Judge narrows Ben & Jerry’s lawsuit against Unilever

A U.S. federal judge has narrowed a lawsuit filed by Ben & Jerry’s against its former parent company, Unilever. The ruling dismissed claims that Unilever silenced the ice cream brand regarding its social justice stances and its position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The dispute originated from tensions following Ben & Jerry’s 2021 decision to halt sales in the West Bank, which led Unilever to sell the brand’s Israeli operations to a local licensee. While Ben & Jerry’s argued this bypassed its independent board’s autonomy, the court found that Unilever acted within its rights under the original 2000 acquisition agreement.

Although the allegations regarding social activism and interference with the brand's mission were dismissed, the court allowed contract-related claims to proceed, specifically regarding unpaid amounts owed by Unilever. Additionally, the court established that Magnum, the Amsterdam-based company that took control of Ben & Jerry’s following a split from Unilever, will replace the multinational as the primary defendant in the commercial litigation.