Corey W. Roush

A federal judge signed off on a $12.5 million settlement awarded to a class of customers allegedly scammed into buying ineffective diet pills with fake celebrity endorsements and misrepresentations of the product’s price. The chargeback management company that reportedly aided those running the “Keto Racket” is on the hook for the bill. U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington approved the settlement Tuesday, paving the way for more than 300,000 class members to get back the money they spent buying “Ultra Fast Keto Boost” and “Instant Keto” pills, and then some. Plaintiffs alleged they were duped into buying the drugs based on fake endorsements from the stars of “Shark Tank” and phony “before and after” pictures featuring celebrities like Drew Carey and Jennifer Hudson. Not only were the pills ineffective, plaintiffs said, but they were overcharged for the product purchased. Class members thought they were getting a promotional deal where they could buy three bottles and get another two for free, but say they were charged full price for all five bottles. The plaintiffs already have a $200,000 settlement with the company running the purported scheme, The Fulfillment Lab, after filing suit in California federal court in 2020. Alexander Cyclone Covey, partner at Kneupper & Covey and attorney for the class, said after realizing it wasn’t “economically feasible” to chase that company down, they turned their sights on the business that allowed the scam to persist: Global E-Trading LLC, more commonly known as Chargebacks911. Covey said Chargebacks911 advised the purveyor of the pills on how to evade scrutiny from banks so they could continue running the racket. “They were simply a vendor, but our allegations were that they knew what was going on, at least at a high level, and were also advising the scammers on ways that they could skirt the bank regulations to allow their scam to run longer than they otherwise would have been able to,” Covey said. Banks assess a merchant's risk levels by monitoring their chargeback rates. If it rises above a certain percentage, that merchant can face fines and account termination. Covey said as many of The Fulfillment Lab customers filed chargebacks, the company enlisted Chargebacks911 to help artificially inflate the number of their sales so that financial institutions wouldn’t flag them as fraudulent. “They would buy digital gift cards and then charge themselves over and over and over again,” Covey said. “In doing that, they dramatically increased their total transaction count so the ratio did not look so bad.” Chargebacks911 denies all allegations of wrongdoing and liability. Corey W. Roush, partner at Sidley Austin and attorney for the Chargebacks911, shared a written statement from his client that said though it was prepared to defend itself at trial, the company chose to settle “based on a desire to put this matter behind us and to focus on continuing to provide our clients with the exceptional award-winning services for which we are known.” The $12.5 million settlement includes over $4 million in attorneys fees and will be paid in installments over the next three years. Covey said he expects class members, who can still make claims, to receive roughly three times what they initially paid. As for their successful strategy, Covey said it came down to focusing on the simplest claim they could prove, that customers were overcharged for the pills; going after the company that would reap the biggest rewards for his clients; and a meticulous discovery process that produced “smoking gun after smoking gun.”

Dec 3

3 min

New York – Sidley is pleased to announce that Mary Marks has joined Sidley’s office in New York as a partner in the firm’s Antitrust and Competition practice. She joins from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. Ms. Marks focuses on analyzing U.S. and multinational transactions and obtaining clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act and global merger control laws. She also counsels clients with respect to permissible pre-clearance and pre-closing coordination and information sharing, as well as inadvertent failures to file under the HSR Act. “Mary is one of the leading lawyers advising clients navigating complex HSR and merger clearance-related issues,” said Brian Fahrney, Chair-elect of Sidley’s Executive Committee. “As antitrust regulatory burdens have increased significantly, her deep experience and practical approach will be a tremendous asset to our clients.” “Mary has an excellent reputation within the antitrust bar and is a natural fit for Sidley,” said Nancy Chung, managing partner of Sidley’s New York office and a member of the firm’s Management and Executive Committees. “Many of our Antitrust and Competition lawyers have worked across the table from Mary on deals and consistently speak to her collaborative and client-centric approach.” Her addition builds on a year of growth for Sidley’s office in New York, where ten lateral partners have already joined the firm’s M&A and Private Equity practice in 2025. It also follows a series of strategic additions to Sidley’s Antitrust and Competition practice, including Elisabetta “Betta” Righini in Brussels, and Vadim Brusser, Carrie Mahan, and Corey Roush in Washington, D.C. Sidley’s Antitrust practice represents public and private corporations, funds, individuals, and associations in cases involving claims of price fixing, market allocation, actual or attempted monopolization, price discrimination, resale price maintenance, refusals to deal, information exchanges, improper dealer terminations, and other alleged antitrust violations. We have also litigated private and public challenges to proposed mergers and acquisitions. The firm’s preeminent global M&A and Private Equity practice has more than 500 lawyers that are engaged in the full spectrum of public and private mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions across a variety of industries, including energy, life sciences, sports, entertainment, healthcare, real estate, consumer products, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, infrastructure, technology, media and telecoms, financial services and insurance, and metals and mining. Sidley is an elite global law firm. With approximately 2,300 lawyers and nearly 160 years of experience, we have established a reputation for deploying innovative legal strategies to achieve powerful results for our clients in complex transactional, restructuring, crisis management, investigation, regulatory, and litigation matters. Our perspective and reach are truly global, supported by 21 offices strategically situated in key commercial, regulatory, and financial centers across the world. Our lawyers and business professionals, fluent in more than 75 languages, possess the cultural awareness and cross-border legal acumen needed to bring clarity to a dynamic business landscape. Matt Messinger, Director, Public Relations, +1 312 456 4009 (Global) Attorney Advertising—Sidley Austin LLP is a global law firm. Our addresses and contact information can be found at www.sidley.com/en/locations/offices. Sidley and Sidley Austin refer to Sidley Austin LLP and affiliated partnerships as explained at www.sidley.com/disclaimer. New York – Sidley is pleased to announce that Mary Marks has joined Sidley’s office in New York as a partner in the firm’s Antitrust and Competition practice. She joins from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. Ms. Marks focuses on analyzing U.S. and multinational transactions and obtaining clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act and global merger control laws. She also counsels clients with respect to permissible pre-clearance and pre-closing coordination and information sharing, as well as inadvertent failures to file under the HSR Act. “Mary is one of the leading lawyers advising clients navigating complex HSR and merger clearance-related issues,” said Brian Fahrney, Chair-elect of Sidley’s Executive Committee. “As antitrust regulatory burdens have increased significantly, her deep experience and practical approach will be a tremendous asset to our clients.” “Mary has an excellent reputation within the antitrust bar and is a natural fit for Sidley,” said Nancy Chung, managing partner of Sidley’s New York office and a member of the firm’s Management and Executive Committees. “Many of our Antitrust and Competition lawyers have worked across the table from Mary on deals and consistently speak to her collaborative and client-centric approach.” Her addition builds on a year of growth for Sidley’s office in New York, where ten lateral partners have already joined the firm’s M&A and Private Equity practice in 2025. It also follows a series of strategic additions to Sidley’s Antitrust and Competition practice, including Elisabetta “Betta” Righini in Brussels, and Vadim Brusser, Carrie Mahan, and Corey Roush in Washington, D.C. Sidley’s Antitrust practice represents public and private corporations, funds, individuals, and associations in cases involving claims of price fixing, market allocation, actual or attempted monopolization, price discrimination, resale price maintenance, refusals to deal, information exchanges, improper dealer terminations, and other alleged antitrust violations. We have also litigated private and public challenges to proposed mergers and acquisitions. The firm’s preeminent global M&A and Private Equity practice has more than 500 lawyers that are engaged in the full spectrum of public and private mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions across a variety of industries, including energy, life sciences, sports, entertainment, healthcare, real estate, consumer products, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, infrastructure, technology, media and telecoms, financial services and insurance, and metals and mining. Sidley is an elite global law firm. With approximately 2,300 lawyers and nearly 160 years of experience, we have established a reputation for deploying innovative legal strategies to achieve powerful results for our clients in complex transactional, restructuring, crisis management, investigation, regulatory, and litigation matters. Our perspective and reach are truly global, supported by 21 offices strategically situated in key commercial, regulatory, and financial centers across the world. Our lawyers and business professionals, fluent in more than 75 languages, possess the cultural awareness and cross-border legal acumen needed to bring clarity to a dynamic business landscape. Matt Messinger, Director, Public Relations, +1 312 456 4009 (Global) Attorney Advertising—Sidley Austin LLP is a global law firm. Our addresses and contact information can be found at www.sidley.com/en/locations/offices. Sidley and Sidley Austin refer to Sidley Austin LLP and affiliated partnerships as explained at www.sidley.com/disclaimer.

May 5

5 min

Sidley represented The Brink’s Company (NYSE: BCO) in its acquisition of NCR Atleos Corporation (NYSE: NATL) in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately US$6.6 billion. The deal combines two leading financial technology infrastructure providers, bringing together Brink’s global cash management expertise and route-based infrastructure with NCR Atleos’ end-to-end ATM management and services expertise, ATM network, and fast-growing ATM-as-a-Service outsourcing solutions. Sidley served as both transaction and financing counsel to Brink’s in the transaction. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to customary closing conditions. The Sidley team was led by David Grubman, Adam Cromie, George Hunter, and Dustin Page (M&A), and included Lisa Holzman, Evan Kowalski, Jordan Lemoine, and David Hoff (M&A); Angela Fontana, Tracey Nicastro, Caroline Roberts, and Alexander Waddell (Global Finance); Sonia Gupta Barros, Alexander Csordas, Samir Gandhi, and Kayla West (Capital Markets); Suresh Advani, Christian Brause, Eric Grosshandler, and Patrick Gray (Tax); Gregory Marrs, Elizabeth Burns, and Steven Szymanski (Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation); Corey Roush, Murray Reeve, and Anna Kubinska (Antitrust and Competition); Sven De Knop, Alessandra Moroni, James Daher, and Laura Verbeken (Global Arbitration, Trade and Advocacy); Stanley Boris and Matthew Katz (Banking, Payments and Fintech); Colleen Brown and Stephanie Lim (Privacy and Cybersecurity); Heather Palmer (Environmental, Health, and Safety); Natalie Piazza, Vishnu Tirumala, Melissa Gerdts, Amber Otto, Chetan Reddy, and Shannon McDonald (Commercial Litigation and Disputes); and Derek Zaba (Shareholder Activism & Corporate Defense).

Feb 26

1 min

Sidley’s Antitrust and Competition practice, as well as several of the group’s individual lawyers, received significant recognition and praise in Chambers USA’s 2025 rankings for the Antitrust and Antitrust: Litigation Specialists categories, the latter of which is unique to the District of Columbia. Reflecting the team’s collective work and accomplishments, our practice was ranked in the following U.S. locations: USA – Nationwide District of Columbia Illinois On an individual basis, the following lawyers were recognized in their respective locations: James Lowe – District of Columbia Carrie Mahan – District of Columbia Mary Marks – New York Timothy Muris – District of Columbia Benjamin Nagin – New York Corey Roush – District of Columbia Lawrence Silverman – Florida Scott Stein – Illinois The annual Chambers USA guide is a selective list of leading practices and lawyers, which provides analyses of legal practitioners in the United States based on in-depth interviews with clients and in-house counsel.~~Sidley’s Antitrust and Competition practice, as well as several of the group’s individual lawyers, received significant recognition and praise in Chambers USA’s 2025 rankings for the Antitrust and Antitrust: Litigation Specialists categories, the latter of which is unique to the District of Columbia. Reflecting the team’s collective work and accomplishments, our practice was ranked in the following U.S. locations: USA – Nationwide District of Columbia Illinois On an individual basis, the following lawyers were recognized in their respective locations: James Lowe – District of Columbia Carrie Mahan – District of Columbia Mary Marks – New York Timothy Muris – District of Columbia Benjamin Nagin – New York Corey Roush – District of Columbia Lawrence Silverman – Florida Scott Stein – Illinois The annual Chambers USA guide is a selective list of leading practices and lawyers, which provides analyses of legal practitioners in the United States based on in-depth interviews with clients and in-house counsel.

Jun 12

1 min

Sidley is representing Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (Enterprise), a Houston-based midstream natural gas and crude oil pipeline company, as antitrust counsel in connection with its US$950 million acquisition of Piñon Midstream, a portfolio company of Black Bay Energy Capital focused on natural gas gathering and treatment services in the Delaware Basin. This cash transaction will fast-track Enterprise’s entry into the eastern flank of the Delaware Basin in New Mexico and Texas, and expand the company’s natural gas processing footprint. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals. The Sidley team is being led by Corey Roush, and includes Laura Collins, Edward Sharon, Jason Semmes, and Ali Sarwari (all Antitrust and Competition).~~Sidley is representing Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (Enterprise), a Houston-based midstream natural gas and crude oil pipeline company, as antitrust counsel in connection with its US$950 million acquisition of Piñon Midstream, a portfolio company of Black Bay Energy Capital focused on natural gas gathering and treatment services in the Delaware Basin. This cash transaction will fast-track Enterprise’s entry into the eastern flank of the Delaware Basin in New Mexico and Texas, and expand the company’s natural gas processing footprint. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals. The Sidley team is being led by Corey Roush, and includes Laura Collins, Edward Sharon, Jason Semmes, and Ali Sarwari (all Antitrust and Competition).

Aug 26

1 min