FTC v. Dean Foods Co.

Federal Trade Commission v. Dean Foods Co.
Argued March 28, 1966
Decided June 13, 1966
Full case nameFederal Trade Commission v. Dean Foods Company, et al.
Citations384 U.S. 597 (more)
86 S. Ct. 1738; 16 L. Ed. 2d 802; 1966 U.S. LEXIS 2985; 1966 Trade Cas. (CCH) ¶ 71,788
Case history
Prior356 F.2d 481 (7th Cir. 1966)
Holding
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may sue in federal court to obtain a preliminary injunction to maintain the status quo against the consummation of a merger that the agency persuasively contends violates the antitrust laws.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Earl Warren
Associate Justices
Hugo Black · William O. Douglas
Tom C. Clark · John M. Harlan II
William J. Brennan Jr. · Potter Stewart
Byron White · Abe Fortas
Case opinions
MajorityClark, joined by Warren, Black, Douglas, Brennan
DissentFortas, joined by Harlan, Stewart, White

FTC v. Dean Foods Co., 384 U.S. 597 (1966), is a 1966 decision of the United States Supreme Court holding that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may sue in federal court to obtain a preliminary injunction to maintain the status quo against the consummation of a merger that the agency persuasively contends violates the antitrust laws.[1]

More broadly, the Dean Foods case stands for the proposition that a federal agency may, by invoking the "All Writs Act," seek equitable relief in federal court against a person's threatened action that will substantially interfere with the agency's performance of its statutory duty and thus adversely affect the relevant court's ability to review the agency's ultimate order with respect to the threatened action.

  1. ^ FTC v. Dean Foods Co., 384 U.S. 597 (1966).