Federal Trade Commission v. Dean Foods Co. | |
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Argued March 28, 1966 Decided June 13, 1966 | |
Full case name | Federal Trade Commission v. Dean Foods Company, et al. |
Citations | 384 U.S. 597 (more) |
Case history | |
Prior | 356 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 | |
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Case opinions | |
Majority | Clark, joined by Warren, Black, Douglas, Brennan |
Dissent | Fortas, 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.