Paul Weiss calls bid to disqualify law firm in sugar antitrust case ‘gamesmanship’
MDLZ•Paul Weiss urged a federal judge in Minnesota to reject Mondelēz and other food manufacturers’ bid to disqualify the firm from defending Domino Sugar and ASR Group in sugar price-fixing lawsuits. Paul Weiss said the only information it received from the manufacturers was historical purchasing data from one plaintiff.
1. Firm opposes disqualification
Paul Weiss denied that its earlier effort to represent the food manufacturers as plaintiffs created a conflict of interest, saying the lead attorneys who pitched that work have since left the firm. It called the bid to disqualify it “strategic gamesmanship at its worst and entirely without merit.”
2. Dispute over confidential data
The manufacturers say they shared confidential strategy and pricing data with Paul Weiss in 2024 while preparing to bring the case. ASR and Domino separately defended Paul Weiss, saying they would lose attorneys who know their business, the industry and the issues. The lawsuits allege ASR and other sugar producers illegally coordinated prices; the defendants have denied wrongdoing.
