The Kiefer-Stewart Co. v. Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc., et al case in 1950 involved a dispute over alleged violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act by two liquor distillers - Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and Calvert Distillers Corporation. The plaintiff, Kiefer-Stewart Company, was a wholesale distributor of distilled spirits who claimed that the defendants had conspired to fix maximum resale prices for their products which were sold to wholesalers like itself; this action was argued as being in violation of antitrust laws designed to promote competition and prevent monopolies or collusive practices among businesses. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Kiefer-Stewart Company stating that an agreement between competitors to set maximum prices is just as illegal under the Sherman Act as agreements setting minimum prices because both types interfere with free market pricing mechanisms thereby violating antitrust law principles.

In the dissenting opinion for Kiefer-Stewart Co. v. Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, Inc., Justice Jackson argued that the majority's decision to apply antitrust laws to agreements limiting resale prices was misguided and could potentially harm small businesses by preventing them from making voluntary arrangements with suppliers or manufacturers. He contended that such agreements should not be considered per se illegal under the Sherman Act unless they involve some form of coercion or monopolistic practices, as this would allow more flexibility in business relationships and promote competition rather than stifle it. Furthermore, he expressed concern about courts interfering too much in private contracts between parties who are capable of protecting their own interests.