In re Lipitor Antitrust Litig.

• Decision Date: 13 April 2017
• Docket Number: 14-4203,15-1274,Nos. 14-4202,14-4206,15-1187,14-4204,Nos. 15-1184,14-4205,15-1186,15-1185,14-4602 & 14-4632,15-1323 & 15-1342,s. 14-4202,s. 15-1184
• Citation: 855 F.3d 126
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Third Circuit
• Parties: IN RE: LIPITOR ANTITRUST LITIGATION Rite Aid Corporation; Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Corporation; JC (PJC) USA, LLC; Maxi Drug, Inc. d/b/a Brooks Pharmacy; Eckerd Corporation, Appellants in No. 14–4202 Walgreen Company; The Kroger Co.; Safeway, Inc.; Supervalu, Inc.; HEB Grocery Company L.P., Appellants in No. 14–4203 Giant Eagle, Inc., Appellant in No. 14–4204 Meijer, Inc.; Meijer Distribution, Inc., Appellants in No. 14–4205 Rochester Drug Co–Operative, Inc. ; Stephen L. LaFrance Pharmacy, Inc. d/b/a SAJ Distributors; Burlington Drug Company, Inc. ; Value Drug Company; Professional Drug Company, Inc. ; American Sales Company LLC, Appellants in No. 14–4206 A.F.L.–A.G.C. Building Trades Welfare Plan; Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, Maryland; New Mexico United Food and Commercial Workers Union's and Employers' Health and Welfare Trust Fund; Louisiana Health Service Indemnity Company, d/b/a Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana; Bakers Local 433 Health Fund ; Twin Cities Bakery Workers Health and Welfare Fund; Fraternal Order of Police, Fort Lauderdale Lodge 31, Insurance Trust Fund; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98; New York Hotel Trades Counsel & Hotel Association of New York City, Inc., Health Benefits Fund; Edward Czarnecki ; Emilie Heinle; Frank Palter; Andrew Livezey; Edward Ellenson; Jean Ellyne Dougan; Nancy Billington, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, Appellants in No. 14–4602 RP Healthcare, Inc.; Chimes Pharmacy, Inc. ; James Clayworth, R.Ph., d/b/a Clayworth Pharmacy ; Marin Apothecaries, Inc., d/b/a Ross Valley Pharmacy; Golden Gate Pharmacy Services, Inc., d/b/a Golden Gate Pharmacy; Pediatric Care Pharmacy, Inc.; Meyers Pharmacy, Inc. ; Tony Mavrantonis R. Ph., d/b/a Jack's Drugs ; Tilley Apothecaries Inc., d/b/a Zweber's Apothecary, Appellants in No. 14–4632 In re: Effexor XR Antitrust Litigation Walgreen, Co.; The Kroger, Co.; Safeway, Inc.; Supervalu, Inc.; HEB Grocery Company LP; American Sales Company, Inc., Appellants in No. 15–1184 Rite Aid Corporation; Rite Aid Hdqtrs., Corporation; JCG (PJC) USA, LLC ; Maxi Drug, Inc. d/b/a Brooks Pharmacy; Eckerd Corporation; CVS Caremark Corporation, Appellants in No. 15–1185 Giant Eagle, Inc., Appellant in No. 15–1186 Meijer, Inc.; Meijer Distribution, Inc., Appellants in No. 15–1187 Professional Drug Company, Inc. ; Rochester Drug CoOperative, Inc.; Stephen L. LaFrance Holdings, Inc.; Stephen L. LaFrance Pharmacy, Inc. d/b/a SAJ Distributors; Uniondale Chemist, Inc., Appellants in No. 15–1274 Painters District Council No. 30 Health & Welfare Fund ; Medical Mutual of Ohio, Appellants in No. 15–1323 A.F.L.–A.G.C. Building Trades Welfare Plan; Daryl Deino; IBEW–NECA Local 505 Health & Welfare Plan ; Louisiana Health Service Indemnity Company d/b/a Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana; Man–U Service Contract Trust Fund ; MC–UA Local 119 Health & Welfare Plan ; New Mexico United Food and Commercial Workers Union's and Employers' Health and Welfare Trust Fund; Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 572 Health and Welfare Fund; Sergeants Benevolent Association Health and Welfare Fund; Patricia Sutter (together "End–Payor Class Plaintiffs") on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, Appellants in No. 15–1342

855 F.3d 126

IN RE: LIPITOR ANTITRUST LITIGATION

Rite Aid Corporation; Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Corporation; JC (PJC) USA, LLC; Maxi Drug, Inc. d/b/a Brooks Pharmacy; Eckerd Corporation, Appellants in No. 14–4202

Walgreen Company; The Kroger Co.; Safeway, Inc.; Supervalu, Inc.; HEB Grocery Company L.P., Appellants in No. 14–4203

Giant Eagle, Inc., Appellant in No. 14–4204

Meijer, Inc.; Meijer Distribution, Inc., Appellants in No. 14–4205

Rochester Drug Co–Operative, Inc. ; Stephen L. LaFrance Pharmacy, Inc. d/b/a SAJ Distributors; Burlington Drug Company, Inc. ; Value Drug Company; Professional Drug Company, Inc. ; American Sales Company LLC, Appellants in No. 14–4206

A.F.L.–A.G.C. Building Trades Welfare Plan; Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, Maryland; New Mexico United Food and Commercial Workers Union's and Employers' Health and Welfare Trust Fund; Louisiana Health Service Indemnity Company, d/b/a Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana; Bakers Local 433 Health Fund ; Twin Cities Bakery Workers Health and Welfare Fund; Fraternal Order of Police, Fort Lauderdale Lodge 31, Insurance Trust Fund; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98; New York Hotel Trades Counsel & Hotel Association of New York City, Inc., Health Benefits Fund; Edward Czarnecki ; Emilie Heinle; Frank Palter; Andrew Livezey; Edward Ellenson; Jean Ellyne Dougan; Nancy Billington, on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, Appellants in No. 14–4602

RP Healthcare, Inc.; Chimes Pharmacy, Inc. ; James Clayworth, R.Ph., d/b/a Clayworth Pharmacy ; Marin Apothecaries, Inc., d/b/a Ross Valley Pharmacy; Golden Gate Pharmacy Services, Inc., d/b/a Golden Gate Pharmacy; Pediatric Care Pharmacy, Inc.; Meyers Pharmacy, Inc. ; Tony Mavrantonis R. Ph., d/b/a Jack's Drugs ; Tilley Apothecaries Inc., d/b/a Zweber's Apothecary, Appellants in No. 14–4632

In re: Effexor XR Antitrust Litigation

Walgreen, Co.; The Kroger, Co.; Safeway, Inc.; Supervalu, Inc.; HEB Grocery Company LP; American Sales Company, Inc., Appellants in No. 15–1184

Rite Aid Corporation; Rite Aid Hdqtrs., Corporation; JCG (PJC) USA, LLC ; Maxi Drug, Inc. d/b/a Brooks Pharmacy; Eckerd Corporation; CVS Caremark Corporation, Appellants in No. 15–1185

Giant Eagle, Inc., Appellant in No. 15–1186

Meijer, Inc.; Meijer Distribution, Inc., Appellants in No. 15–1187

Professional Drug Company, Inc. ; Rochester Drug CoOperative, Inc.; Stephen L. LaFrance Holdings, Inc.; Stephen L. LaFrance Pharmacy, Inc. d/b/a SAJ Distributors; Uniondale Chemist, Inc., Appellants in No. 15–1274

Painters District Council No. 30 Health & Welfare Fund ; Medical Mutual of Ohio, Appellants in No. 15–1323

A.F.L.–A.G.C. Building Trades Welfare Plan; Daryl Deino; IBEW–NECA Local 505 Health & Welfare Plan ; Louisiana Health Service Indemnity Company d/b/a Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana; Man–U Service Contract Trust Fund ; MC–UA Local 119 Health & Welfare Plan ; New Mexico United Food and Commercial Workers Union's and Employers' Health and Welfare Trust Fund; Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 572 Health and Welfare Fund; Sergeants Benevolent Association Health and Welfare Fund; Patricia Sutter (together "End–Payor Class Plaintiffs") on behalf of themselves and all others similarly situated, Appellants in No. 15–1342

Nos. 14-4202

14-4203

14-4204

14-4205

14-4206

14-4602 & 14-4632

Nos. 15-1184

15-1185

15-1186

15-1187

15-1274

15-1323 & 15-1342

United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit.

Argued: September 27, 2016

Filed: April 13, 2017

Amended: April 19, 2017

Monica L. Rebuck, Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller, 4400 Deer Path Road, Suite 200, Harrisburg, PA 17110, Maureen S. Lawrence, Barry L. Refsin [ARGUED], Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller, One Logan Square, 18th & Cherry Streets, 27th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, Counsel for Appellants Rite Aid Corp., Rite Aid Hdqtrs Corp., Maxi Drug Inc., Eckerd Corp. and JCG (PJC) USA LLC

Anna T. Neill, Scott E. Perwin [ARGUED], Lauren C. Ravkind, Kenny Nachwalter, P.A., 1441 Brickell Avenue, Four Seasons Tower, Suite 1100, Miami, FL 33131, Counsel for Appellants Walgreen Co., Kroger Co., Safeway Inc., Supervalu, Inc., HEB Grocery Co. LP and American Sales Co. LLC

David P. Germaine, Joseph M. Vanek, Vanek, Vickers & Masini, P.C., 55 West Monroe Street, Suite 3500, Chicago, IL 60603, Bradley J. Demuth, Linda P. Nussbaum, Nussbaum Law Group P.C., 570 Lexington Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10022, Counsel for Appellants Meijer, Inc. and Meijer Distribution

Moira Cain–Mannix, Bernard D. Marcus, Marcus & Shapira LLP, One Oxford Centre, 35th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, Counsel for Appellant Giant Eagle, Inc.

Gregory T. Arnold, Kristen A. Johnson, Kristie A. LaSalle, Thomas M. Sobol, Hagens Berman Sobol & Shapiro LLP, 55 Cambridge Parkway, Suite 301, Cambridge, MA 02142, Caitlin Coslett, Eric L. Cramer, Jennifer MacNaughton, Esq., Daniel Simons, Esq., David F. Sorensen, Esq. [ARGUED], Berger & Montague, P.C., 1622 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, Elena K. Chan, Bruce E. Gerstein, Kimberly Hennings, Garwin Gerstein & Fisher LLP, 88 Pine Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10005, Peter Kohn, Richard D. Schwartz, Faruqi & Faruqi LLP, 101 Greenwood Avenue, Suite 600, Jenkintown, PA 19046, Miles Greaves, Barry S. Taus, Taus Cebulash & Landau, LLP, 80 Maiden Lane, Suite 1204, New York, NY 10038, Erin C. Burns, Dianne M. Nast, NastLaw LLC, 1101 Market Street, Suite 2801, Philadelphia, PA 19107, Don Barrett, Barrett Law Group, 404 Court Square, P.O. Box 927, Lexington, MS 39095, Counsel for Appellants Direct–Purchaser Class Plaintiffs Rochester Drug Co–Operative, Inc., et al.

James E. Cecchi [ARGUED], Lindsey H. Taylor, Carella, Byrne, Cecchi, Olstein, Brody, & Agnello, P.C., 5 Becker Farm

Road, Roseland, NJ 07068, Peter S. Pearlman, Cohn Lifland Pearlman Herrmann & Knopf LLP, Park 80 West–Plaza One, 250 Pehle Avenue, Suite 401, Saddle Brook, NJ 07663, Liaison Counsel for Appellants Direct–Purchaser Class Plaintiffs Rochester Drug Co–Operative, Inc., et al.

Justin N. Boley, Bethany R. Turke, Kenneth A. Wexler, Wexler Wallace LLP, 55 W. Monroe Street, Suite 3300, Chicago, IL 60603, James W. Anderson, Vincent J. Esades, Renae Steiner, David Woodward, Heins Mills & Olson, P.L.C., 310 Clifton Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403, J. Douglas Richards, Sharon K. Robertson, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, PLLC, 88 Pine Street, 14th floor, New York, NY 10005, Michael M. Buchman, Alex Straus, Esq., Motley Rice LLC, 600 Third Avenue, Suite 2101, New York, NY 10016, Jeffrey L. Kodroff, John A. Macoretta, Spector Roseman Kodroff & Willis, 181 Market Street, Suite 2500, Philadelphia, PA 19103, Counsel for Appellants End–Payor Class Plaintiffs AFL–AGC Building Trades Welfare Plan, et al.

Lisa J. Rodriguez, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, Woodland Falls Corporate Park, 220 Lake Drive East, Suite 200, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002–1165, Liaison Counsel for Appellants End–Payor Class Plaintiffs AFL–AGC Building Trades Welfare Plan, et al.

Joseph M. Alioto [ARGUED], Jamie L. Miller, Theresa Driscoll Moore, Alioto Law Firm, One Sansome Street, 35th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104, Timothy A.C. May, Gil D. Messina, Messina Law Firm, P.C., 961 Holmdel Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733, James M. Dombroski, Law Office of James M. Dombroski, P.O. Box 751027, Petaluma, CA 94975, Counsel for Appellants RP Healthcare, Inc., et al.

Lori A. Fanning, Marvin A. Miller, Matthew E. Van Tine, Miller Law LLC, 115 South LaSalle Street, Suite 2910, Chicago, IL 60603, Kevin P. Roddy, Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A., 90 Woodbridge Center Drive, Suite 900, Woodbridge, NJ 07095, Mark S. Sandmann, Hill Carter Franco Cole & Black, P.C., 99102 Brinley Avenue, Suite 201, Louisville, KY 40243, Counsel for Appellants Painters District Council No. 30 Health & Welfare Fund and Medical Mutual of Ohio

Steve D. Shadowen, Hilliard & Shadowen LLP, 919 Congress Avenue, Suite 1325, Austin, TX 78701, Michael A. Carrier, Rutgers Law School, 217 North Fifth Street, Camden, NJ 08102, Counsel for 48 Law, Economics, and Business Professors and the American Antitrust Institute as Amici Curiae in support of Appellants

Jonathan E. Nuechterlein, Former General Counsel, David C. Shonka, Acting General Counsel, Joel Marcus, Director of Litigation, Michele Arington, Assistant General Counsel, Deborah L. Feinstein, Director, Markus H. Meier, Acting Deputy Director, Bradley S. Albert, Deputy Assistant Director, Elizabeth R. Hilder, Heather Johnson, Jamie R. Towey, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580, Counsel for Federal Trade Commission as Amicus Curiae in support of Appellants

Dimitrios T. Drivas, Raj S. Gandesha, Bryan D. Gant, Sheryn E. George, Robert A. Milne [ARGUED], Brendan G. Woodard, Amy E. Boddorff, White & Case LLP, 1155 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, Liza M. Walsh, Connell Foley LLP, One Newark Center, 1085 Raymond Boulevard, 19th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102, Counsel for Appellees Pfizer, Inc., Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals, Warner–Lambert Company, Warner–Lambert Company LLC, Wyeth, Inc., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Wyeth–Whitehall Pharmaceuticals LLC and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Company

Jonathan D. Janow, John C. O'Quinn, Gregory L. Skidmore, Edwin J. U, Karen N. Walker, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, 655 15th Street, N.W., Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20005, Jay P. Lefkowitz, [ARGUED], Joseph Serino, Jr., Steven J. Menashi, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, 601 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022, Counsel for Appellees Ranbaxy, Inc., Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.

Katherine A. Helm, Noah M. Leibowitz [ARGUED], Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, 425 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017, David C. Kistler, Blank Rome LLP, 301 Carnegie Center, Princeton, NJ 08540, Counsel for Appellees Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd and Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.

Victor E. Schwartz, Philip S. Goldberg, Cary Silverman, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., 1155 F Street NW, Suite 200, Washington,...