US firms to defend BA execs in price-fixing case

A raft of firms have bagged roles advising British Airways (BA) executives caught up in the price-fixing scandal which saw the airline agree to pay $300m (£150m) in fines to the Department of Justice (DoJ) yesterday (23 August). Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker and Covington & Burling are among a number of firms representing 10 past and present BA executives who are due to be publicly named by the end of the month as they face a possible US criminal probe by the DoJ for roles in the price-fixing cartel.

August 24, 2007 at 11:51 AM

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Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker and Covington & Burling are among a number of firms representing 10 past and present BA executives who are due to be publicly named by the end of the month as they face a possible US criminal probe by the DoJ for roles in the price-fixing cartel.

The firms were instructed by Sullivan & Cromwell – BA's US advisers – in order to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.

The national carrier, which was previously fined £121.5m by the UK's Office of Fair Trading after admitting to holding illegal talks with rival group Virgin in a bid to fix the prices of fuel surcharges, is also facing class actions on both sides of the Atlantic.