Fresh Milk Products Price-Fixing Class Action Settlement

UPDATE 4:

• Top Class Actions viewers reported this settlement paying out a second distribution of up to $18.90 as of early January 2022.
• Congratulations to everyone who filed a claim and got paid!

UPDATE 3:

• Top Class Actions viewers reported this settlement paying out up to $7.61 as of late September 2021.
• Congratulations to everyone who filed a claim and got paid!

UPDATE 2:

• According to the settlement website and court documents, digital settlement payments in the Fresh Milk settlement will will be distributed starting Sept. 20, 2021.
• Paper checks are scheduled to go out Sept. 27, 2021.

UPDATE:

• On April 27, 2021, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the fresh milk products price-fixing settlement.
• There is a 90-day period before the appeal is final, and then the processing of claimant payments will begin.
• A payment date has not yet been released.
• Top Class Actions will continue to provide updates as we learn more.

National Milk Producers Federation aka Cooperatives Working Together (CWT), Dairy Farmers of America Inc., Land O’Lakes Inc., Dairylea Cooperative Inc. and Agri-Mark Inc. have agreed to settle an antitrust class action lawsuit that accuses them of engaging in a conspiracy to fix milk prices.

If you purchased milk or other fresh milk products (including half & half, cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt or cream) since 2003, you may be entitled to payment from the milk products class action settlement.

If approved, this antitrust settlement will resolve a class action lawsuit that accuses the defendants of participating in a nationwide conspiracy to limit the production of raw farm milk by slaughtering cows prematurely, causing the price of milk and other fresh milk products to increase.

CWT was developed by the National Milk Producers Federation with the stated purpose of strengthening and stabilizing milk prices. Founded in 2003, the CWT reportedly involves dairy producers located throughout the United States which produce close to 70 percent of the nation’s milk.

According to the milk antitrust class action lawsuit, the dairy farmers participating in the alleged antitrust conspiracy with CWT agreed to prematurely slaughter the dairy cows in their herds and, as of Apr. 1, 2009, they agreed not to reenter the dairy farming business for at least one year.

“The principle purpose and effect of this contract, combination and conspiracy has been to reduce the supply of milk, eliminate competition, and significantly reduce the number of dairy farmers competing in the market in order to increase the price of raw farm milk,” the milk products price-fixing class action lawsuit states.

The defendants deny the allegations but agreed to settle the fresh milk products class action lawsuit to avoid the expense and uncertainty associated with ongoing litigation.

The fresh milk products price-fixing settlement received preliminary approval on Aug. 25, 2016.

If you would like to object to or exclude yourself from the milk products antitrust class action settlement, you must do so no later than Oct. 28, 2016.

Who’s Eligible

If you, since 2003, purchased milk or other milk products (including half & half, cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt or cream) when you were a resident of one of the following states, you may be entitled to payment from this milk price-fixing class action settlement:

• Arizona
• California
• District of Columbia
• Kansas
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• Oregon
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Vermont
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin

NOTE: To be eligible for benefits from this class action settlement, you must have purchased the milk products from a grocery store or other retailer, not directly from one of the defendants. The products must not have been purchased for resale.

Schools, after-school programs and other entities who bought milk for their students/participants, but didn’t charge them for it, are eligible to file a claim for this class action settlement. However, governmental entities are excluded from the Class.

Potential Award

Varies.

The proposed settlement will offer a total of $52 million in compensation to Class Members. The actual amount of compensation each Class Member can expect to receive depends on how much milk was purchased for their household, and how many total claims are filed.

Proof of Purchase

N/A. Claimants must confirm that they were residents of one of the applicable states at some point in time between 2003 and the present and that they purchased milk or milk products during that time period. Claimants must declare under the penalty of perjury that all information they submit in the Claim Form is true and correct to the best of their knowledge.

Claim Form

CLICK HERE TO FILE A CLAIM »

Claim Form Deadline

1/31/2017

Case Name

Matthew Edwards v. National Milk Producers Federation, Case No. 4:11-cv-04766-JSW, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Final Hearing

12/16/2016

UPDATE: The Fresh Milk Products Pricing-Fixing settlement was granted final approval on June 26, 2017.  There is a 30 day period in which appeals can be filed.  As long as appeals are not filed, the estimated date the administrator is going to notify claimants via email to select their online distribution method is July 31, 2017.  The estimated date for payment distribution is September 11, 2017.  Top Class Actions will continue to provide updates as we learn more.  

UPDATE 2: On July 17, 2017, an appeal was filed in the fresh milk price-fixing settlement. This means payment disbursement could be delayed. Keep checking this article as we will post updates as soon as we learn more.

Settlement Website

www.BoughtMilk.com

Claims Administrator

Fresh Milk Products Antitrust Litigation
P.O. Box 43430
Providence, RI 02940-3430
1-877-417-4561
info@BoughtMilk.com

Class Counsel

HAGENS BERMAN SOBOL SHAPIRO LLP

Defense Counsel

Counsel for Agri-Mark Inc.:
Jill M. O’Toole
SHIPMAN & GOODWIN LLP

Counsel for Dairy Farmers of America Inc.:
Steven R. Kuney
WILLIAMS & CONNOLLY LLP

Counsel for Land O’Lakes Inc.:
Nathan P. Eimer
EIMER STAHL LLP

Counsel for National Milk Producers Federation:
Kenneth P. Ewing
STEPTOE & JOHNSON LLP