(a)
Any person who is injured in his or her business or property by reason of anything forbidden or declared unlawful by this chapter, may sue therefor in any court having jurisdiction in the county where the defendant resides or is found, or any agent resides or is found, or where service may be obtained, without respect to the amount in controversy, and to recover three times the damages sustained by him or her, interest on his or her actual damages pursuant to Section 16761, and preliminary or permanent injunctive relief when and under the same conditions and principles as injunctive relief is granted by courts generally under the laws of this state and the rules governing these proceedings, and shall be awarded a reasonable attorneys’ fee together with the costs of the suit.
This action may be brought by any person who is injured in his or her business or property by reason of anything forbidden or declared unlawful by this chapter, regardless of whether such injured person dealt directly or indirectly with the defendant.
The amendments to this section adopted at the 1959 Regular Session of the Legislature do not apply to any action commenced prior to September 18, 1959.
(b)
The state and any of its political subdivisions and public agencies shall be deemed a person within the meaning of this section.
(c)
The Attorney General may bring an action on behalf of the state or of any of its political subdivisions or public agencies to recover the damages provided for by this section, or by any comparable provision of federal law, provided that the Attorney General shall notify in writing any political subdivision or public agency of his or her intention to bring any such action on its behalf, and at any time within 30 days thereafter, such political subdivision or public agency may, by formal resolution of its governing body or as otherwise specifically provided by applicable law, withdraw the authority of the Attorney General to bring the intended action. In any action brought pursuant to this section on behalf of any political subdivision or public agency of the state, the state shall retain for deposit in the Attorney General antitrust account within the General Fund, out of the proceeds, if any, resulting from such action, an amount equal to the expense incurred by the Attorney General in the investigation and prosecution of such action or an amount equal to 10 percent of the total recovery obtained by the Attorney General, whichever is greater.
(d)
In any antitrust action brought on behalf of the state in which the Attorney General is the class representative of political subdivisions, public agencies, or citizens of the state who have been affected by the matters set forth in the complaint, the state shall retain for deposit in the Attorney General antitrust account within the General Fund, the proceeds, if any, of any attorneys’ fees awarded by the court in which such case is located, to the Attorney General, resulting from such class representation.
(e)
In any action brought by the Attorney General pursuant to either state or federal antitrust laws for the recovery of damages by the state or any of its political subdivisions or public agencies, in addition to his or her other powers and authority, the Attorney General may enter into contracts relating to the investigation and the prosecution of such action with any other party plaintiff who has brought a similar action for the recovery of damages and with whom the Attorney General finds it advantageous to act jointly, or to share common expenses or to cooperate in any manner relative to such action. In any such action, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 12520 of the Government Code, the Attorney General may undertake, among other things, either to render legal services as special counsel to, or to obtain the legal services of special counsel from any department or agency of the United States, of this state or any other state or any department or agency thereof, any county, city, public corporation or public district of this state or of any other state, that has brought or intends to bring a similar action for the recovery of damages, or their duly authorized legal representatives in such action. The Attorney General may also enter into any agreement authorized by Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code with any governmental entity enumerated in this subdivision, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in Section 6500 of the Government Code. Every contract or agreement entered into pursuant to this subdivision (e) shall be approved by the Department of General Services.
(f)
The amounts paid into the Attorney General antitrust account within the General Fund pursuant to subdivisions (c), (d) and (e) arising from the same action or companion actions shall not cumulatively exceed the greater of ten percent (10%) of the total recovery in all actions resulting from the Attorney General’s representation or an amount equal to the expenses incurred by the Attorney General in the investigation and prosecution of such actions. Any excess shall be paid into the General Fund.
(g)
The district attorney of any county may prosecute any action on behalf of such county or any city or public agency or political subdivision located wholly within such county which the Attorney General is authorized to bring pursuant to subdivision (c) of this section, whenever it appears that the activities giving rise to such prosecution or the effects of such activities occur primarily within such county. The district attorney shall file with the Attorney General at least 30 days prior to the filing of any such action a copy of the proposed complaint together with a confidential memorandum and report explaining the facts giving rise to the proposed prosecution and supporting the filing of the new complaint. Prior to entering into any stipulated or consent judgment or other settlement of any such action, the district attorney shall file with the Attorney General at least 30 days prior to the execution thereof a copy of the proposed settlement together with a memorandum of explanation of the settlement. The Attorney General may waive any time requirements provided in this subdivision. In any investigation or action undertaken or brought by a district attorney pursuant to this section, if the Attorney General deems it necessary and in the public interest, the Attorney General may take full charge of any such investigation or prosecution, and the Attorney General shall have all the powers granted by Section 12550 of the Government Code in respect thereto.
(h)
In any action prosecuted pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (g) a district attorney may exercise all of the powers conferred on the Attorney General by subdivision (e) provided that every contract or agreement entered into pursuant to this subdivision by a district attorney shall first be approved by the governing authority of the agency in his or her county.
(i)
In any action brought pursuant to subdivision (g) a district attorney may represent any political subdivision located within his or her county directly, in which case he or she shall notify in writing such political subdivision of his or her intention to bring any such action on its behalf, and at any time within 30 days thereafter, that political subdivision may, by formal resolution of its governing body or as otherwise specifically provided by applicable law, withdraw the authority of the district attorney to bring the intended action. In any action in which a district attorney directly represents any political subdivision located within his county, the district attorney shall retain out of the proceeds, if any, resulting from such action, an amount equal to the expense incurred by the district attorney in the investigation and prosecution of such action or an amount equal to 10 percent of the total recovery obtained by the district attorney, whichever is greater. In any action brought pursuant to subdivision (g) in which the county, through the district attorney, is the class representative of political subdivisions located within such county, the district attorney shall retain the proceeds, if any, of any attorneys’ fees awarded by the court in which such action is pending to the district attorney, resulting from such class representation. All proceeds retained by a district attorney pursuant to this subdivision shall be deposited in the appropriate account as provided by law.
(j)
Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize any district attorney to exercise the powers conferred upon the Attorney General by an act of Congress of September 30, 1976, (P.L. 94-905; 90 Stat. 1983) also known as the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, except at the direction of the Attorney General.