Defense attorneys are likely to see an influx of new business in the coming weeks and months, as prosecutors target businesses accused of taking advantage of public fears by artificially escalating prices on COVID-19-related supplies.

“A lot of attorneys will be very busy defending retailers and people who are price gouging, no doubt,” said Connecticut lawyer Mark Dubois, of Geragthy & Bonnano in New London. “The attorney general and his counterparts have some pretty strong tools in the consumer protection area, and they have the ability to conduct civil investigations that can be quite far-reaching.”