UK private equity firm Lion Capital, the former owner of US shelf-stable seafood company Bumble Bee Foods, hasn't quite escaped antitrust litigation related to the price-fixing conspiracy involving Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea and Starkist.
On Monday, San Diego Federal Court Judge Dana Sabraw ruled for retailers who are challenging a decision by Judge Janis Sammartino, who previously presided over the lawsuit before recusing herself in August.
Sabraw granted the retailers’ motion for reconsideration, citing the likelihood that Lion Capital knew about the collusion before buying Bumble Bee in 2010 and took part in it after completing the acquisition, according to Bloomberg.
