As reported by Law360, three U.S.-based distributors accused of conspiring with Chinese manufacturer Shenzhen Smoore Technology Co. Ltd. have reached a settlement in principle with direct purchaser plaintiffs Meridian Partners II LLC and Redbud Roots Inc. The parties have requested additional time from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to finalize their agreement.
The litigation alleges that Smoore and certain distributors engaged in an unlawful price-fixing and customer-allocation conspiracy involving CCell-branded vaporization hardware. Specifically, the plaintiffs allege that distributors agreed to maintain minimum prices, refrain from pursuing one another’s customers, and avoid undercutting competitors’ prices, thereby restricting competition in violation of federal antitrust laws.
The reported settlement would resolve the proposed class claims against the settling distributors. However, the agreement has not yet been finalized, and the litigation remains pending against other defendants, including Smoore and Jupiter Research LLC.
Grabar Law Office represents direct purchaser plaintiffs Meridian Partners II LLC and Redbud Roots Inc., together with Hausfeld LLP and Gustafson Gluek PLLC.
The case is In re: CCell Closed Cannabis Oil Vaporization Systems and Components Products Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 3:25-md-03161, pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Read the Law360 article “3 Vape Distributors Reach Deal To Flee Price-Fixing MDL,” by Jonathan Capriel, November 12, 2026 here: 3 Vape Distributors Reach Deal To Flee Price-Fixing MDL – Law360
