On December 15, 2017, a Mississippi trial court issued a series
of orders dismissing a substantial number of the claims brought in
Rex Distributing Company v. Anheuser-Busch et al.,
2nd Cir. Court No. 24C11:17-cv-00033 (Harrison Circuit
Court – Gulfport).
In 2016, Mississippi beer distributor Rex Distributing (Rex)
agreed to sell its business to Adams Beverage (Adams) for $50.5
million. Anheuser-Busch (A-B)—by far Rex's largest
supplier—then exercised the "match and redirect"
right contained in the distribution agreement between A-B and Rex,
directing Rex to sell its business to Mitchell Distributing
(Mitchell) on the same terms and conditions as the proposed
Rex-Adams transaction. D.G. Yuengling and Son (Yuengling) refused
to allow the sale of its brand distribution rights in Rex's
territory to Mitchell, citing Mitchell's previous refusal to
carry Yuengling beer when Yuengling first entered the state. Rex
consummated the sale to Mitchell for $3.1 million less than
