru handled pre-trial and trial strategy, examined and cross-examined numerous fact and expert witnesses – including the economics experts for both sides – and co-delivered the closing argument. The result in this case earned a “Runner-Up” recognition in The American Lawyer’s Litigator of the Week column
  • Google in antitrust litigation involving Google’s business practices and business model for the Google Play app store. Kuru defended Google at trial against the claims asserted by a private plaintiff, and he represented Google in reaching a proposed settlement with the state attorneys general of every state and the District of Columbia.
  • BNSF Railway Company in multi-district litigation involving claims of price fixing.
  • Coalition of states in representing California and New York, and serving as trial counsel on behalf of a coalition of states challenging the proposed merger of T-Mobile and Sprint.
  • Steves and Sons in successfully challenging a consummated merger under federal antitrust law and obtaining a divestiture order. The victory received an award for Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Law Practice from the American Antitrust Institute.
  • A major record company in successfully resolving antitrust claims asserted by a bankrupt streaming music service.
  • Intel in providing antitrust counseling in the multi-billion-dollar sale of its NAND memory business.
  • The Norton Simon Museum in obtaining summary judgment in a dispute involving the ownership of two paintings in the museum’s collection. The victory was named among the Daily Journal’s Top Verdicts of 2016 and earned the defense team a Daily Journal 2017 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award.
  • SoundExchange, on behalf of copyright owners, before the Copyright Royalty Board in the Webcasting IV proceeding to set royalty rates for webcasters.

Awards & Honors

 

 

Practice Areas

Education

  • UC Berkeley School of Law (J.D., 2011) Order of the Coif; articles editor, California Law Review and Berkeley Technology Law Journal

  • UC Santa Barbara (B.S., with honors, 2006)

Clerkships

  • Judge Sandra Segal Ikuta, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 2012-2013
  • Judge A. Howard Matz, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 2011-2012

Bar Admissions

  • California

Experience

Antitrust Litigation

  • Washington State Office of the Attorney General in obtaining a permanent injunction against the $24.6 billion merger of the Kroger and Albertsons grocery chains. Kuru handled pre-trial and trial strategy, examined and cross-examined numerous fact and expert witnesses – including the economics experts for both sides – and co-delivered the closing argument. The result in this case earned a “Runner-Up” recognition in The American Lawyer’s Litigator of the Week column
  • Google in antitrust litigation involving Google’s business practices and business model for the Google Play app store. Kuru defended Google at trial against the claims asserted by a private plaintiff, and he represented Google in reaching a proposed settlement with the state attorneys general of every state and the District of Columbia.
  • BNSF Railway Company in multi-district litigation involving claims of price fixing.
  • Coalition of states in representing California and New York, and serving as trial counsel on behalf of a coalition of states challenging the proposed merger of T-Mobile and Sprint.
  • Steves and Sons in successfully challenging a consummated merger under federal antitrust law and obtaining a divestiture order. The victory received an award for Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Law Practice from the American Antitrust Institute.
  • A major record company in successfully resolving antitrust claims asserted by a bankrupt streaming music service.
  • Intel in providing antitrust counseling in the multi-billion-dollar sale of its NAND memory business.
  • The Norton Simon Museum in obtaining summary judgment in a dispute involving the ownership of two paintings in the museum’s collection. The victory was named among the Daily Journal’s Top Verdicts of 2016 and earned the defense team a Daily Journal 2017 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award.
  • SoundExchange, on behalf of copyright owners, before the Copyright Royalty Board in the Webcasting IV proceeding to set royalty rates for webcasters.

Awards & Honors

 

 

Practice Areas

Education

  • UC Berkeley School of Law (J.D., 2011) Order of the Coif; articles editor, California Law Review and Berkeley Technology Law Journal

  • UC Santa Barbara (B.S., with honors, 2006)

Clerkships

  • Judge Sandra Segal Ikuta, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 2012-2013
  • Judge A. Howard Matz, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 2011-2012

Bar Admissions

  • California