Category Archives: Syngenta Litigation

March 16, 2018 Weekly Round Up

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It’s been a busy week for me and for agricultural law!  On Wednesday I spoke in Albany, Texas at a program hosted by the Leon Bosque RC&D and on Thursday evening I was in Brownwood to speak at the Brown County Ag Day.  Welcome to those of you joining from those events. Here are some of the ag law stories in the news this week. * FMCSA Extends Agricultural Exemption to New Hauling Regulations Another 90 Days.  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that it will… Read More →

February 23, 2018 Weekly Round Up

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Hello!  I’ve spent most of the week in my office dealing with the aftermath of a computer crash and realization that I did not have a good back-up system.  Lessons learned the hard way!  Today, I’m making my way back home to New Mexico to speak at the Southern Quay and Central Curry Soil and Water Conservation District Banquet.  Welcome to those of you joining from that event. Here are some ag law stories in the news this week. * New lawsuit filed over records from Texas v. New… Read More →

Breaking News: Syngenta Agrees to Settle MIR-162 Corn Lawsuits

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Today, parties to the GMO corn litigation pitting corn farmers against Syngenta announced they have reached a settlement in the various lawsuits around the country.  The parties have not announced settlement details, but Reuters News reports the amount to be approximately $1.5 billion. Although settlements must be approved by the court, the parties announced that they have reached a pending settlement agreement in the cases.  In a statement issued by both parties, they stated that “the proposed settlement would allow both sides to avoid the uncertainty of ongoing… Read More →

June 30, 2017 Weekly Round Up

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This week I spoke to a great group in Sweetwater about leases and estate planning.  Welcome to those of you joining from that meeting! There has been so much ag law news happening in the last couple of weeks that my head is still spinning.  Here are the highlights. * Jury verdict for Kansas farmers in first Syngenta Viptera/Duracade class action trial.  A Kansas jury awarded nearly $218 million to Kansas farmers in this much-watched class action suit, finding that Syngenta was negligent.  Syngenta has already said it plans… Read More →

Breaking News: Jury Awards $217 Million to KS Corn Farmers in Syngenta Class Action

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Big news came out of Kansas this morning with regards to the class action lawsuit pitting Kansas corn farmers against Syngenta.  A jury has awarded $217 million to a class of Kansas corn farmers.   Background We have discussed the factual background of the case in far more detail on prior blog posts (click here), but the basic facts are set forth below.  In 2010, Syngenta released Viptera and Duracade seed varieties, which were approved to be grown in the United States, but were not approved for export to… Read More →

June 16, 2017 Weekly Round Up

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How is it already the middle of June?  Time flies when you are having fun, I suppose!  I’ve been on the road as usual and have made stops for programs in Lufkin, Goldthwaite, and Denton over the last couple of weeks.  It was great getting the chance to meet some new folks in person and I’d like to welcome all new readers to the blog. Here are some ag law stories in the news recently. * First Syngenta class action trial begins in Kansas City.  The first class… Read More →

May 26, 2017 Weekly Round Up

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Hello from lovely Lubbock, Texas!  I’m here for the always fantastic Texas State Bar Agricultural Law CLE for attorneys.  A huge thanks to course directors, Trace Blair and David Waggoner, for all of their hard work to make this such a great conference.  As always, I’ve enjoyed great presentations, visited with old friends, and even drummed up some new topics for the blog and guests for upcoming podcasts.  Stay tuned for that! Here are some ag law stories in the news this week. *  Federal court finds FAA… Read More →

Syngenta Corn Litigation Update

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There has been quite a bit of action recently in the litigation involving the Syngenta Viptera and Duracade corn.  Here is a quick update on where things stand at this point. Factual Background In 2010, Syngenta released these seed varieties, which were approved in the United States, but not in China.  In 2013, US corn shipments arrived in China and were rejected due to the presence of the MIR-162 trait found in Viptera and Duracade.  Shortly thereafter, US corn prices fell.  Farmers who did not plant the seeds have… Read More →

Syngenta Corn Litigation Webinar

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A month or so ago, my friend and colleague Drew Kershen, along with Thomas Reddick, presented a webinar discussing the Syngenta corn litigation.  [To view and listen to webinar, click here.] The webinar offered a variety of interesting information related to this case, the underlying legal issues, and policy implications that a verdict may have.  First, Drew sets forth the facts and outcomes of two prior cases that are somewhat similar to the Syngenta case: the Starlink corn case and the Liberty Link rice case.  Next, the webinar… Read More →

Syngenta Corn Class Action Litigation Update

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Disclaimer:  Neither the author, nor Texas A&M Agrilife Extension take any position on the likelihood of success of any of the claims asserted against Syngenta or on whether producers should remain in the class action lawsuit opt out.  This blog post is for informational purposes only. We have previously discussed the pending lawsuits filed by corn producers against Syngenta related to Viptera and Duracade corn seed.  There are been numerous developments in the case over the last several months, so I thought an update might be helpful. Background In… Read More →