New Jersey § 56:9-12

§ 56:9-12.

a. Any person who shall be injured in his business or property by reason of anticompetitive conduct in violation of the provisions of P.L.1970, c. 73 ( C.56:9-1 et seq. ) may sue therefor and shall recover a sum of not less than $1,000 or threefold the damages sustained by him and interest on the damages from date of complaint, whichever amount is greater, together with reasonable attorneys' fees, filing fees and reasonable costs of suit ; provided that indirect purchasers injured by an illegal overcharge shall be entitled

to recover only compensatory damages, together with reasonable attorneys' fees, filing

fees, and reasonable costs of suit in actions not brought under subsection b. of this

section . Reasonable costs of suit may include, but shall not be limited to the expenses of

discovery and document reproduction. b. The State and any of its political subdivisions and public agencies shall be deemed

a person within the meaning of this section. The Attorney General, on behalf of the State or any of its political subdivisions

or public agencies, or the political subdivision or public agency at the direction

of or with the permission of the Attorney General, may institute an action to recover

the damages provided for by this section or by any comparable provisions of Federal

law , together with reasonable attorneys' fees, filing fees and reasonable costs of suit . c. In any action pursuant to P.L.1970, c. 73 ( C.56:9-1 et seq. ), the fact that the State, or any political subdivision or public agency of the State

or any political subdivision, or any person who has sustained damages by reason of

violation of P.L.1970, c. 73 ( C.56:9-1 et seq. ), has not dealt directly with the defendant shall not bar or otherwise limit recovery

except as provided in this section. In any action or actions in which claims are asserted against a defendant by both

direct and indirect purchasers, the court may take such steps as the court deems appropriate

to avoid duplicate recovery of damages and to obtain substantial fairness. In any action in which both direct and indirect purchasers are involved, a defendant

shall be entitled to prove as a partial or complete defense to a claim for damages

that the illegal overcharge has been passed on to others, including the defendant,

who are themselves entitled to recover, so as to avoid duplication of recovery of

damages. d. In the event damages in a class action or an action instituted by the Attorney

General remain unclaimed by, or undistributed to, the direct or indirect purchasers,

the class representative or the Attorney General, as applicable, the Attorney General

may apply to the court and such funds shall escheat to the State upon showing that

reasonable efforts made by the State to distribute the funds have been unsuccessful.