ST. LOUIS (CN) - InBev's $60 billion buyout of Anheuser-Busch would create an illegal monopoly, according to the latest federal lawsuit protesting the deal. The buyout, coupled with the recent merger of SABMiller and Molson Coors, would bring nearly 90 percent of the production and sale of beer in the U.S. under the control of two companies, the 10 plaintiffs say.
Plaintiffs say the merger would allow InBev to dominate the U.S. beer market, leading to higher prices, fewer services, less competition and deterioration of product quality. They want the merger enjoined for violating antitrust laws. They are represented by Theodore Schwartz of Clayton, Mo.
On Friday, an Anheuser-Busch shareholder sued in Federal Court, claiming that Anheuser-Busch breached its duty to shareholders by not agreeing on a firm closing date for the buyout. Nearly two dozen lawsuits have been filed since the buyout was announced this summer.
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