State Attorneys General: Stewards of Consumer Health and Welfare

When producers of everyday consumer goods face allegations of price fixing, the allegations often come from many different sources. Federal antitrust enforcement agencies, various state attorneys general, and dozens of private individuals and class action plaintiffs often all file their own lawsuits against these defendants under state and federal antitrust laws. This can make for a dizzying web of legal cases that may cause the casual observer to wonder: why? Why is it done this way? Why, for e