One trend I have noted on this site in recent years is the proclivity of plaintiffs’ lawyers to file securities class action lawsuits or shareholder derivative lawsuits in the wake of antitrust regulatory or enforcement actions. These kinds of lawsuits tend to cluster in specific industries as antitrust enforcement authorities concentrate on alleged anticompetitive behavior in those sectors. One industry that recently was the focus of both regulatory action and securities litigation is the poultry production industry.
As discussed here, beginning in 2016 companies in this industry that found themselves the subject of antitrust enforcement actions were hit with follow on securities litigation. In connection with one of those suits involving poultry producer Pilgrim’s Pride the court recently granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss. Both the lawsuit and the court’s ruling are significant given the current Presidential administration’s ramped-up antitrust enforcement approach and the possibility for resulting follow-on D&O claims. The Court’s March 8, 2022 order in the Pilgrim’s Pride case can be found here.
Continue Reading Antitrust Enforcement Follow-On Securities Suit Against Pilgrim’s Pride Dismissed
As reflected in their January 18, 2022 stipulation of settlement, the parties to the consolidated Teva Pharmaceutical Industries securities class action litigation have reached an agreement to settle the case for a payment of $420 million. The settled claims relate to underlying allegations concerning price-fixing in connection with the company’s generic drug products. According to the statements of a company spokesperson, the “vast majority” of the settlement amount will be funded by the company’s D&O insurers. The settlement is subject to court approval. A copy of the parties’ January 18, 2022 stipulation of settlement can be found 
As I have noted in prior posts (most recently