December 1, 2025
A Virginia federal court has refused to toss a proposed class action accusing some of the country’s biggest warship makers and naval engineering consultants of participating in an illegal conspiracy to suppress wages after the Fourth Circuit revived the case earlier this year.
U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga issued an order Wednesday denying the remaining arguments for dismissal from the shipbuilders and consultants, which include General Dynamics, Huntington Ingalls Industries and CACI.
Judge Trenga initially tossed the antitrust claims on statute of limitations grounds, but a split Fourth Circuit panel revived the case in May.
The judge said in Wednesday’s order that while the companies contend they have independent reasons for not poaching naval engineers from each other, the proposed class is offering anonymous witness statements about an alleged “gentleman’s agreement,” along with allegations about the “incestuous” nature of the industry.
“These arguments are substantial, but at the motion to dismiss stage this court is not permitted to ‘weigh[] the competing inferences that can be drawn from the complaint,’ and when considered in light of all the allegations in the complaint … plaintiff has plausibly alleged sufficient ‘plus’ factors,” the order said.
The judge said the engineers are offering statements from multiple witnesses about the companies not recruiting naval engineers from each other and said the witnesses either name each company as part of the conspiracy or discuss their policy of not recruiting workers from competitors.
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The plaintiffs are represented by Brent W. Johnson, Zachary R. Glubiak, Steven J. Toll, Robert W. Cobbs, Alison S. Deich and Sabrina S. Merold of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, Shana E. Scarlett, Steve W. Berman and Elaine T. Byszewski of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, George F. Farah, Rebecca P. Chang, Nicholas Jackson and Simon Wiener of Handley Farah & Anderson PLLC, Candice J. Enders and Julia R. McGrath of Berger Montague and Brian D. Clark, Arielle S. Wagner and Stephen J. Teti of Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP.