including Seaboard Foods and Seaboard Corporation, based on substantially similar allegations. Except in the New Mexico action, all claims against Seaboard Corporation have been dismissed without prejudice.
On June 12, 2023, Seaboard Foods entered into a settlement agreement with the putative direct purchaser plaintiff class (the “DPP Class”), which settlement is subject to court approval. Pursuant to this agreement, Seaboard agreed to pay the DPP Class approximately $10 million, which Seaboard recognized as an expense within cost of sales in the condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income in the second quarter of 2023. Members of the class will have the opportunity to opt-out of the settlement and commence or continue their own actions. The settlement with the DPP Class does not cover the claims of (a) the standalone “direct action” plaintiffs, who will have the opportunity to opt-out of Seaboard’s settlement with the DPP Class, (b) other direct purchasers, if any, that elect to opt-out of the settlement and file their own actions against Seaboard, (c) the End User Consumer Indirect Purchaser Plaintiff Class (the “EUCP Class”) or (d) the Commercial and Industrial Indirect Purchaser Class (the “CIIP Class”). Seaboard will therefore continue to litigate against such opt-outs, the EUCP Class and the CIIP Class and will consider reasonable settlements where they are available. There have been discussions with the CIIP Class, the EUCP Class and several opt-out groups regarding settlement, but settlement is not probable with such parties at this time.
Seaboard believes that it has meritorious defenses to the claims alleged in these matters and intends to vigorously defend any matters not resolved by the above settlement. It is impossible at this stage either to determine the probability of a favorable or unfavorable outcome resulting from these suits, or to reasonably estimate the amount of potential loss or range of potential loss, if any, resulting from the suits. However, the outcome of litigation is inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties, and if unfavorable, could result in a material liability.
Pork Compensation Antitrust Litigation
On November 11, 2022, three employees of pork or beef processing plants filed a class action complaint (the “Class Action”) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado (the “Court”) individually and on behalf of all other employees at such plants (the “Class”), against several pork and beef processors and their subsidiaries and related companies, including Seaboard Foods. The complaint alleges, among other things, that beginning in January 2014, the defendants conspired in violation of antitrust laws to fix and depress the compensation paid to the Class by, among other things, participating in third-party compensation surveys and exchanging wage-related information through a third-party benchmarking service. The relief sought includes treble damages, injunctive relief, pre- and post-judgment interest, costs and attorneys’ fees.
On June 23, 2023, Seaboard Foods reached a settlement with the Class to settle the Class Action for an immaterial amount, which settlement is subject to approval of the Court. Members of the Class will have the opportunity to opt-out of the Class and commence their own actions.
Cereoil and Nolston Litigation
On March 20, 2018, the bankruptcy trustee (the “Trustee”) for Cereoil Uruguay S.A. (“Cereoil”) filed a suit in the Bankruptcy Court of First Instance in Uruguay naming as parties Seaboard Corporation and its subsidiaries, Seaboard Overseas Limited (“SOL”) and Seaboard Uruguay Holdings Ltd. (“Seaboard Uruguay”). Seaboard Corporation has a 45% indirect ownership of Cereoil. The suit (the “Clawback Action”) seeks an order requiring Seaboard Corporation, SOL and Seaboard Uruguay to reimburse Cereoil the amount of approximately $22 million (approximately $35 million with interest at the statutory rate) (the “Clawback Amount”), contending that deliveries of soybeans to SOL pursuant to purchase agreements should be set aside as fraudulent conveyances. Seaboard believes that it has meritorious defenses to the claims alleged in this matter and intends to vigorously defend this matter. It is impossible at this stage to determine the probability of a favorable or unfavorable outcome resulting from this suit. In the event of an adverse ruling, Seaboard and its two subsidiaries could be ordered to pay the Clawback Amount to Cereoil.
On April 27, 2018, the Trustee filed an additional suit in the Bankruptcy Court of First Instance in Uruguay that was served during the second quarter of 2018, naming as parties Seaboard Corporation, SOL, Seaboard Uruguay, all directors of Cereoil, including two individuals employed by Seaboard who served as directors at the behest of Seaboard, and the Chief Financial Officer of Cereoil, an employee of Seaboard who also served at the behest of Seaboard (collectively, the “Cereoil Defendants”). The Trustee contends that the Cereoil Defendants acted with willful misconduct to cause Cereoil’s insolvency, and thus should be ordered to pay all liabilities of Cereoil, net of assets. The bankruptcy filing listed the U.S. dollar equivalent of liabilities of approximately $53 million and assets of approximately $30 million. Based on the administration of the case and the liquidation of assets, as of September 30, 2023, the U.S. dollar equivalent of liabilities was estimated to be approximately $45 million, and the liquidation value of the assets was estimated to be $17 million or less. Seaboard believes that it has meritorious defenses to the claims alleged in this matter and intends to vigorously defend