(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 attorneysâ 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 attorneysâ 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
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