Agriculture and Food
The farming industry is uniquely dependent on factors outside the control of an individual farmer including weather, market prices, and availability of commodities and equipment. Farmers today face significant challenges from the evolution of corporate agriculture.
Based in the Heartland, farming is in the lifeblood of where we live and practice. We believe farmers are the backbone of our country and have a long history handling cases on their behalf. We combine our understanding of agriculture, the farming community and our experience taking on large, often multinational, corporations in agriculture, financial services, insurance, and manufacturing to advocate for farmers’ need to run their business on a level playing field.
Recognized as a Law360 Practice Group of the Year for Food and Beverage, our attorneys have pursued a broad variety of individual and class action cases in agriculture, food and related industries including eggs, tuna, rice and potatoes. Among our recent work:
- Following a two week jury trial, won a $217.8 million verdict on behalf of a class of Kansas corn farmers in a landmark case against Syngenta arising out of its launch of new genetically modified corn traits that resulted in the loss of the China market to all U.S. Corn farmers for several years.
- Obtained a $1.51 billion cash settlement – believed to be the largest in U.S. agricultural history – on behalf of U.S. corn farmers and nonproducers including grain handlers and ethanol plants, in a nationwide class action lawsuit against Syngenta related to its marketing and commercialization of Agrisure Viptera and Agrisure Duracade corn seeds.
- Prosecuted several price fixing claims against the largest producers of eggs, potatoes, and tuna, securing over $50 million on behalf of our client.
- Currently representing U.S. dairy farmers in class actions against manufacturers of defective robotic milkers that have allegedly caused our farmers to suffer hundreds of millions in losses.