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Noerr-Pennington protects business rivals’ right to petition government, Illinois federal judge rules

By  |  March 28, 2012

U.S. District Judge Harry B. Leinenweber has dismissed Rubloff Development Group’s lawsuit against the Saint Consulting Group and SuperValu. Saint Consulting and SuperValu had sought to block Rubloff’s plans for Wal-Marts in both the city council and in court. Although SuperValu’s Jewel Osco would compete with Wal-Mart, and Saint Consulting’s clients include Wal-Mart rivals, Judge Leinenweber ruled that the First Amendment and the Noerr-Pennington doctrine protect the right to petition the government without fear of antitrust liability.

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