Meatpacker JBS USA Hires New Chief Legal Officer
April 20 2021 - 4:35PM
Dow Jones News
By Mengqi Sun
Beef and pork giant JBS USA Holdings Inc. has hired a former
U.S. antitrust enforcer as its new chief legal officer, as the U.S.
meat industry faces antitrust scrutiny.
Kevin Arquit, who previously served as the general counsel at
the Federal Trade Commission and director of the FTC's Bureau of
Competition, will join the Greeley, Colo.-based meatpacker on May
3, the company said.
In the newly created position, Mr. Arquit will lead the
company's legal, ethics and compliance efforts in the U.S., Canada,
Mexico, Australia, Europe and the U.K., the company said Tuesday.
Kim Pryor will continue to serve as the general counsel for JBS in
the U.S., the company said. JBS USA is a subsidiary of Brazilian
meatpacking giant JBS SA.
"[Mr. Arquit's] knowledge and passion are welcome additions to
our strong global team as we work to ensure the highest legal,
ethics and compliance standards," Andre Nogueira, JBS USA's chief
executive, said in a statement.
Mr. Arquit most recently served as an attorney specializing in
antitrust and competition at the law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres
LLP, and before that at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Simpson
Thacher & Bartlett LLP.
The appointment comes as JBS USA and chicken processor Pilgrim's
Pride Corp. face allegations of price fixing and federal antitrust
scrutiny in the U.S. JBS USA is the majority shareholder of
Pilgrim's.
In June, The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Justice
Department had issued civil subpoenas to the four largest beef
processors, including JBS USA, as part of its federal antitrust
scrutiny of the U.S. meat industry.
A spokesperson for Pilgrim's didn't immediately provide a
comment. A spokeswoman for JBS USA said, "[Mr. Arquit] was hired to
help build best-in-class legal, ethics and compliance programs for
the company."
Meat buyers have also pursued civil lawsuits alleging
price-fixing and collusion in pork and beef. In December, JBS USA
agreed to a $24.5 million settlement in separate litigation brought
by pork purchasers, alleging that major U.S. pork companies worked
together to boost pork prices, The Wall Street Journal reported.
JBS USA didn't admit wrongdoing as part of that settlement.
JBS SA and its controlling shareholders in October reached an
agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on alleged
violations of U.S. securities laws by Pilgrim's Pride. As a result,
JBS agreed to pay roughly $27 million to the SEC over an alleged
bribery scheme.
JBS SA said in a letter addressed to shareholders at the time
that it was committed to best corporate practices and close
cooperation with authorities.
Write to Mengqi Sun at mengqi.sun@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 20, 2021 16:20 ET (20:20 GMT)
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