Prominent attorney David Boies has joined the legal team representing Rumble in its multi-billion-dollar antitrust lawsuit against Google, intensifying the conflict over allegations that the tech giant has unfairly stifled competition in the online video market.
Rumble’s antitrust case, filed in 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accuses Google of leveraging its market power to undermine potential rivals to YouTube. The platform contends that Google has manipulated its search algorithms to favor YouTube and has collaborated with manufacturers to prevent Rumble’s app from being preinstalled on Android devices. Consequently, Rumble is seeking over $2 billion in damages.
With David Boies bringing decades of antitrust expertise to the table, the case gains additional weight. Boies first drew attention in the 1990s for his role in the U.S. government’s antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft, arguing that Microsoft had abused its dominant position, akin to Rumble’s claims against Google.
Boies will collaborate with lawyers from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, including Nicholas Gravante, Jr., with whom he has a longstanding relationship.
Google, represented by litigator John Schmidtlein from Williams & Connolly, denies the allegations and is requesting District Judge Haywood Gilliam Jr. to resolve the matter before the trial scheduled for July.
Boies’ involvement adds significant clout to the case, given his rich history in high-profile legal matters, including previous challenges to corporate power and civil rights issues. He has also been involved in cases against Google related to consumer privacy violations.
The trial is set for July.
Currently, Google is addressing various antitrust issues connected to its search market dominance and is preparing for another trial concerning AD Tech competition later this year.
