Rice Farmers Receive Bayer Cropscience Payment
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More than 2,500 Hare Wynn rice farmer-clients will soon receive payments as a result of a historic $750 million settlement in a lawsuit against Bayer Cropscience. The lawsuits that prompted the eventual settlement were filed as a result of the corruption of farmers’ crops by a genetically engineered strain of rice produced by the Bayer Cropscience.
"This settlement was crucial to the survivability of thousands of rice growing farms and families in this country,” states Scott Powell, lead counsel with Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton. “Our clients, as well as all rice farmers in this country, have struggled mightily with the crash of the world rice markets due to Bayer's contamination. I am so proud of them and could not be happier for these farming families and businesses.”
Bayer agreed to the settlement during the summer of 2011, stipulating that a threshold of 85% of the rice acreage involved in the suit be certified. According to Scott Powell, most of the farmers involved in the settlement should see payments in the first week of January.
The problem began in August, 2006 when The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that amounts of genetically altered rice had made its way into the U.S. rice supply. In reaction to this announcement, the 27-country European Union (EU)market essentially closed because of a requirement that U.S. rice be tested and certified to be 100 percent free of genetically modified rice.
Lawdragon Honors Thompson and Pratt |
Jim Thompson and Jim Pratt have been selected as two of only three lawyers in Alabama for inclusion in the 2011 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America. The 2011 Lawyers of the Year were selected from a combination of votes in Lawdragon’s online ballot; submissions from law firms; and Lawdragon's editorial research and vetting of legal professionals throughout the country. According to Lawdragon, these are the lawyers “who brought in the biggest verdicts and settlements, handled the biggest deals and defined what law practice was in the year just past. The quality and quantity of submissions, voter comments and information from trusted sources has increased each year, making the 2011 selection process the most exhaustive and intense yet.” |
Moncus Featured Presenter in ABA Seminar |
Jamie Moncus was a featured presenter in a January 19, 2012 seminar sponsored by the American Bar Association Law Practice Management Section. Moncus, along with Hare Wynn’s Matt Minner, recently obtained a $37.5 million verdict using iPad trial presentation technology. As a result of this innovative approach, utilizing the iPad and the latest iPad apps in litigation, Moncus was invited to share his knowledge with lawyers from Florida to Honululu in the mid-January webinar. The seminar will be re-played on February 3, 2012. For more information and to register click here. |
Hare Wynn Recognized by Benchmark Litigation
Hare Wynn has been recognized as a 2012 Highly Recommend Local Litigation Firm by Benchmark Litigation. Benchmark Litigation focuses exclusively on litigation in the United States. Recommendations were based on interviews with the nation’s leading private practice lawyers and in-house counsel. These interviews were conducted between January and June 2011.The guide’s results are the culmination of a six-month research period that allows Benchmark Litigation researchers to conduct extensive interviews with litigators and their clients. As part of this process, interviews are conducted regarding recent casework handled by the firms and sources are asked to offer their professional opinions on litigators practicing within their state or national practice areas.
