Proposed Settlements Emerge in Fragrance Price-Fixing Class Action

A consolidated class action is pending in New Jersey federal court, arising from an alleged price-fixing conspiracy involving four major fragrance manufacturers: Firmenich, Givaudan, International Fragrances & Flavors (IFF), and Symrise. Companies that purchased fragrance ingredients or compounds directly from one of these manufacturers between Jan. 1, 2018, and April 18, 2023, may have claims. Those purchases may include fragrance ingredients incorporated into a variety of products, including cosmetics, perfumes, candles, soaps, lotions, detergents, fabric care, and household cleaners.

In 2025, the trial court largely denied the defendants’ motions to dismiss, and the case is now proceeding through discovery.

Following the court’s ruling on the motions to dismiss, IFF resolved certain claims instead of proceeding with discovery, reaching a settlement with each of the three plaintiff groups for an aggregate value of $44 million. Members of these plaintiff groups will soon receive notice of the proposed settlements and must decide whether to remain a member of the settlement class or to opt out and pursue their own claims directly against IFF.

Large corporate purchasers with substantial damages claims may see favorable recoveries by opting out of class actions and pursuing their claims directly. This approach may provide corporate plaintiffs more control over their claims and allow them to better preserve ongoing business relationships while litigation is pending. Accordingly, they may wish to analyze their historical purchases from IFF and the other defendants. Doing so may allow them to best assess whether it would be beneficial to opt out and pursue their own claims.