A Settlement has been reached in a class action antitrust lawsuit filed on behalf of Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchaser Plaintiffs with Defendants JBS USA Food Company, JBS USA Food Company Holdings, Swift Pork Company, and related or affiliated entities (“JBS” or “Settling Defendants”). This Settlement only applies to Settling Defendants and does not dismiss claims against other Defendants in the case entitled In re: Pork Antitrust Litigation (Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchaser Actions), Case No. 0:18-cv-01776 (D. Minn.)
If approved by the Court, the Settlement will resolve a lawsuit over whether JBS combined and conspired in restraint of trade, the purpose and effect of which was to suppress competition and to allow JBS and other Pork producers to charge supra-competitive prices for Pork products during the Settlement Class Period, in violation of federal and state laws. If approved, the Settlement will avoid litigation costs and risks to Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchaser Plaintiffs and JBS and will release JBS from liability to members of the Settlement Class.
The Settlement requires JBS to pay $12,750,000. In addition to this monetary payment, JBS has agreed to provide specified cooperation in the Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchaser Plaintiffs’ continued prosecution of the litigation. There will be no payments to the Settlement Class at this time. If you are a Settlement Class member, you will be notified later of an opportunity to file a claim.
The Court has not decided whether JBS did anything wrong, and JBS denies any wrongdoing.
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