United States v. Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company

253 F. Supp. 129, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10223, 1966 Trade Cas. (CCH) 71,725
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedMarch 24, 1966
DocketCiv. A. 42127
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 253 F. Supp. 129 (United States v. Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company, 253 F. Supp. 129, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10223, 1966 Trade Cas. (CCH) 71,725 (N.D. Cal. 1966).

Opinion

WEIGEL, District Judge.

The defendant Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company is a Wisconsin corporation engaged in the production and sale of beer. The defendant General Brewing Company is a California corporation so engaged. John Labatt Limited, a large Canadian brewer, controls General Brewing Company through Labatt’s ownership of a majority of General’s stock.

The gravamen of the charge by the United States of America, plaintiff, is that “The effect of the purchase and acquisition of the assets of Burgermeister Brewing Corporation by defendant Schlitz and of the stock acquisition by defendant Schlitz in John Labatt, Ltd., and of each of them, may be substantially to lessen competition, or tend to create a monopoly in the production and sale of beer in the United States, the West, and the State of California in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act * * * ” (Complaint, Page 6, lines 23-28).

The evidence adduced at the trial and the applicable law sustain the plaintiff’s charge sufficiently to call for granting relief consonant with the plaintiff’s prayer. The office of this memorandum is to serve as Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law underlying the decree to be entered. The intent is to meet the bench marks indicated, for federal trial courts in cases of this kind, by the Supreme Court in United States v. El Paso Natural Gas Co., 376 U.S. 651, 656-657, 662-663, 84 S.Ct. 1044, 12 L.Ed.2d 12 (1964).

Extended hearings, briefing and consideration of the trial court with all counsel were focused upon preparation of a definitive Pre-Trial Order approved by all parties. Its scope and content are indicated by the marginal notation of the subject matters listed in its table of contents. 1 That order is referenced here because, for one thing, its delineations of the issues are inserted or grouped as headings in the Findings of Fact below.

The trial court directed the parties to include, in the post-trial briefs of each, their respective proposed Findings and Conclusions. Each set has been reviewed by the trial court. While those proposed by the United States and by General Brewing have provided the basic pattern for the trial court’s own Findings and Conclusions, the latter are the product of careful sifting. They incorporate many substantial additions, deletions and revisions as well as numerous other changes including citations to the record. It is believed that the Findings, Conclusions and comment show the reasoning which led this court to its decision on all relevant issues.

*132 A final preliminary matter merits discussion. Some weeks after all parties had rested their cases, defendant Schlitz made a “Motion to Reopen the Record for the taking of Additional Evidence and for Other Relief”. The motion was heard upon affidavits, memoranda and argument of counsel. It was predicated upon the post-trial agreement of General Brewing to sell to Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one of General’s breweries, that located in Azusa, California. This brewery represents 34% of General’s total potential productive capacity. The motion was opposed by the United States and, of course, by General. It was denied by the trial court in what that court considered a sound exercise of discretion. The moving papers and those filed in opposition made it clear beyond cavil, that (1) the agreement to sell was an exercise of General Brewing’s independent business judgment, (2) consummation of the sale would leave General Brewing with more than adequate brewing capacity for all foreseeable increases in sales in all markets which it now taps, (3) General Brewing’s receipt of $8,000,000 for the sale would materially strengthen its capacity to compete with all its competitors, including, notably, Schlitz, (4) the sale would improve General Brewing’s ability to expand into other areas and (5) it would strengthen General Brewing as a vehicle for Labatt’s competition in the U. S. market. The court did order General Brewing promptly to report to the court all express or tacit commitments for any subsequent disposition of any major assets, thus assuring the court of ample opportunity to protect Schlitz in the matter, for example, of its professed concern that General Brewing was engaging in a process of liquidation, despite documented and convincing contrary assurance to the court on General Brewing’s part.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Jurisdiction

1. Defendant Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company (hereinafter referred to as “Schlitz”) is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Wisconsin, with its principal office located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (PreTrial Order, p. 1).

2. Defendant General Brewing Corporation (formerly known as Lucky Lager Brewing Company and hereinafter referred to as “General Brewing”) is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of California, with its principal office located in San Francisco, California. (Pre-Trial Order, p. 1).

3. John Labatt Limited (hereinafter referred to as “Labatt”) is a Dominion corporation organized and existing under the laws of the Dominion of Canada, with its principal office in London, Ontario, Canada. (Pre-Trial Order, p. 2).

4. Prior to December 31, 1961, Burgermeister Brewing Corporation (hereinafter referred to as “Burgermeister”) was a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of California, with its principal office in San Francisco, California. (Pre-Trial Order, p. 2).

5. Defendants Schlitz and General Brewing are engaged in commerce within the meaning of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 18. Prior to December 31, 1961, when its assets were purchased by Schlitz, Burgermeister was engaged in commerce within the meaning of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 18. (Pre-Trial Order, p. 2).

6. Both defendants transact business and are found within the Northern District of California, Southern Division. (Pre-Trial Order, p. 2).

7. The action arises and is brought by the plaintiff under the antitrust laws of the United States, more particularly the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 18 and 25. (Pre-Trial Order, p. 1).

Issues Relating To Line of Commerce

1. Is the production and sale of beer a line of commerce within the meaning of Section 7 of the Clayton Act and the appropriate product market for determining the effects on com *133 petition of the acquisitions by defendant Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company of the assets of Burgermeister Brewing Corporation and of stock of John Labatt Limited?
2.

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Bluebook (online)
253 F. Supp. 129, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10223, 1966 Trade Cas. (CCH) 71,725, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-jos-schlitz-brewing-company-cand-1966.