National Veterinary Associates (NVA) is an animal healthcare company that has been involved in several lawsuits in recent years.
Antitrust lawsuit
In 2022, two veterinarians in Spokane, Washington, filed an antitrust lawsuit against NVA, alleging that the company’s acquisition of an animal hospital in the area would create a monopoly and harm competition. The veterinarians alleged that NVA would use its market power to raise prices and reduce the quality of care.
In 2023, a federal judge granted summary judgment in favor of NVA, dismissing the lawsuit. The judge found that the veterinarians had not presented sufficient evidence to show that NVA’s acquisition would harm competition.
Labor lawsuits
NVA has also been involved in several labor lawsuits in recent years. In 2021, a group of NVA employees filed a class action lawsuit against the company, alleging that they were misclassified as independent contractors and were therefore not entitled to overtime pay or other benefits.
In 2022, the California Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against NVA, alleging that the company had violated state labor laws by failing to pay its employees minimum wage and overtime pay.
NVA has denied all of the allegations against it in these labor lawsuits and is vigorously defending itself in court.
FTC lawsuit
In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against NVA, alleging that the company’s acquisition of SAGE Veterinary Partners, LLC would substantially lessen competition in the market for veterinary services in the United States.
The FTC alleged that the acquisition would give NVA control of a significant portion of the market for specialty and emergency veterinary services, and that this would lead to higher prices and lower quality care for consumers.
In 2023, NVA and SAGE agreed to settle the FTC lawsuit. Under the terms of the settlement, NVA will be required to divest itself of certain SAGE assets and will be prohibited from making certain acquisitions in the future.
The following are some of the key takeaways from the lawsuits involving National Veterinary Associates:
- NVA has been facing a number of legal challenges in recent years, including antitrust lawsuits, labor lawsuits, and a lawsuit from the FTC.
- The company has denied all of the allegations against it and is vigorously defending itself in court.
- The outcome of these lawsuits could have a significant impact on NVA’s business and the veterinary industry as a whole.
