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major US real estate brokerage, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, has asked a Missouri federal judge to step aside from an antitrust case due to concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The company cited donations made by lawyers representing the plaintiffs to Judge Stephen Bough's wife, who is both an attorney and a local politician.

    The lawsuit accuses several real estate brokerages, including Howard Hanna, of conspiring to inflate commissions for home sellers in residential transactions. Howard Hanna maintains it did not break any US antitrust laws. The company operates nearly 500 offices with 15,000 sales agents nationwide but declined further comment on the matter.

    Judge Bough has previously acknowledged that donations from both plaintiffs' and defense attorneys to his wife's campaigns raised ethical questions. However, he chose not to step down from a similar case in October 2023 after no parties formally requested his recusal. Now, Howard Hanna's legal team is seeking to have him removed from the ongoing litigation due to the same concerns.

    The case has attracted significant attention as part of a broader wave of antitrust lawsuits challenging real estate industry practices. The outcome could impact how residential commissions are structured in the US.