David Domina Interviewed by The Counter on NY Egg Price Gouging Lawsuit

Attorney David Domina recently sat down with reporters from The Counter to discuss a lawsuit accusing one of the nation’s largest egg producers of price gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lawsuit, filed on August 11, 2020 by the New York State Attorney General, accuses Hillandale Farms, one of the nation’s largest egg producers, of taking advantage of customers during the pandemic by charging “unconscionably excessive prices” for eggs.

Based in Ohio, Hillandale is a major supplier to regional and national grocery chains. The lawsuit claims the company is responsible for a nearly 5x increase in the price of eggs sold to retailers between January and March – around the time New York was battling a major spike in coronavirus cases.

In the article, David Domina shares his insight in agriculture antitrust law to discuss the case and an e-mailed statement sent by Hillandale to The Counter, in which the company claims it worked to meet increasing demand and has maintained a consistent approach to pricing for decades.

As Domina tells The Counter:

“There is a strong suggestion in that email, that the pricing structure produces gouging of consumers. The pricing philosophy in that email translates, to me, into: ‘We’ll get whatever the market will bear and we will take advantage of the circumstances’—instead of saying, ‘We recognize that we can’t take an artificial profit because of an emergency.”

Read the full article featuring quotes from David Domina here.