A subset of plaintiffs in a large antitrust case targeting price fixing in the pork industry is seeking court approval of a settlement with meatpacking company JBS USA, according to court documents filed on Wednesday.
The subclass identifies themselves as Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchaser Plaintiffs (CIIPPs). Under the proposed deal, this subclass will receive $12.75 million, and secure JBS’ “meaningful cooperation,” said by these plaintiffs to mean assisting them in “their pursuit of the remaining Defendants.”
The case overall resembles others in the meatpacking industry; the defendants are alleged to have engaged in a price-fixing conspiracy, in this case “to artificially constrict the supply of pork products in the domestic market.” At the center of the purproted conspiracy is Agri Stats, a company that provides price, capacity, and sales volume data to other meatpacking companies.
The filing explained that the court had already provided preliminary approval of the settlement; the plaintiffs also reported that no class member objected to the settlement.
The CIIPPs class is represented by Larson King LLP and Cuneo, Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP.
