Willkie Farr & Gallagher's revelation that a former partner engaged in questionable communications with an opposing counsel has given ammunition to retailers who object to massive settlements in two antitrust cases involving credit card companies.

After former Willkie partner Keila Ravelo was arrested in December on charges of defrauding her employers, Willkie conducted an internal review and uncovered communications between Ravelo and plaintiff's attorney Gary B. Friedman, “which we believe raise questions,” the firm told parties in the antitrust litigation last month.

Willkie represented Master Card International in one of the cases and Friedman, of the Friedman Law Group, is among the plaintiff counsel in both cases.