Albertsons, Kroger, Cerberus Face Lawsuit on $24.6 Billion Deal

Albertsons Cos. and Kroger Co. are facing consumer antitrust litigation seeking to block their planned $24.6 billion merger, which is being reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission and challenged by a group of states.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday, also targets Cerberus Capital Management LP, a major Albertsons investor receiving more than a third of a related $4 billion “special dividend,” the deal’s most contentious provision. The dividend was reportedly set to be paid in late January after a judge in Washington, D.C., and Washington state’s top court both declined to block it.

The complaint claims the supermarket chains and Cerberus—leader ...