Craig M. Essenmacher

Craig M. Essenmacher is partner of Lovell Stewart Halebian Jacobson, LLP and practices out of our Michigan office. Craig focuses on antitrust, and commodities manipulation. He has been involved in the fields of complex litigation and class actions for over ten years.

Craig is a graduate of Michigan State University, Bachelor of Science in 1990. He also graduated from Michigan State University with a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry in 1995. During his graduate studies in Chemistry, Craig Essenmacher published three peer reviewed papers in respected scientific journals that include The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A. and The Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Craig has been the principal attorney for the Firm in representing businesses and consumers of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) products who were harmed by an alleged price-fixing conspiracy among TFT-LCD manufacturers, In re: TFT-LCD (Flat Panel) Antitrust Litigation (cash recovery of $1.1 Billion). Craig represented, as the co-lead counsel firm, a class of indirect purchasers in a price-fixing scheme involving Potash containing products In re: Potash Antitrust Litigation, an antitrust class action that resulted in a $20-plus million dollar settlement recovery for the class. Mr. Essenmacher represented an indirect purchaser class, as the co-lead counsel firm, for auto filter price-fixing antitrust, In re: Aftermarket Filters Antitrust Litigation, resulting in a multi-million dollar settlement recovery for the class. He was involved in a settlement for indirect purchasers in a price-fixing action for surcharges charged by major airlines for cargo shipping, In Re: Air Cargo Shipping Services Antitrust Litigation, resulting in an $80 million recovery for the class and $17,000,000 for indirect purchasers.

Craig is an expert in discovery and is involved in numerous discovery issues in pending antitrust and commodity manipulation class actions with the Firm. In addition to writing and advocacy work, Craig liases with experts and consultants in the processing, preparation and analysis of large amounts of transactional and pricing data, preparation of regression analyses, and other aspects of preparing class certification and merits expert reports.

Craig was a principal attorney for the Firm in several price-fixing and commodity manipulation class actions that have resulted in favorable settlements for plaintiffs. Mr. Essenmacher was a principal attorney for the Firm in prosecuting Kohen v. Pacific Investment Management, Co., LLC; In re Amaranth Natural Gas Commodities Litigation; In re Natural Gas Commodities Litigation.

He graduated from Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University with a J.D. with a Summa Cum Laude distinction in 1997. He was admitted to practice in the State of Michigan in November 1997; before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in February 1998; and before the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in February 1998. Mr. Essenmacher is well versed in multi-district complex litigation, with a specific knowledge of antitrust, and commodities manipulation.

Mr. Essenmacher served as a council member for Michigan State Bar Association section of Antitrust, Franchising and Trade Regulation from 2010-2012.