Looks like federal and private antitrust regulators have milk on the brain. Dean
Foods Co., the nation’s
largest dairy processor, is now defending three antitrust lawsuits, the latest
one in Wisconsin. While
private suits are pending in Tennessee and Vermont brought by dairy farmers, the
latest accuser is
the federal government.
On Jan. 22, the Department of Justice, along with state attorneys general from
Illinois, Michigan and
Wisconsin, brought antitrust charges against Dean Foods in federal court in
Milwaukee. The suit
challenges Dean Foods’ acquisition of two milk processing plants from competitor
Foremost Farms,
arguing the purchase has undermined competition and left many school districts
in the three states
with a monopoly milk provider.
Dechert is representing Dean in all three cases. Paul Denis, a partner in the
Washington office
handling the cases, declined to comment.
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