The ongoing legal spat between campaigning US ice cream business Ben & Jerry’s and its parent Unilever, has moved up a gear.
Ben & Jerry’s has filed a case in a New York court accusing the FMCG giant of
ousting its CEO Dave Stever in an attempt to silence its so-called ‘social mission’.
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It is the latest in a series of disagreements between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever, which bought the Vermont-based business in 2000.
Ben & Jerry’s latest legal claim was filed on Tuesday (18 March) in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
UK broadcaster the BBC quoted part of the filing. “Unilever has repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, including CEO David Stever, should they fail to comply with Unilever’s efforts to silence the social mission,” it said.
Ben & Jerry’s alleges the move is part of efforts by Unilever to silence its activism. It also said the decision to oust Stever was made without any consultation, contrary to the merger agreement between the two companies.
Stever has been with Ben & Jerry’s since joining the firm in 1988 and was appointed CEO in 2023.
In its widely-reported filing, Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever advised it on 3 March it was removing Stever.
The business said Unilever chastised Stever in a January performance review for “repeatedly acquiescing” to Ben & Jerry’s promotion of social goals.
Just Food has contacted the UK-headquartered giant seeking a response to Ben & Jerry’s claims. It has also asked Ben & Jerry’s for a statement relating to its latest legal action.
Disagreements between the businesses originated in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced it was halting sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, causing a backlash in Israel which threatened a boycott of Unilever products. In June 2022, Unilever sold its ice cream operation in the country in an attempt to draw a line under a damaging diplomatic row.
Last November, Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit saying Unilever had tried to stop it from expressing support for Palestinian refugees. Unilever denied the claims.
And last month, in another court filing, Ben & Jerry’s said its owner had tried to ban it from publicly criticising US President Donald Trump.
Unilever has been linked with plans to sell its ice cream arm, which also includes Breyers and Magnum, but recently announced the unit would become a standalone business, demerged from the rest of the company by the end of this year.
Unilever plans to list its ice-cream business in Amsterdam, London and New York. The Marmite owner’s shares are already trading on exchanges in those markets.
