Broiler Chicken Cartel Case Certified as Antitrust Class Action

Poultry purchasers leading antitrust litigation over an alleged industrywide scheme to fix broiler chicken prices persuaded a federal judge in Chicago on Friday to certify the sprawling consolidated case as a trio of related class actions.

Judge Thomas M. Durkin, writing for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, approved classes of direct purchasers like wholesalers, “commercial indirect purchasers” like restaurants, and end users like consumers.

Their statistical models are capable of proving in one stroke whether or not the alleged collusion led to overcharges across all poultry buyers, the judge found in a 55-page ruling. ...