Federal Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss in SGWS Pricing Case

Dear Client: A California federal judge has denied Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits (SGWS) motion to dismiss the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) price discrimination lawsuit.  The decision, handed down Thursday, preserves the agency's first major enforcement action under the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA) in nearly a quarter-century and ensures that Southern Glazer's must now answer allegations of discriminating against small, independent retailers in favor of big-box chains. BACKGROUND. Recall, the FTC's lawsuit, filed in December 2024, accused SGWS of violating the