A purchaser class reached a multi-million-dollar settlement with Harrison Poultry on Wednesday in a lawsuit alleging the processor, along with others in the industry, engaged in anticompetitive practices such as price-fixing, bid-rigging, output restrictions and sharing of competitively sensitive information.
According to court filings, Harrison Poultry and the Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchasers (CIIPPs) reached a $2.8 million agreement, pending the court’s approval.
This settlement is the eighth in the ongoing legal action.
Along with the monetary settlement, Harrison Poultry also agreed to provide cooperation to support the ongoing prosecution of the case. When combined with previous settlements, this brings the total recovery for the CIIPP class to $107.7 million.
Last week, an appeals court sided with a district judge, who ruled a judgment sharing agreement does not provide a disadvantage to plaintiffs in the cases.
Plaintiffs previously argued that the agreement put them at a disadvantage when negotiating with poultry companies over settlements. The agreement requires that all settlements be shared with all parties in the expansive antitrust case.
