California ex. rel. Lockyer v. The Vons Companies, Inc. (C.D. Cal CV 05-8972 DSF January 03, 2006).
Vons allegedly monopolized the grocery store market for the City of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, 26 miles from Los Angeles six years ago by accepting and later renewing a lease from Santa Catalina Island Company on a grocery store site when Vons owned and operated the only other grocery store in town. The Consent Decree required the divestiture of the lease to a new tenant and imposed ongoing obligations relating to both the store owned by Vons as well as the store leased by Vons from Santa Catalina Island Company.
Utah v. Signing Resource, LLC, et al. (Civ. No. 050909852) (3rd Dis. Utah, 2005)
State brought action against sign language interpreters alleging bid-rigging and price fixing in the market for sign language interpreters provided to State agencies in Utah
Utah v. Oldcastle, Inc. (Civ. No. 2:02CV0516J (D.Utah 2002)
State of Utah sought to enjoin Oldcastle from purchsing major competitor, U.S. Aggregates, alleging the merger would tend to create a monopoly and potentially result in higher asphalt prices along the Wasatch Front in Utah
West Virginia ex rel. McGraw v. Visa USA, Inc. et al., No. 03-C-551 (Cir. Ct. Ohio Cty. 2003)
The State sued Visa and Mastercard claiming the companies used their market power in general credit cards to force merchants to accept their branded debit cards. The high cost of accepting the branded debit cards forced retailers to charge consumers more for goods purchased. As a settlement, Visa paid $9.3 million and MasterCard paid $2.3 million to state, which was used to fund a tax holiday on Energy Star products, and a total of $600,000 to the Attorney General’s revolving fund.
Utah v. Nuttall Bernina (Civ. No. 000903757 (3rd Dist. Utah, 2000)
State of Utah investigated Nuttall Bernina and Dave’s Bernina, alleging market allocation, price fixing and bid-rigging in sales of Bernina sewing machines to school districts in Salt Lake and Utah counties.
Utah v. Gemstone Properties, Inc., (Case No. 2004-001-0364 (Settlement Agreement)
State investigated developer of subdivision which attempted to retain the exclusive right to control the designation of any licensed real estate broker for re-sale for homes within the subdivision.
Utah v. Nucor Corp. et al. Civ. No. 2:01 CV 0106G (D.Utah 2001)
State of Utah sought to enjoin the acquisition by GS Insudstries, GST Steel or Moly-Cop Chile (together, GSI) of Nucor’s North American Grinding ball manufacturing assets in order to prevent the elimination of GSI’s only competitor in North America. In 2002, Kennecott Utah Copper, a user of large grinding balls joined the State in this action.
Utah v. Curb-King, INc. (Civ. No. 040100254 MI)(1st Dist. Utah 2004)
State alleged Curb-King and Duane Patterson solicited co-conspirators to fix the price of contrete curbing services in the Utah market
Utah v. Black Sheep Wool Company(settlement agreement)
State investigated allegations that Cascade Yarns, Inc. was restricting trade by refusing to sell to a retailer accused by competing retailers of undercutting market prices.
Utah v. Cascade Yarns, Inc. (Civ. No. 050905940 (3d Dist. Utah 2005)
State investigated Cascade Yarns, Inc. in relation to allegations that Cascade was restricting trade by refusing to sell to a retailer accused by competing retailers of undercutting market prices.
