In 2021, notice was provided regarding a settlement with Defendants JBS USA Food Company, JBS USA Food Company Holdings, Swift Pork Company, and related or affiliated entities (“JBS”). If you are a Settlement Class member, you will be notified later of an opportunity to file a claim. There will be no payments to the Settlement Class at this time.
In addition to this monetary payment, Smithfield has agreed to certain injunctive relief and to provide specified cooperation in the Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchaser Plaintiffs’ continued prosecution of the litigation. The Settlement requires Smithfield to pay $42,000,000. If approved, the Settlement will avoid litigation costs and risks to Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchaser Plaintiffs and Smithfield and will release Smithfield from liability to members of the Settlement Class. If approved by the Court, the Settlement will resolve a lawsuit over whether Smithfield combined and conspired in restraint of trade, the purpose and effect of which was to suppress competition and to allow Smithfield and other Pork producers to charge supra-competitive prices for Pork products during the Settlement Class Period, in violation of federal and state laws.
This Settlement only applies to the Settling Defendant and does not dismiss claims against other Defendants in the case entitled In re Pork Antitrust Litigation (Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchaser Actions), Case No. and related or affiliated entities (“Smithfield” or “Settling Defendant”). A Settlement has been reached in a class action antitrust lawsuit filed on behalf of Commercial and Institutional Indirect Purchaser Plaintiffs with Defendant Smithfield Foods, Inc.