Source: PYMNTS.com

McDonald’s has retained White & Case in US class actions alleging that artificial intelligence helped coordinate menu prices across the restaurant network. According to Reuters reporting cited in the source, the firm’s lawyers joined McDonald’s defense in federal proceedings in Chicago. The defense team includes Jack Pace III, a co-leader of White & Case’s antitrust and competition practice. The lawsuits, filed in October, allege coordination between company-operated restaurants and independently owned franchises, potentially violating federal antitrust law. Plaintiffs contend that pricing software uses commercially sensitive information to recommend prices, potentially limiting competition and increasing consumer costs.

According to the cited reporting, the platform analyzes millions of daily transactions across approximately 14,000 US restaurants to recommend prices for individual menu items. Plaintiffs argue that pooling sensitive pricing and sales information through a central platform could undermine franchise operators’ independent decisions. McDonald’s denies the allegations and maintains that individual franchise operators retain control over menu prices. McDonald’s has told Reuters that AI does not set selling prices and describes the technology as providing advice without imposing uniform prices across restaurants. The cases remain before a federal court in Chicago, and the allegations against McDonald’s have not been established in court.