Infant formula price-fixing
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Divided U.S. Supreme Court leaves intact the dismissal of a class action lawsuit against Abbott Labs and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Louisiana residents who purchased the companies' infant formulas between January 1980 and December 1992 argued their lawsuit properly belonged in state court, rather than federal court. In June 1999, a New Orleans federal appeals court affirmed dismissal of the lawsuit for failure to state a claim under Louisiana antitrust law. The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on March 27 (1"The Tan Sheet" March 20, p. 8). However, the justices split 4-4, with Justice Sandra Day O'Connor not participating in the case