Payments to farmers and other class members could go out by second quarter 2019

On December 7, 2018, the settlement of the nationwide class action lawsuit (MDL n. 2591) against Syngenta related to its marketing and commercialization of Agrisure Viptera and Agrisure Duracade corn seeds was approved.  The $1.51 billion settlement is believed to be the largest agricultural settlement in U.S. history.

The Honorable John W. Lungstrum, a United Stated District Court Judge in the District of Kansas, gave final approval to the settlement reached in February 2018 that covers payments to U.S. corn growers, grain handling facilities and ethanol production plants who sold corn priced after Sept. 15, 2013. 

Per the settlement agreement, payments will likely go out in the second quarter 2019. However, this may be delayed if any appeals to the settlement approval are filed.

The litigation before Judge Lungstrum has been led by four lawyers who were appointed Co-Lead and Class Counsel by the Court – William Chaney of Gray Reed & McGraw LLP, Patrick Stueve of Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP, Don Downing of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C., and Scott Powell of Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton, LLP.  Additionally, Christopher Seeger, of Seeger Weiss LLP, whose firm was a member of the court-appointed Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, served as the Chair of the court-appointed Plaintiffs’ Negotiating Committee for this settlement.

The Co-Leads issued the following statement:

“We are delighted that the settlement has been approved.   Under the settlement agreement, it is possible that payments could begin as early as the second quarter 2019, but appeals could delay those payments.   We look forward to getting the settlement funds out as soon as possible to the hundreds of thousands of class members who will receive compensation for their losses.   It has been a long and hard fought battle, and we have been honored to have represented farmers and others in this important litigation.”