Judge dismisses most of Ben & Jerry’s claims against Unilever

A U.S. judge has dismissed most of the charges brought by the activist ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s against its former parent company, Unilever. The case will continue, but with The Magnum Ice Cream Company as the defendant.

Long-running conflict

Among other things, Ben & Jerry’s had accused Unilever of curtailing the brand’s social initiatives, dismantling the board of directors, and halting funding for the eponymous charity. But now, a federal judge in New York has dismissed seven of the ten claims against the ice cream brand’s former owner, and one in part, Reuters reports. As a result, only two claims remain fully intact: those relating to overdue payments, both for Ben & Jerry’s itself and for Palestinian almond farmers. The case will now proceed with Magnum, the new owner, as the defendant.

The conflict between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever has been dragging on since 2021, when the activist ice cream brand refused to continue selling its products in Palestinian-Israeli conflict zones. Unilever then decided to sell the brand and distribution rights directly to the Israeli licensee, which sparked widespread outrage at Ben & Jerry’s. Following the spin-off of Unilever’s ice cream division, a new CEO was appointed and the chairman of the activist brand’s board was ousted.

Co-founder Ben Cohen continues to campaign against Magnum and says he wants to buy back “his” brand, even though The Magnum Ice Cream Company has repeatedly made it clear that this is out of the question.