On Friday, March 1, 2024, a class action lawsuit, KMM Ya Mon Expeditions, LLC v. International Yacht Brokers Association, et al., was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The lawsuit alleges the existence of anticompetitive agreements that have caused boat and yacht sellers to pay inflated commissions to brokers or agents in violation of antitrust law.
Plaintiff's counsel in this class action filed in Florida against Yacht Brokers includes G&K shareholders Kevin Neal, William King, and Ken Ralston, Ricardo Martinez-Cid and Lea Bucciero of Podhurst Orseck in Florida, and Hunter Shkolnik and Salvatore C. Badala of Napoli Shkolnik in New York.
The suit seeks money damages from the Defendants, but the Plaintiffs are looking to get answers, looking for accountability, and most importantly, looking to make sure this anticompetitive conduct comes to an end.
Kevin Neal, Plaintiff's Counsel
Kevin Neal is a formidable and proven trial advocate with 36 years of experience in the courtroom. His practice focuses on high-profile and complex cases, such as business transactions, consumer fraud, aviation crashes, wrongful death, and catastrophic personal injury. Because Kevin is driven to provide clients with the answers they deserve, he zealously defends the rights of those wronged by powerful organizations and large corporations.
Bill King is a proven litigator, trial and appellate attorney, plaintiff advocate, and problem solver for businesses and individuals involved in serious and high-stakes disputes. His experience includes catastrophic personal injury claims and complex commercial litigation disputes, such as large-scale class action prosecution of claims for securities fraud, consumer fraud, professional liability, aiding and abetting liability, and qui tam cases, among others.
Ken Ralston is a seasoned litigator and handles complex commercial cases, wrongful death and personal injury cases, contractual disagreements, and environmental litigation. This includes hazardous waste disposal, cleanup, cost recovery, pesticide use, and regulatory compliance with radioactive materials disposal. Ken’s tireless dedication to his clients has resulted in numerous victories in the courtroom and favorable resolutions for his clients before trial.
Read the recent coverage on this Class Action Filed in Florida Against Yacht Brokers:
US yacht brokers hit with lawsuit over commission fees | Marine Industry News (UK)
Lawsuit Rocks the Yacht-Sales World | Loose Cannon
Yacht sales agents hit with US class action over commission fees | Reuters
Yacht Brokers Associations Hit With Price-Fixing Conspiracy Suit | Bloomberg Law