Vitamins Class Action
The case concerned an illegal global price fixing and
market-rigging cartel. It was alleged that multinational
pharmaceutical companies BASF, Rhone-Poulenc/Aventis and Roche
fixed the price of vitamins for animal nutrition and health during
the 1990's.
The action
In 1999 Maurice Blackburn commenced a class action in the
Federal Court against the 3 multinational companies, and their
Asian and Australian subsidiaries. Over the next 6 years the
case was hotly contested and was the subject of many important
rulings by the Court.
Settlement
In October 2006 Justice Jessup of the Federal Court of Australia
approved a landmark settlement which included $30.5M in
compensation for affected business plus legal costs.
This is the first successfully concluded cartel class action in
Australian legal history. Maurice Blackburn is proud to have helped
businesses to recover monies lost to them through this instance of
corporate misbehaviour.