The Ninth Circuit affirmed the grant of summary judgment to our client, Holland Realty, in a multi-million dollar antitrust tying class action See Blough v. Holland Realty, 574 F. 3d 1084 (9th Cir. 2009). The plaintiff’s tying claim alleged that Holland Realty and other realty companies blocked the purchase of subdivision lots in the Treasure Valley unless they were paid a commission on the build-out price of the lots. This was a challenge to a marketing strategy frequently used by developers in marketing subdivisions during the real estate growth period in the Treasure Valley. The opinion holds that tying claims are impermissible when there is “zero foreclosure” of competition in the market for the tied product, as there was in this case because no buyers of the tying product wanted to purchase the tied product at all. For more information contact lead partner Gene Ritti, (208) 388-4837; eritti@hawleytroxell.com.

In an effort lead by the firm's very own database administrator, Bobbi Dodd, several Hawley Troxell employees together with friends and family worked the evening of November 13 and all day Saturday, November 14 to create 32 flannel rag quilts for Project Linus.   It took over 200 hours of volunteer time to create these quilts.  Project Linus is an organization whose mission is "to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade, blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer blanketeers." http://www.linusidaho.org/ .  Each year Bobbi chooses an organization to quilt for and the firm provides the financial support to purchase the necessary fabric, the people needed for the effort, the space for the massive sewing operation, and the food to keep the volunteers going.

The Idaho Bankers Association has named Ken Howell as its new General Counsel, continuing the decades long affiliation between the IBA and Hawley Troxell.