The makers of three-quarters of America’s chocolate—Hershey, Mars and Nestle—got a federal judge in Harrisburg, Pa., to toss 91 cases claiming that the companies fixed prices between 2002 and 2007. The defense firms behind the Feb. 26 ruling include Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft and Mayer Brown (for Nestle USA Inc.; Kirkland & Ellis (for The Hershey Company and Hershey Canada Inc;); and McDermott Will & Emery (for Mars Inc.).
The allegations, brought by dozens of grocery stores and direct purchasers that bought chocolate during that time period, were based largely on a parallel investigation in Canada, which led to a guilty plea by Hershey Canada last year and has charges pending against the Canadian affiliates of Mars and Nestle.
