This class action, In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation, N.D. Ill. Case No. 1:16-cv-08637, is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Durkin presides over this class action.
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 Defendants and alleged Co-Conspirators named in Plaintiffs’ Fifth Consolidated Amended Complaint are producers of Broiler chicken and Broiler chicken products in the United States. The Defendants and alleged Co-Conspirators include: Fieldale Farms Corporation; Koch Foods, Inc.; JCG Foods of Alabama, LLC; JCG Foods of Georgia, LLC; Koch Meat Co., Inc.; Tyson Foods, Inc.; Tyson Chicken, Inc.; Tyson Breeders, Inc.; Tyson Poultry, Inc.; Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation; Perdue Farms, Inc.; Perdue Foods LLC; Sanderson Farms, Inc.; Sanderson Farms, Inc. (Foods Division); Sanderson Farms, Inc. (Production Division); Sanderson Farms, Inc. (Processing Division); Wayne Farms, LLC; Mountaire Farms, Inc.; Mountaire Farms, LLC; Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc.; Peco Foods, Inc.; Foster Farms, LLC; Foster Poultry Farms; House of Raeford Farms, Inc.; Simmons Foods, Inc.; Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc.; George’s, Inc.; George’s Farms, Inc.; O.K. Foods, Inc.; O.K. Farms, Inc.; O.K. Industries, Inc.; Claxton Poultry Farms, Inc.; Norman W. Fries, Inc.; Harrison Poultry, Inc.; Mar-Jac Poultry, Inc.; Mar-Jac Poultry MS, LLC; Mar-Jac Poultry AL, LLC; Mar-Jac AL/MS, Inc.; Mar-Jac Poultry, LLC; Mar-Jac Holdings, LLC; Amick Farms, LLC; The Amick Company, Inc.; Amick-OSI Broilers, LLC; Amick-OSI Processing, LLC; Case Foods, Inc.; Case Farms, LLC; Case Farms Processing, Inc.; Agri Stats, Inc.; Keystone Foods, LLC; Keystone Foods Corporation; Equity Group Eufaula Division, LLC; Equity Group Kentucky Division LLC; Equity Group – Georgia Division LLC; Allen Harim USA, Ltd.; Allen Harim Foods, LLC; Allen Harim Farms, LLC; JCG Industries, Inc.; JCG Properties, Inc.; JCG Land Holdings, LLC; JCG Foods LLC; Koch Foods of Cumming LLC; Koch Foods of Gainesville LLC; JCG Farms of Georgia LLC; Koch Foods of Mississippi LLC; Koch Farms of Mississippi LLC; Koch Freezers LLC; Koch Properties of Mississippi LLC; Koch Foods of Alabama LLC; Koch Farms of Alabama LLC; JCG Farms of Alabama LLC; Koch Foods of Ashland LLC; Koch Farms of Ashland LLC; Koch Farms of Gadsden LLC; Koch Foods of Gadsden LLC; Koch Foods of Cincinnati LLC; Koch Foods LLC; Koch Farms LLC; Koch Farms of Chattanooga LLC; Koch Foods of Chattanooga LLC; Koch Foods of Morristown LLC; Koch Farms of Morristown LLC; Tyson Sales & Distribution, Inc.; Perdue Foods, Inc.; Harvestland Holdings, LLC; Perdue Food Products, Inc.; Perdue Farms, LLC; Perdue Farms Incorporated; WFSP Foods, LLC; George’s Chicken, LLC; George’s Family Farms, LLC; George’s Foods, LLC; George’s of Missouri, Inc.; George’s Processing, Inc.; Peco Farms of Mississippi, LLC; PFS Distribution Company; Merit Provisions, LLC; GC Properties, LLC; Pilgrim’s Pride of Nevada, Inc.; PPC Marketing, Ltd.; Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation of West Virginia, Inc.; Foster International Trading Company, Inc.; Napoleon Poultry Supply, LLC; O.K. Broiler Farms Limited Partnership; House of Raeford Farms of Louisiana, LLC; Johnson Breeders, Inc.; Columbia Farms of Georgia, Inc.; Raeford Farms of Louisiana, LLC; and Columbia Farms, Inc.
The Court previously gave final approval to settlements between the Plaintiffs and Fieldale Farms, Peco, George’s, and Amick. The Court has now preliminarily approved settlements with Tyson and Pilgrim’s Pride. The Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs’ case is proceeding against all other Defendants who have not settled the case. If applicable, you will receive a separate notice regarding the progress of the litigation and any resolution of claims against other Defendants.
The New Settling Defendants have not admitted any liability concerning and continue to deny the legal claims alleged in this lawsuit, and would allege numerous defenses to the Plaintiffs’ claims if the case against them were to proceed. Nevertheless, the New Settling Defendants agreed to settle this action to avoid the further expense, inconvenience, disruption, and burden of this litigation and any other present or future litigation arising out of the facts that gave rise to this litigation, to avoid the risks inherent in uncertain complex litigation and trial, and thereby to put to rest this controversy.