Stueve Siegel Hanson Obtains the 10th Largest Verdict in the Nation in 2017
Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP obtained the tenth largest verdict in the nation according to the National Law Journal’s annual list of the nation’s Top 100 Verdicts. The trial was on behalf of the Kansas class of corn farmers. The farmers claimed that Syngenta, a biotechnology company based in Switzerland, prematurely sold its genetically-modified corn seeds, which harmed U.S. corn farmers because it resulted in the loss of an important export market for U.S. corn.
Stueve Siegel Hanson attorney Patrick J. Stueve was one of four lead trial attorneys for the plaintiffs in the multi-district litigation cases filed against Syngenta.
After a half day of deliberation, the jury found Syngenta negligent and awarded $217.7 million in compensatory damages to the class of thousands of Kansas corn growers. The verdict represented 100% of the losses incurred by the Kansas farmers.
On March 12, 2018, Stueve Siegel Hanson and other plaintiffs’ counsel filed a motion for preliminary approval of a $1.51 billion settlement with Syngenta. If the settlement is approved, the $1.51 billion settlement fund will pay eligible U.S. corn farmers, grain handling facilities and ethanol production facilities. The proposed $1.51 billion settlement is the largest agricultural settlement in U.S. history.
