Court: United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
In Re: Deere & Company Repair Services Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 22-cv-50188 MDL No. 3030
Leadership Position: Interim Co-Lead Counsel
WBE and co-counsel brought this antitrust lawsuit against John Deere on behalf of plaintiffs who allege that the company maintains an illegal monopoly on the U.S. tractor repair industry.
The lawsuit alleges that Deere and its dealerships monopolize and restrain the market for repair and maintenance services of its tractors by designing the vehicles so that diagnosis and/or completion of certain maintenance and repairs requires the use of critical software and other Deere and Deere dealer-controlled informational resources available only to Deere authorized technicians, which it withholds from farmers and independent repair shops.
Because of Deere’s refusal to provide access to repair tools, farmers and independent mechanics cannot effectively perform (diagnose and/or complete) certain critical repairs on tractors. Farmers are forced to use Deere-affiliated dealerships for repair services when they would otherwise fix the tractor themselves or utilize the services of a lower-cost and/or more convenient independent mechanic.
Plaintiffs allege Deere maintains control over the Repair Services Market through its increasingly consolidated network of authorized Dealerships. Dealerships are independently-owned businesses that work in close collaboration with Deere, which maintains significant and active oversight, support, and direction for the Dealerships’ operations.
The lawsuit alleges that John Deere is in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act, and seeks to recover damages to the maximum extent allowed and permanently enjoin Deere from continuing to monopolize the tractor repair market.
On November 27, 2023, the court denied Defendant John Deere’s motions to dismiss the case, finding that Plaintiffs’ antitrust claims met all necessary requirements for each count of the complaint and should proceed. Expert discovery is currently ongoing.