MDL Sought for Domestic Drywall Antitrust Actions Filed in Wake of Chinese Drywall Crisis

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Plaintiffs have moved to consolidate several class action lawsuits filed against domestic drywall manufacturers for their involvement in an alleged price-fixing conspiracy that they say was prompted in part by the Chinese drywall crisis.

In a petition filed Jan. 18 before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, the plaintiffs seek transfer of four recently filed cases to a single judge in North Carolina. The class actions allege that domestic drywall producers violated federal antitrust laws when they fixed and maintained artificially high prices for their products through coordinated price increase announcements and output restrictions.

“On multiple occasions, …