This official website is maintained by the Settlement Administrator under the supervision of Co-Lead Class Counsel for the members of the
respective Settlement Classes and the Certified Class in In re Pork Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 0:18-cv-01776, which is pending
in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
A new settlement has been reached on behalf of Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs with Defendant Hormel Foods Corporation. If approved by the Court,
the Settlement will resolve Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs’ lawsuit against Hormel Foods, will avoid litigation costs and risks to both parties,
and will release Hormel Foods from liability to members of the Certified Class.
Please review the Preliminary Approval Order here.
On August 25, 2023, the Court granted the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs’ Motion for First Distribution of Net Settlement Proceeds from the JBS and Smithfield Settlements. Please review the Order here. Payments will be issued to Qualified Claimants approximately October 18, 2023.
On August 25, 2023, the Court granted the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Approval of the Direct Purchaser Class Action Settlement with Seaboard. Please review the Order here.
On March 29, 2023, the Court issued an Order certifying a class of direct purchasers defined as: “All persons and entities who directly purchased one or more of the following types of pork, or products derived from the following types of pork, from Defendants, or their respective subsidiaries or affiliates, for use or delivery in the United States from June 29, 2014, through June 30, 2018: fresh or frozen loins, shoulders, ribs, bellies, bacon, or hams. For this lawsuit, pork excludes any product that is marketed as organic or as no antibiotics ever (NAE); any product that is fully cooked or breaded; any product other than bacon that is marinated, flavored, cured, or smoked; and ready-to-eat bacon.” Please review the Order here.
Please review the Preliminary Approval Order here.
On August 25, 2023, the Court granted the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs’ Motion for First Distribution of Net Settlement Proceeds from the JBS and Smithfield Settlements. Please review the Order here. Payments will be issued to Qualified Claimants approximately October 18, 2023.
On August 25, 2023, the Court granted the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Approval of the Direct Purchaser Class Action Settlement with Seaboard. Please review the Order here.
On March 29, 2023, the Court issued an Order certifying a class of direct purchasers defined as: “All persons and entities who directly purchased one or more of the following types of pork, or products derived from the following types of pork, from Defendants, or their respective subsidiaries or affiliates, for use or delivery in the United States from June 29, 2014, through June 30, 2018: fresh or frozen loins, shoulders, ribs, bellies, bacon, or hams. For this lawsuit, pork excludes any product that is marketed as organic or as no antibiotics ever (NAE); any product that is fully cooked or breaded; any product other than bacon that is marinated, flavored, cured, or smoked; and ready-to-eat bacon.” Please review the Order here.
If You Purchased Any Pork Product
directly from a Pork producer for use or delivery in the United States from June 29, 2014, through June 30, 2018, a new class action Settlement
between the Direct Purchaser Plaintiff Class and Defendant Seaboard may affect your rights.
The information on this website is only a summary of the terms of the Settlement. For more detailed information, please review the
Court Documents link above.
If you are a Settlement Class Member, your legal rights will be affected by this Settlement whether you act or do not act.
Your legal rights are affected whether you act or don’t act. Please read carefully.
If you are a Settlement Class Member, your legal rights will be affected by this Settlement whether you act or do not act.
- A new settlement has been reached on behalf of Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs with Defendant Hormel Foods Corporation. If approved by the Court, the Settlement will resolve Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs’ lawsuit against Hormel Foods, will avoid litigation costs and risks to both parties, and will release Hormel Foods from liability to members of the Certified Class. Please review the Preliminary Approval Order here.
- Hormel Foods strongly denies that it is liable for the claims alleged in this lawsuit and believes it has meritorious defenses to the claims presented. The Court has made no substantive determination of the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs’ claims against Hormel Foods.
Your legal rights are affected whether you act or don’t act. Please read carefully.
| YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS IN THIS SETTLEMENT | ||
|---|---|---|
| DO NOTHING AND PARTICIPATE IN THE SETTLEMENT | The deadline to opt out of the Certified Class has passed. If you are a Class Member and did not exclude yourself in response to the prior class certification notice, you will be bound by and eligible to participate in the Hormel Foods Settlement, including any monetary distribution to qualified purchasers. The Settlement will resolve your claims against Hormel Foods by the Certified Class about the Released Claims (as defined in the Settlement Agreement). You are also bound by any future judgments or settlements with Non-Settling Defendants. | |
| ATTEND THE FAIRNESS HEARING | Ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the Settlement with Hormel Foods. | |
| OBJECT TO THE SETTLEMENT AND/OR THE REQUEST FOR PAYMENT OF LITIGATION EXPENSES | If you did not exclude yourself from the Certified Class or the Seaboard Settlement, you may write to the Court about why you don’t like the Settlement with Hormel Foods and/or the request for payment of litigation expenses. Objections must be postmarked by August 3, 2024. | |
The Certified Class is defined as:
The Court decided that, for settlement purposes, members of the Settlement Class are defined as:
All persons and entities who directly purchased one or more of the following types of pork, or products derived from the following types of pork, from Defendants, or their respective subsidiaries or affiliates, for use or delivery in the United States from June 29, 2014, through June 30, 2018: fresh or frozen loins, shoulders, ribs, bellies, bacon, or hams. For this lawsuit, pork excludes any product that is marketed as organic or as no antibiotics ever (NAE); any product that is fully cooked or breaded; any product other than bacon that is marinated, flavored, cured, or smoked; and ready-to-eat bacon.
The Settlement Benefits
If the Settlement is approved, Hormel Foods will pay $4,856,000 to resolve all Class Members’ claims against Hormel Foods for the Released Claims (as defined in the Settlement Agreement). In addition to this monetary benefit, in the settlement Hormel Foods also agreed to authenticate certain business records and make personnel available to the same extent personnel are made available to the non-settling Defendants.
The Settlement Hearing
The Court will hold a hearing to decide whether to approve the Settlement (the “Fairness Hearing”). You may attend and you may ask to speak, but you don’t have to. The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing on September 19, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time, at the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Courtroom 15, 300 South Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate, as well as approval of Co-Lead Counsel’s motion for interim payment of litigation expenses. If there are objections, the Court will consider them. The Court will listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing. After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement. We do not know how long these decisions will take. The Fairness Hearing may take place remotely, including via telephone or video conference. The Court may also move the Fairness Hearing to a later date without providing additional notice to the Class. Updates will be posted to the litigation website regarding any changes to the hearing date or conduct of the Fairness Hearing.
How to Get a Payment
No distribution of the Hormel Foods settlement proceeds is set or approved at this time. The lawyers will file a motion with the Court at a later time for approval of a plan of distribution for the Seaboard and Hormel Foods settlement proceeds and possibly other recoveries.
Further Information
This website and the Notice summarize the Settlement. For more details regarding this Settlement, please reference the Settlement Agreement or other documents filed in the case under the “Court Documents” link above. You may also contact the Settlement Administrator for further information regarding this Settlement.
Settlement Administrator:
If you have questions, you may call the In re Pork Antitrust Litigation Helpline at 866-797-0864 or email info@PorkAntitrustLitigation.com.
The Court decided that, for settlement purposes, members of the Settlement Class are defined as:
All persons and entities who directly purchased one or more of the following types of pork, or products derived from the following types of pork, from Defendants, or their respective subsidiaries or affiliates, for use or delivery in the United States from June 29, 2014, through June 30, 2018: fresh or frozen loins, shoulders, ribs, bellies, bacon, or hams. For this lawsuit, pork excludes any product that is marketed as organic or as no antibiotics ever (NAE); any product that is fully cooked or breaded; any product other than bacon that is marinated, flavored, cured, or smoked; and ready-to-eat bacon.
The Settlement Benefits
If the Settlement is approved, Hormel Foods will pay $4,856,000 to resolve all Class Members’ claims against Hormel Foods for the Released Claims (as defined in the Settlement Agreement). In addition to this monetary benefit, in the settlement Hormel Foods also agreed to authenticate certain business records and make personnel available to the same extent personnel are made available to the non-settling Defendants.
The Settlement Hearing
The Court will hold a hearing to decide whether to approve the Settlement (the “Fairness Hearing”). You may attend and you may ask to speak, but you don’t have to. The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing on September 19, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time, at the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, Courtroom 15, 300 South Fourth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate, as well as approval of Co-Lead Counsel’s motion for interim payment of litigation expenses. If there are objections, the Court will consider them. The Court will listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing. After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement. We do not know how long these decisions will take. The Fairness Hearing may take place remotely, including via telephone or video conference. The Court may also move the Fairness Hearing to a later date without providing additional notice to the Class. Updates will be posted to the litigation website regarding any changes to the hearing date or conduct of the Fairness Hearing.
How to Get a Payment
No distribution of the Hormel Foods settlement proceeds is set or approved at this time. The lawyers will file a motion with the Court at a later time for approval of a plan of distribution for the Seaboard and Hormel Foods settlement proceeds and possibly other recoveries.
Further Information
This website and the Notice summarize the Settlement. For more details regarding this Settlement, please reference the Settlement Agreement or other documents filed in the case under the “Court Documents” link above. You may also contact the Settlement Administrator for further information regarding this Settlement.
Settlement Administrator:
In re Pork Antitrust Litigation
c/o A.B. Data, Ltd.
P.O. Box 173117
Milwaukee, WI 53217
866-797-0864
E-mail: info@PorkAntitrustLitigation.com
c/o A.B. Data, Ltd.
P.O. Box 173117
Milwaukee, WI 53217
866-797-0864
E-mail: info@PorkAntitrustLitigation.com
If you have questions, you may call the In re Pork Antitrust Litigation Helpline at 866-797-0864 or email info@PorkAntitrustLitigation.com.
