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In Re Urethane Antitrust Litigation

Date: 02-27-2016

Case Number: 2:04-md-01616-JWL

Judge: John W. Lungstrum

Court: United States District Court for the District of Kansas (Johnson County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Joe Goldberg, Laura Alexander, Mario Nunzio Alioto, Steven A. Asher, Arthur N. Bailey, Joseph M. Barton, Roy Morrow Bell, Paul F. Bennett, Rebecca A. Beynon, Peter A. Binkow, Allen D. Black, Garrett D. Blanchfield, Jr., Anthony J. Bolognese, James Belford Brown, W. Joseph Bruckner, Andrew Bullion, Brian M. Christensen, Stewart L. Cohen, Andres Colon, Craig C. Corbitt, Christopher J. Cormier, Paul Costa, Robert W. Coykendall, James V. DeMera, III, Joseph J. DePalma, Gerard A. Dever, Isaac L. Diel, Thomas Patrick Dove, Angela K. Drake, Matthew Duncan, David C. Eddy, Alexander S. Edelson, Marc H. Edelson, Mary Jane Edelstein Fait, Eric B. Fastiff, Yvonne M. Flaherty, Ronald D. Foreman, Frederick P. Furth, John J. Gazzoli, Jr., Robert J. Gilmer, Jr., Lionel Z. Glancy, Joseph Goldberg, Michael M. Goldberg, Joshua H. Grabar, Bruce D. Greenberg , Steven J. Greenfogel, Daniel E. Gustafson, J. Brady Hair, George A. Hanson, Jason S. Hartley, Michael D. Hausfeld, Joshua J. Hofer, Robert J. Hoffman ,R. Bruce Holcomb, John F. Hundley, Timothy P. Irving, Fred Taylor Isquith, Howard B. Iwrey, Michele Chickerell Jackson, Justine J. Kaiser ,Steven A. Kanner, Robert N. Kaplan, Daniel R. Karon, Jason S. Kilene, Richard J. Kilsheimer, Diana K. Kim, Richard A. Koffman, Susan G. Kupfer, Michael P. Lehmann, Christopher T. Leonardo, Richard J. Leveridge, Roberta D. Liebenberg, Allyn Z. Lite, William H. London, Marilyn Lynch, Doreen Langa Manchester, James Martin, William D. Marvin, Matthew P. McCahill, John J. McGrath, J. Bruce McKissock, Elaine Metlin, Douglas A. Millen, Delmer R. Mitchell, Jr., Donna Siegel Moffa, Ria C. Momblanco, Krishna Narine, Dianne M. Nast, Sabrina Nelson, Michael N. Nemelka, Joseph M. Patane, Michael E. Patunas, Donald L. Perelman, Jennifer L. Peresie, Theresa A. Phelps, Kit A. Pierson, William J. Pinilis, Julio Ramos, Ira Neil Richards, Sharon K. Robertson, Meredith Robinson, Lisa J. Rodriguez, Geoffrey C. Rushing, Andrew B. Sacks, Guido Saveri, Joseph R. Saveri, Richard Alexander Saveri, Francis O. Scarpulla, Daniel Schaefer, Roger M. Schrimp, Steven H. Schulman, Howard J. Sedran, Anthony D. Shapiro, Rex A. Sharp, Judith A. Shimm, Steven O. Sidener, Norman E. Siegel, Fred A. Silva, Myroslaw Smorodsky, Joshua D. Snyder, Gloria B. Solomon, Gary Specks, Peter D. St. Phillip, Jr., Robert P. Trout, Jodi Trulove, Alex C. Turan, Derk Van Raalte, Clinton P. Walker, Roger N. Walter, Edward H. Wasmuth, Jr., David H. Weinstein, Stewart M. Weltman, John K. Weston, Travis C. Wheeler, Ann D. White, Marcia Y. Williams, Mauro M. Wolfe, Cadio Zirpoli, Jason A. Zweig

Defendant's Attorney: David Bernick, Jeremy P. Evans, Scott Gant, Stephen B. Kinnaird, Jason Brett Fliegel, G. Hamilton Loeb, Brian R. Markley, Donald L. Morrow, David F. Oliver, Shelley A. Runion, Sara E. Welch

Description:

Purchasers of urethane chemicals (Seegott Holdings, Inc.; Goodman Building Supply Company; H&E Bros., Inc.; Liquidation Reserve Account Trust; Arctic-Temp, Inc.; ;Standard Rubber Products, Inc. ;PSI Urethanes, Inc. ;Quabaug Corporation ;Rubber Engineering and Development Company ;Polyester Polyol Plaintiffs ; Rubber Engineering and Development Company ;Skypark Manufacturing, LLC and other) sued The Dow Chemical Company (Lyondell Chemical Company; Bayer Corporation; ;Rhein Chemie Corporation; Bayer AG; BASF Corporation and others) on asserted class action price-fixing theories relating to pricing of chemicals. Plaintiffs sought more than $1 billion in damages.

Urethane based products are used in the automotive, construction, appliance and furniture industries.

Dow denied wrongdoing.

Outcome:

Plaintiff's verdict for $400.049 million. In 2006 Bayer AG agreed to pay $55 million. In 2011 Huntsman International LLC agreed to pay $33 million and BASF Corp agreed to pay $51 million.

Dow Chemical settled the claims being made against it for $835,000,000.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments:

Editor's Comment: Newspapers across the nation report this this case settled because of Justice Antonin Scalia's death. Scalia voted for the big guys almost all the time and, with his death, the balance of power shift on the Supreme Court to justices who are not so favorably disposed.

About This Case

What was the outcome of In Re Urethane Antitrust Litigation?

The outcome was: Plaintiff's verdict for $400.049 million. In 2006 Bayer AG agreed to pay $55 million. In 2011 Huntsman International LLC agreed to pay $33 million and BASF Corp agreed to pay $51 million. Dow Chemical settled the claims being made against it for $835,000,000.

Which court heard In Re Urethane Antitrust Litigation?

This case was heard in United States District Court for the District of Kansas (Johnson County), KS. The presiding judge was John W. Lungstrum.

Who were the attorneys in In Re Urethane Antitrust Litigation?

Plaintiff's attorney: Joe Goldberg, Laura Alexander, Mario Nunzio Alioto, Steven A. Asher, Arthur N. Bailey, Joseph M. Barton, Roy Morrow Bell, Paul F. Bennett, Rebecca A. Beynon, Peter A. Binkow, Allen D. Black, Garrett D. Blanchfield, Jr., Anthony J. Bolognese, James Belford Brown, W. Joseph Bruckner, Andrew Bullion, Brian M. Christensen, Stewart L. Cohen, Andres Colon, Craig C. Corbitt, Christopher J. Cormier, Paul Costa, Robert W. Coykendall, James V. DeMera, III, Joseph J. DePalma, Gerard A. Dever, Isaac L. Diel, Thomas Patrick Dove, Angela K. Drake, Matthew Duncan, David C. Eddy, Alexander S. Edelson, Marc H. Edelson, Mary Jane Edelstein Fait, Eric B. Fastiff, Yvonne M. Flaherty, Ronald D. Foreman, Frederick P. Furth, John J. Gazzoli, Jr., Robert J. Gilmer, Jr., Lionel Z. Glancy, Joseph Goldberg, Michael M. Goldberg, Joshua H. Grabar, Bruce D. Greenberg , Steven J. Greenfogel, Daniel E. Gustafson, J. Brady Hair, George A. Hanson, Jason S. Hartley, Michael D. Hausfeld, Joshua J. Hofer, Robert J. Hoffman ,R. Bruce Holcomb, John F. Hundley, Timothy P. Irving, Fred Taylor Isquith, Howard B. Iwrey, Michele Chickerell Jackson, Justine J. Kaiser ,Steven A. Kanner, Robert N. Kaplan, Daniel R. Karon, Jason S. Kilene, Richard J. Kilsheimer, Diana K. Kim, Richard A. Koffman, Susan G. Kupfer, Michael P. Lehmann, Christopher T. Leonardo, Richard J. Leveridge, Roberta D. Liebenberg, Allyn Z. Lite, William H. London, Marilyn Lynch, Doreen Langa Manchester, James Martin, William D. Marvin, Matthew P. McCahill, John J. McGrath, J. Bruce McKissock, Elaine Metlin, Douglas A. Millen, Delmer R. Mitchell, Jr., Donna Siegel Moffa, Ria C. Momblanco, Krishna Narine, Dianne M. Nast, Sabrina Nelson, Michael N. Nemelka, Joseph M. Patane, Michael E. Patunas, Donald L. Perelman, Jennifer L. Peresie, Theresa A. Phelps, Kit A. Pierson, William J. Pinilis, Julio Ramos, Ira Neil Richards, Sharon K. Robertson, Meredith Robinson, Lisa J. Rodriguez, Geoffrey C. Rushing, Andrew B. Sacks, Guido Saveri, Joseph R. Saveri, Richard Alexander Saveri, Francis O. Scarpulla, Daniel Schaefer, Roger M. Schrimp, Steven H. Schulman, Howard J. Sedran, Anthony D. Shapiro, Rex A. Sharp, Judith A. Shimm, Steven O. Sidener, Norman E. Siegel, Fred A. Silva, Myroslaw Smorodsky, Joshua D. Snyder, Gloria B. Solomon, Gary Specks, Peter D. St. Phillip, Jr., Robert P. Trout, Jodi Trulove, Alex C. Turan, Derk Van Raalte, Clinton P. Walker, Roger N. Walter, Edward H. Wasmuth, Jr., David H. Weinstein, Stewart M. Weltman, John K. Weston, Travis C. Wheeler, Ann D. White, Marcia Y. Williams, Mauro M. Wolfe, Cadio Zirpoli, Jason A. Zweig. Defendant's attorney: David Bernick, Jeremy P. Evans, Scott Gant, Stephen B. Kinnaird, Jason Brett Fliegel, G. Hamilton Loeb, Brian R. Markley, Donald L. Morrow, David F. Oliver, Shelley A. Runion, Sara E. Welch.

When was In Re Urethane Antitrust Litigation decided?

This case was decided on February 27, 2016.