Cargill, Inc. v. Monfort of Colorado, Inc.
United States Supreme Court
479 U.S. 104 (1986)
Excel Corporation (Excel) (defendant), owned by Cargill, was the second-largest U.S. beef packer and agreed to acquire the third-largest, which would significantly boost Excel's market share without changing its rank; Monfort of Colorado (Monfort) (plaintiff), the fifth-largest beef packer, sued under § 16 of the Clayton Act to enjoin the merger, arguing it would let Excel use greater efficiencies and Cargill's resources to substantially lessen competition. The court of appeals granted the injunction, and Excel appealed, arguing Monfort hadn't alleged a legally recognized antitrust injury.
Whether a plaintiff must allege an injury that antitrust law was designed to prevent in order to obtain injunctive relief for an antitrust violation under § 16 of the Clayton Act.