Multi-District Antitrust Litigation in the Protein Sectors (Poultry, Pork, and Beef)

Topic:

Since taking office, the Biden Administration has staked out a policy position that consolidation and market share in the hands of only a handful of processors in the poultry, pork and beef sectors has produced significant and negative impacts upon producers of those commodities and consumers. However, very little in the way of Department of Justice enforcement action has been forthcoming. Going back as far as 2016, the federal courts and the class-action bar have been very busy litigating statutory private rights of action, and seeking the available statutory remedies, for allegations of anti-competitive behavior by meat processors and certain alleged “co-conspirators.” Learn about the details and status of the three major consolidated multi-district federal dockets created to handle these matters, including which processors have settled with which classes of plaintiffs in each respective protein sector.

Time and Date:

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Noon – 1 p.m. (EDT)

11 a.m. – Noon (CDT)

Participation:

View a Recording of the Webinar Here

Presenters:

Brook Duer, Staff Attorney, Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law

Brook joined Penn State Law’s Center for Agricultural and Shale Law in 2019 after serving as Chief Counsel to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) for over seven years, and was with PDA as an attorney for a total of over 11 years.  Prior to that, Brook practiced law in Lancaster County for seventeen years in various firms/partnerships going back to 1989, mostly in civil litigation and representing farmers and all manner of ag-related clients including plain sect clients.  Brook graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1985 and received his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1989.

Research & Materials:

Slides from Presentation