On June 29, 2021, the Court granted Final Approval of the settlements with Pilgrim's Pride and Tyson

Two more settlements have been reached in a class action antitrust lawsuit filed on behalf of Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs (“Plaintiffs”) of Broiler chicken. The two new settlements are with Defendants Tyson Foods, Inc., Tyson Chicken, Inc., Tyson Breeders, Inc., and Tyson Poultry, Inc. (collectively, “Tyson”) and Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (“Pilgrim’s Pride”), collectively “New Settlements” with the “New Settling Defendants.” Previous settlements (the “Previous Settlements”) were filed on behalf of Plaintiffs with Defendants Peco Foods, Inc. (“Peco”), George’s, Inc. and George’s Farms, Inc. (collectively, “George’s”), Amick Farms, LLC (“Amick”), and Fieldale Farms Corporation (“Fieldale Farms”), collectively the “Previous Settling Defendants.” Together, the New Settling Defendants and Previous Settling Defendants are referred to as “Settling Defendants” and the Previous Settlements and the New Settlements are collectively referred to as the “Settlements.”

Who is Included in the Settlements?

For all settlements except the Fieldale Farms settlement, Settlement Class members include: All persons who purchased Broilers directly from any of the Defendants or any alleged Co-Conspirator identified in this action, or their respective subsidiaries or affiliates for use or delivery in the United States from at least as early as January 1, 2008 until December 20, 2019. The class period for the Fieldale Farms settlement is January 1, 2008 through August 18, 2017.

What is this Case About?

Plaintiffs allege that Defendants and their Co-Conspirators conspired to fix, raise, maintain, and stabilize the price of Broilers, beginning at least as early as January 1, 2008. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants implemented their conspiracy in various ways, including via coordinated supply restrictions, sharing competitively sensitive price and production information, and otherwise manipulating Broiler prices, with the intent and expected result of increasing prices of Broilers in the United States, in violation of federal antitrust laws. The Settling Defendants have not admitted any liability concerning and continue to deny the legal claims alleged. The Court did not decide which side was right, but both sides agreed to the Settlements to resolve the case. The case is still proceeding on behalf of the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs against all other Defendants who have not settled with the Plaintiffs.

What do the Settlements Provide?

The New Settlements require the New Settling Defendants to pay up to the following amounts to the Settlement Class: Tyson $80,000,000; and Pilgrim’s $75,000,000. Together, with the amounts paid by the Previous Settling Defendants (Peco $4,964,600; George’s $4,097,000; Amick $3,950,000, Fieldale Farms $2,250,000), total settlements in the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs’ case are $170,261,600 (the “Settlement Proceeds”).

Your legal rights are affected whether you act or don’t act. Please read the information on this website and in the notice carefully. Additional information about eligibility, the Settlements, the lawsuit, and important Court documents may be found on the Important Documents and FAQ pages of this website.