LG Reaches $13M LCD Antitrust Class Action Settlement in Wash.

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A $13 million antitrust class action settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit against LG Display Co. Ltd. alleging that the company was engaging in price-fixing with other LCD panel makers, Washington State’s attorney general said.

LG Display and LG Display America Inc., based in California, filed a consent decree in the Washington state court, saying it agreed to the $13 million class action settlement.

Even though LG is agreeing to the class action settlement, it is not conceding to the charges brought against the company by the Washington State attorney general, who said that LG had engaged in a LCD panel price fixing conspiracy, which allegedly lasted years and has led to other antitrust class action lawsuits and settlements.

“Illegal price fixing hurts consumers and the majority of businesses that play by the rules,” Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement Tuesday.

“Our Antitrust Division works hard to protect Washington residents and hold accountable those businesses that seek to exploit unfair advantage,” Ferguson explained.

In addition to the monetary compensation, under the terms of the antitrust class action settlement, LG is also required to actively monitor and create programs, for the purpose of preventing antitrust compliance in the future.

The antitrust class action lawsuit was filed against LG in August 2010 by former Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna, alleging that LG along with other LCD panel makers were participating in a price-fixing scheme.

The LG class action lawsuit was filed after the company pled guilty in federal court to the price-fixing practice.

The anti-trust class action lawsuit alleged that LG was actively involved in the LCD panel price fixing scheme. LCD panels made by LG are used in computer both laptop computers and computer monitors.

Washington state also alleged in its class action lawsuit that LG held secret meetings in which LCD panel makers agreed to work together to determine the prices of LCD panels.

Other states have pursued LG and other LCD makers with similar antitrust class action lawsuits in federal court, but only four states pursued their class action lawsuits in state court, including Washington state.

The allegations against LG were revived by a Washington appellate court in May 2014 after LG was dismissed from the antitrust class action lawsuit in 2012 by a trial judge.

The Washington appellate court concluded that there were sufficient claims concerning LG’s LCD panels that were sold in the state to pursue the class action lawsuit.

LG is the second company to settle with Washington over LCD panel allegations. Hitachi Ltd., Hitachi Display Co. Ltd and Hitachi Electronic Devices (USA) Inc. settled with The Evergreen State for $5.2 million in 2012.

Washington State still has pending antitrust lawsuits against AU Optronics, Chi Mei, Epson, Samsung, Sharp, and Toshiba.

The $13 million class action settlement amount will be paid to the state of Washington and be held by the state court, which will then decide how the settlement funds will be distributed. A portion of the funds will be given to the attorney general’s office for the purpose of pursuing other antitrust cases.

LG was part of a massive $543.5 million class action lawsuit settlement in federal court 2012 along with Toshiba and AU Optronics over an alleged price fixing conspiracy. This class action settlement was in addition to a $538.5 class action settlement reached in 2011 against seven other LCD panel makers over the same allegations for a total of $1.1 billion.

Washington is represented by state attorneys Jonathan A. Mark, Bill Clark, David Kerwin and Stephen Fairchild.

LG is represented by Lee F. Berger of Paul Hastings LLP and Michael K. Vaska and Kathryn Carder McCoy of Foster Pepper PLLC.

The LG Antitrust Class Action Lawsuit is State Of Washington v. AU Optronics Corporation et al., Case No. 10-2-29164, in the State of Washington King County Superior Court.

UPDATE: The LCD Flat-Panel antitrust class action settlement is now open! Click here to file a Claim Form. 

UPDATE 2: On Sept. 21, 2017, Top Class Actions viewers who filed valid claims for the Washington LCD flat-panel antitrust class action settlement started receiving checks worth as much as $606.90!