Settlements Reached with Automotive Exhaust Systems Manufacturers in Price Fixing Class Action Lawsuit

DETROIT, Aug. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Freed Kanner London & Millen LLC; Kohn, Swift & Graf, P.C.; Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios, LLP; and Spector Roseman & Kodroff, P.C. ("Settlement Class Counsel") announce that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division ("Court") has approved the following announcement of proposed class action settlements with the Bosal, Eberspächer, Faurecia, Meritor, and Tenneco Defendants. The lawsuit claimed that Defendants conspired to raise, fix, maintain, and stabilize prices, rig bids, and allocate markets and customers for Automotive Exhaust Systems sold in the United States in violation of federal antitrust laws.

The settlements affect those who purchased Automotive Exhaust Systems in the United States from January 1, 2002 through February 12, 2018 directly from any of the following entities (or their subsidiaries or affiliates): Bosal Industries-Georgia, Inc.; Bosal Nederland, B.V.; Bosal USA, Inc.; Eberspächer Exhaust Technology GmbH & Co. KG; Eberspächer North America, Inc.; Faurecia Emissions Control Technologies, USA, LLC; Faurecia SA; Faurecia Exhaust Systems, Inc.; Friedrich Boysen GmbH & Co. KG; Meritor, Inc. f/k/a ArvinMeritor; Tenneco Automotive Operating Co., Inc.; Tenneco GmbH; and Tenneco Inc.

A hearing will be held on November 5, 2020, at 2:00 p.m., before the Honorable Sean F. Cox, United States District Judge, at the Theodore Levin United States Courthouse, 231 West Lafayette Boulevard, Detroit, MI 48226, Courtroom 817 (or such other courtroom as may be assigned for the hearing), for the purpose of determining: (1) whether the proposed settlements with the Bosal, Eberspächer, Faurecia, Meritor, and Tenneco Defendants totaling $13,798,000 should be approved by the Court as fair, reasonable and adequate; (2) whether the Court should approve the proposed plan of distribution of the settlement proceeds to members of the settlement classes; and (3) whether the Court should approve Settlement Class Counsel's requests for an award of attorneys' fees, reimbursement of litigation costs and expenses, and incentive payments to the Class Representatives.

A Notice of Proposed Settlements (the "Notice") was mailed to potential Settlement Class members on or about August 14, 2020. The Notice describes the litigation and options available to Settlement Class members with respect to the Bosal, Eberspächer, Faurecia, Meritor, and Tenneco settlements in more detail. The Notice also explains what steps a Class Member must take to: (1) remain in the settlement classes and file a Claim Form to share in the settlement proceeds; (2) object to the settlements; or (3) request exclusion from the settlement classes.  The Notice and other important documents related to the settlements can be accessed at www.AutoPartsAntitrustLitigation.com/Exhaust, or by calling 1-888-891-8810 or writing to Automotive Exhaust Systems Direct Purchaser Antitrust Litigation, P.O. Box 3058, Portland, OR 97208-3058.  Those who believe they may be a member of any of the Bosal, Eberspächer, Faurecia, Meritor, or Tenneco settlement classes, are urged to obtain a copy of the Notice.

SOURCE United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan Southern Division