Agriculture
your username
5 hours ago
On Wednesday, Judge Virginia M. Kendall of the Northern District of Illinois declined arguments by Hillshire Brands Company, Tyson Foods Inc., Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., Tyson Prepared Foods Inc. (collectively, the Tyson defendants) that the court should toss the turkey purchaser plaintiffs’ suits against them. This week’s opinion and order pertains to two class-actions, one filed by Sandee’s Catering, and the other by Olean Wholesale Grocery Cooperative against the nation’s largest turkey producers.
The Tyson defendants reportedly based their February motion on part of the court’s reasoning in its October 2020 opinions, that in relevant part granted Kraft Heinz Foods Company and Kraft Foods Groups Brands LLC’s (collectively, Kraft) motion to dismiss. Specifically, the Tyson defendants argued that because they do not sell whole turkeys the plaintiffs’ claims did not apply to them, as the only pricing data included in the allegati
Agriculture
your username
6 hours ago
On Thursday, commercial and institutional indirect purchase plaintiffs asked the Minnesota District Court for approval of a $12.75 million settlement with JBS USA in a antitrust lawsuit alleging that JBS and other pork processing companies including Hormel Foods, Smithfield Foods, and Tyson Foods participated in illegal antitrust activities.
The direct purchaser plaintiffs already reached a settlement with JBS for $24.5 million, that settlement was given approval by the judge in January. The plaintiffs involved in the currently pending settlement include restaurants and other parties who purchased pork from entities other than the defendants which was initially produced by the defendants. Specifically, the class includes Sandee’s Bakery, Joe Lopez, Ziggy’s BBQ Smokehouse & Ice Cream Parlor, and others.
Tech
your username
14 hours ago
On Friday, Judge Vince Chhabria of the Northern District of California issued an amended order approving the motion for attorneyâs fees and the class-action settlement, thus ensuring that Expedia and its affiliates will no longer falsely advertise non-partnering or unaffiliated hotels as âsold outâ or âunavailableâ on its website and platform.
Previously, Buckeye Tree Lodge and Sequoia Village Inn sued Expedia in 2016 over claims that the online travel booking company used deceptive online ads targeting customers who searched for hotels that were not available on Expedia. Reportedly, customers were directed to pages listing fake phone numbers for non-partnering hotels and falsely stated they were unavailable or sold out. This allegedly was designed to redirect customers to hotels that partnered with Expedia. Expedia argued this was a technical issue that has since been fixed.
Agriculture
your username
4 days ago
More than two dozen unjust enrichment claims made by Sandeeâs Catering will move ahead following an opinion and order by Judge Virginia M. Kendall on Monday. The case is one of several antitrust suits alleging that the nationâs largest turkey integrators colluded to fix and raise prices by agreeing, through defendant Agri Stats Inc., to exchange sensitive information regarding their turkey production and sales.
In October of last year, the court upheld most of Sandeeâs complaint but granted the defendantsâ joint motion to dismiss the unjust enrichment claims because they essentially were undifferentiated. The plaintiff subsequently amended those claims, and the defendants moved for judgment on the pleadings.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Pork Buyers Want Steering Committee In Antitrust Suit
Law360 (February 24, 2021, 1:58 PM EST) A class of indirect pork buyers on Tuesday asked a Minnesota federal judge to establish a plaintiff s steering committee in antitrust litigation accusing Smithfield, Tyson and other major pork producers of a conspiracy to inflate prices, pointing to four law firms to help interim co-lead counsel for the buyers organize their efforts.
Commercial and institutional indirect purchasers said the law firms that would make up the committee Zimmerman Reed LLP, Tostrud Law Group PC, Barrett Law Group PA and the Bozeman Law Firm PA would provide current counsel from Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca LLP and Larson King LLP with.