Two Hausfeld cases honored with AAI’s Award for Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Law Practice
Hausfeld is proud to have two of our cases recognized by the American Antitrust Institute’s (AAI) award for Outstanding Antitrust Litigation Achievement in Private Law Practice for collective work on behalf of our clients in In re Broiler Chicken Grower Antitrust Litigation and Olean Wholesale Foods Inc. v. Bumble Bee Foods Inc.
Broiler Chicken Growers
In In re Broiler Chicken Grower Antitrust Litigation, Hausfeld serves as court-appointed Co-Lead Counsel on behalf of broiler chicken growers (the farmers that raise chickens for meat) in this ongoing antitrust class action. The Plaintiffs allege that poultry companies formed a nationwide conspiracy to suppress and maintain broiler chicken growers’ compensation below competitive levels, facilitated by an interfirm exchange of information on grower pay through a data aggregation company, Agri Stats, Inc., and agreements not to poach one another’s growers. The Defendants include Tyson Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride, Perdue Farms, Koch Foods, and Sanderson Farms.
The firm defeated multiple motions to dismiss and, as of January 2023, reached settlements totaling $69 million with four of the five Defendants – Tyson ($21 million), Perdue ($14.75 million), Koch ($15.5 million), and Sanderson (17.75 million). The Hausfeld team includes Gary I. Smith Jr., Melinda R. Coolidge, Kyle Bates, and Samantha Derksen.
Packaged Seafood
In Olean Wholesale Foods Inc. v. Bumble Bee Foods Inc., Hausfeld serves as court-appointed Lead Counsel in this class action against the leading U.S. manufacturers of packaged tuna products to recover overpayments charged to customers by Chicken of the Sea, StarKist, and Bumble Bee resulting from their alleged price-fixing cartel.
Defendant Chicken of the Sea and its parent, Thai Union Group, have executed a settlement agreement with the class of direct purchasers. In March 2023, a California federal judge gave final approval to a $13 million deal to settle price-fixing accusations against Chicken of the Sea International made by direct purchasers of the canned tuna product. The Hausfeld team includes Christopher L. Lebsock, Michael P. Lehmann, Brittany Nieves Nyovanie, and Erika A. Inwald.
For more information, including the full list of award winners, please visit here.
