Timothy S. Kearns

  • Partner
  • Washington, DC
he / him / his
  • tkearns@hausfeld.com
  • +1 202 540 7227
  • http://www.linkedin.com/pub/timothy-kearns/2b/552/54a/
Timothy S. Kearns

OVERVIEW

Timothy has substantial experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants, through trial and appeal if necessary, providing him with greater insight into the benefits and risks that matter most to clients. Timothy has successfully represented clients at every level of state and federal courts and the Supreme Court of the United States; his efforts have helped his clients recover more than $2.8 billion in settlements.

In the antitrust realm, Timothy has litigated both cartel and monopoly actions against many of the world’s largest corporations. He regularly acts in matters involving cross-border conduct and conspiratorial conduct with respect to complex financial instruments. 

Beyond antitrust, Timothy heads the firm’s investigation of False Claims Act/whistleblower cases as well as matters under the securities and commodities laws.

Service to the community is paramount to Timothy, who is an active member of our Racial Justice and Social Inclusion working groups; in his free time, he regularly volunteers at a local animal shelter.

Clients

Timothy’s clients include individual investors, investment funds, state governments, independent pharmacies, and multinational corporations. His dedication to helping clients realistically assess their options before and throughout litigation and his tenacity in securing a result, through appeal if necessary, help to ensure exceptional outcomes for his clients.

EDUCATION

Cornell Law School, J.D., 2006

Iowa State University, B.A., 2003

BAR ADMISSIONS

Delaware

District of Columbia

United States District Court for the District of Delaware

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin

AFFILIATIONS

American Bar Association, Member

American Constitution Society, Member 

Society for American Baseball Research, Member

WHAT OTHERS SAY

Global Competition Review

  • Cartel Prosecution of the Year: an honor he received as part of the In re Foreign Exchange Benchmark Rates Antitrust Litigation case team in 2016.

Legal 500

  • Named a "heavyweight practitioner" in Antitrust in 2018

Super Lawyers

  • Rising Star, Antitrust Litigation in Washington, DC in 2016
  • Rising Star, Securities Litigation in Washington, DC in 2014 and 2015

PUBLICATIONS

Highlights and updates from Microsoft @ 25: Impact, Influence, and Legacy – Part 1

  • Antitrust / Competition
  • United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium
  • Mar 28 2025

It’s alive! – A divided FTC acts under the Robinson-Patman Act

  • Antitrust / Competition
  • United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium
  • Mar 28 2025

From a wink and nod to a point and click – assessing agreement through algorithmic tools

  • Antitrust / Competition
  • United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium
  • Dec 13 2024

Publications:

    • "The Chair, the Needle, and the Damage Done: What the Electric Chair and the Rebirth of the Method-of-Execution Challenge Could Mean for the Future of the Eighth Amendment," Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy (2006), Author

Press:

    • "Plaintiffs Bar Perspective: Hausfeld's Timothy Kearns," Law360 (March 15, 2017)

NEWS

Timothy S. Kearns and Michael Zymler are the new Managing Editor and Assistant Managing Editor of Hausfeld’s Competition Bulletin

  • Antitrust / Competition
  • United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium
  • Mar 06 2025

Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Report names Hausfeld a top firm for dispute resolution in North America

  • Antitrust / Competition
  • United States, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium
  • Dec 20 2018

Hausfeld announces final approval of more than $2.3 billion in FX settlements

  • Antitrust / Competition
  • Commercial & Financial Disputes
  • United States
  • Aug 07 2018

"At the top of its game" - The Legal 500 (2018) again recognizes Hausfeld and its lawyers as first tier in Antitrust

  • Antitrust / Competition
  • United States
  • Jun 08 2018

EVENTS

PERSPECTIVES

The Supreme Court provides False Claims Act relators with good news, bad news, and no news

  • Commercial & Financial Disputes
  • United States
  • Jul 13 2023

EXPERIENCE

Antitrust/Competition

  • In re Foreign Exchange Benchmark Rates Antitrust Litigation– Timothy represented market participants in the foreign exchange market against international banks alleged to have fixed the price of foreign exchange instruments, securing settlements with 15 major financial institutions amounting to more than $2.3 billion.
  • In re Atlantic Farm-Raised Salmon Antitrust Litigation - Timothy represented direct purchasers of Atlantic farm-raised salmon and secured a $85 million global settlement with all defendant fish producers.
  • In re HIV Antitrust Litigation – Timothy represented direct purchasers of HIV drugs from a case alleging an anticompetitive “pay for delay” between drug manufacturers and secured a settlement of more than $245 million.
  • District of Columbia v. Amazon.com, Inc. – Timothy represents the District in an action alleging claims of illegal restraints of trade and monopolization against Amazon.com.
  • Precision Associates, Inc. v. Panalpina World Transport (Holding) Ltd.– Timothy represented two corporate defendants against allegations of antitrust violations within the global freight forwarding industry.

Commercial & Financial Disputes

  • MTB Investment Partners, LP v. Siemens Hearing Instruments, Inc. – Timothy secured a securities fraud settlement that returned more than 115% of recognized losses after attorneys’ fees and expenses to former shareholders in HearUSA, Inc.
  • Timothy secured two favorable settlements for an Asian bank in litigation arising out of the bank’s investment in collateralized debt obligations.
  • Timothy represents whistleblowers and qui tam plaintiffs in confidential actions asserting wrongdoing by financial institutions and other major global corporations.

Pro Bono

  • Doe v. Indian River School District - prior to joining Hausfeld – Timothy represented Jewish families alleging discrimination in Delaware public schools, ultimately securing appellate unanimous reversal of the district court’s decision upholding school board prayer practices and denial of certiorari by the United States Supreme Court.

What I think

The Supreme Court provides False Claims Act relators with good news, bad news, and no news

  • Commercial & Financial Disputes
  • United States
  • Jul 13 2023