Troutman Pepper Attorneys Win Antitrust Trial for Poultry Exec

DENVER – For the third time in two years, Troutman Pepper attorneys successfully represented Scott Brady, national account salesman for Claxton Poultry, against antitrust charges when a Denver jury returned a verdict of not guilty finding there was no conspiracy among him and other poultry executives to fix prices in the sale of chicken to fast food restaurants and grocery stores. Two earlier trials resulted in mistrials because of hung juries.

“We are grateful to the jury, who after sitting through over a month of trial testimony and arguments, came back with a decision in a day and a half to acquit Scott and the other innocent executives,” said Bryan Lavine, partner at Troutman Pepper. “Scott and all the other defendants have maintained their innocence from day one, and the jury’s verdict has confirmed that fact. They have been vindicated. Scott can now go forward with his life. We’re proud to have played a part in enabling him to do that.”

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) accused five executives of participating in a scheme among the nation’s largest poultry producers to fix prices for the sale of chicken to restaurant chains and grocery stores, including, most notably, Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The case was part of a years-long investigation by the DOJ of alleged price-fixing among poultry companies, which began in 2016. After the second mistrial, the DOJ dropped half of the defendants and proceeded against Mr. Brady and four other defendants.

The Troutman Pepper team representing Mr. Brady included Bryan Lavine, Megan Rahman, LA Kuykendall, and Jhony Ospina, among others.

Troutman Pepper has a nationally recognized White Collar + Government Investigations Practice Group that includes former government prosecutors, in-house compliance counsel, and seasoned white collar defense attorneys who proactively resolve sensitive government investigations and proceedings. With decades of experience handling high-stakes civil and criminal government investigations throughout the country, the team can respond quickly to minimize risk.

The firm also fields an award-winning antitrust team, with numerous successes including landmark court decisions, obtaining clearance for mergers and acquisitions, and resolving civil and criminal government investigations at the state and federal levels. Clients span a broad range of industries, including energy, software, high-tech, building materials, chemicals, publishing, media and entertainment, transportation, telecommunications, sports, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and health care, among others.

About Troutman Pepper
Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,200 attorneys strategically located in 23 U.S. cities. The firm’s litigation, transactional, and regulatory practices advise a diverse client base, from start-ups to multinational enterprises. The firm provides sophisticated legal solutions to clients’ most pressing business challenges, with depth across industry sectors, including energy, financial services, health sciences, insurance, and private equity, among others. Learn more at troutman.com.