Danny Gifford is an associate in Cohen Milstein’s Antitrust practice. In this role, Danny represents a broad range of individuals and businesses in civil litigation, with a focus on multi-district class actions and antitrust litigation.
Prior to joining Cohen Milstein, Danny clerked for the Honorable Pamela A. Harris of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Honorable Sidney H. Stein of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Danny earned his B.A. from Stanford University and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal and co-director of Yale Law School’s Capital Assistance Project.
Prior to law school, Danny was a JusticeCorps Fellow at the San Mateo Superior Court Self-Help Center in Redwood City, California, where he taught low-income, pro se litigants how to navigate the stages and procedures of California family law.
- New York
- Yale Law School, J.D., 2020
- Stanford University, B.A., 2016
- Law Clerk, the Hon. Pamela A. Harris, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (2022 – 2023)
- Law Clerk, the Hon. Sidney H. Stein, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (2020 – 2021)
Current Cases
All Wrapped Up Signs and Graphix LLC v. Visa Inc.
All Wrapped Up Signs and Graphix LLC v. Visa Inc. (S.D.N.Y.): Cohen Milstein filed a putative class action on behalf of plaintiff All Wrapped Up Signs and Graphix LLC alleging that Visa Inc. violated the Sherman Act and various state antitrust laws by (1) monopolizing and attempting to monopolize, and (2) reaching agreements not to compete in and in restraint of trade of, the market for debit transactions in the United States.
Energizer Batteries Antitrust Litigation
Copeland, et al. v. Energizer Holdings, Inc., et al. (N.D. Cal.): Cohen Milstein represents consumers in a putative antitrust price-fixing class action against Energizer Holdings and Wal-Mart, Inc. Consumers allege that since 2018, Walmart and Energizer entered into an illegal agreement whereby Walmart would give Energizer preferential sales treatment at its stores while Energizer would monitor Walmart’s competitors, including online competitors, to keep them from undercutting Walmart’s retail prices for Energizer batteries. Consumers also allege that the agreement remains in effect today.
UFC MMA Fighters Antitrust Litigation
Cung Le, et al v. Zuffa, LLC, d/b/a Ultimate Fighting Championship (D. Nev.): Cohen Milstein is co-lead counsel in this certified wage suppression class action, representing mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters who allege that UFC unlawfully monopolized the MMA market by, among other things, locking up fighters in exclusive contracts and acquiring MMA rivals. On October 23, 2024, the Court preliminarily approved a landmark $375 million settlement.
Ideker Farms, Inc., et al. v. United States of America (NW Missouri Flood Litigation)
Ideker Farms, et al. v. United States of America (Fed. Cl.): Cohen Milstein represents Ideker Farms and more than 400 other plaintiffs located in six states along the Missouri River in a landmark mass action lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims alleging that the federal government took land and flooding easements over lands owned by farmers without any compensation in violation of the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment. Cohen Milstein has helped lead the litigation team, including during both a months-long liability trial in 2017, and a subsequent damages trial in 2020 for bellwether plaintiffs. In December 2020, the Court ruled largely in favor of bellwether plaintiffs. In June 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit concurred with the lower court and reversed and remanded the issues of compensation for lost crops and 2011 flooding to the lower court to determine valuation.
In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation
In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Ill.): Cohen Milstein represents a class of broiler chicken consumers in a suit alleging that the nation’s largest chicken producers, including Perdue Farms and Tyson Foods, conspired to raise the price of chicken. As of July 25, 2023, settlements against defendants total $183.9 million.
In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation
In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation (E.D.N.Y.): Cohen Milstein represents gasoline retailers in numerous states in an antitrust class against Visa, Inc. and MasterCard, Inc. for orchestrating an anticompetitive scheme artificially inflating the “interchange fees” charged to process credit card transactions on their networks.
October 31, 2024
‘Absurd Costs’? Visa Faces Antitrust Class-Action Surge Following DOJ Complaint
At least four antitrust class actions allege Visa forced merchants and consumers to pay artificially inflated prices for debit card transactions, mirroring the allegations of a U.S. Department of Justice complaint. Plaintiffs’ attorneys have filed multiple antitrust class actions against Visa Inc. following the Sept. 24 U.S. Department of Justice complaint alleging the global payments […]
In the News | The National Law Journal
October 22, 2024
UFC Fighters Win Initial OK On $375M Wage Suppression Deal
A Nevada federal judge on Tuesday gave his blessing to a $375 million settlement resolving a group of former UFC fighters’ claims that the organization for years underpaid match participants, the fighters’ counsel confirmed. During a hearing in his Las Vegas courtroom, U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware II granted preliminary approval to the proposed […]
In the News | Law360
October 23, 2024
Court Approves Landmark $375M Settlement with Ultimate Fighting Championship
A Nevada federal court granted preliminary approval of a landmark $375 million settlement between a certified class of elite professional mixed martial art fighters and Zuffa, LLC dba Ultimate Fighting Championship.
In the News | Cohen Milstein
October 7, 2024
UFC Fighters Urge Judge to Greenlight $375M Settlement
A group of UFC fighters on Monday sought preliminary approval of a $375 million agreement that would net many fighters over $1 million each and settle their Nevada federal court dispute with UFC over what they say is a history of suppressed wages. The $375 million deal would resolve the case filed by fighter Cung […]
In the News | Law360
September 26, 2024
New UFC Settlement Separates Cases, Ups Payout to $375M
The UFC and its fighters have reached a revised settlement that upsizes the payout to $375 million, resolving a portion of their long dispute over wages and leaving claims from a similar class action unresolved, the organization said Thursday. UFC, a subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings Inc., said in a statement it was responding to […]
In the News | Law360
September 26, 2024
UFC Reaches $375M Settlement in Le v. Zuffa Antitrust Lawsuit
TKO Group, the UFC's parent company, reached an agreement with the plaintiffs of Le v. Zuffa that will pay $375 million in the class action lawsuit in which former fighters allege the MMA promotion violated antitrust laws.
In the News | ESPN
October 30, 2024
Daniel Gifford Invited to Speak at AAI Annual Young Lawyers Breakfast
Daniel Gifford, an associate in our Antitrust practice, will participate as a panelist at the American Antitrust Institute’s Annual Young Lawyers Breakfast on October 30, 2024 at 8:15 a.m. The breakfast program is a part of the day-long 18th AAI Annual Private Antitrust Enforcement Conference, which will be hosted at the National Press Club. This […]
Events | American Antitrust Institute