StarKist Admissions Of Guilt Made Public In MDL Over Alleged Tuna Price-Fixing

Tuna Price-Fixing MDL Overview: 

• Who: A federal judge has made public an admission by StarKist of its role in price-fixing tuna along with Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea. 
• Why: The companies faced a number of class action lawsuits and legal trouble following a U.S. Department of Justice probe into potential antitrust activities.
• Where: The multidistrict litigation is being heard in California federal court.

A California federal judge has made public an admission by StarKist that it participated in two separate canned tuna price-fixing agreements with Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea between November 2011 and December 2013.

The judge had already declared that StarKist was civilly liable for its role in the scandal after the company pleaded guilty in a criminal probe, Law360 reports.

Tuna buyers filed for a partial summary judgment in 2019 in response to guilty pleas from StarKist and Bumble Bee, arguing the company’s admissions of guilt prove liability. 

Buyers began filing class action lawsuits against StarKist, Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee in 2015 after it became public that the U.S. Department of Justice was investigating the industry, Law360 reports. 

Tuna Companies Accused Of Working Together To Raise Price Of Canned Fish Products

StarKist, Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee have been accused of working together to raise the price of canned fish products. The companies have so far agreed to pay millions of dollars to resolve complaints. 

Criminal charges were also filed against Bumble Bee and StarKist following the probe, Law360 reports. Chicken of the Sea did not end up being charged or fined due to its government cooperation. 

The court had originally redacted admissions from Bumble Bee that one of its executives had “coordinated certain list price increases rela!ng to certain canned tuna products through a series of bilateral communica!ons with executives at the other companies” and hiking prices on three occasions from 2011 to 2013, Law360 reports. 

Chris Lischewski, the ex-CEO of Bumble Bee, has since been found guilty of price-fixing. 

Earlier this month, StarKist asked a judge to vacate a number of consolidated class action lawsuits related to the alleged price-fixing, claiming there were conflicts of interest.

Have you purchased tuna products from StarKist, Chicken of the Sea or Bumble Bee? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiffs are represented by Michael P. Lehmann, Bonny E. Sweeney and Christopher L. Lebsock of Hausfeld LLP; Lesley Weaver of Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP; and Betsy C. Manifold, Rachele R. Byrd, Marisa C. Livesay, Brittany N. DeJong and Thomas H. Burt of Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP.

The Tuna Price-Fixing MDL is In re: Packaged Seafood Products Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 3:15-md-02670, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

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