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AZA Favorably Resolves Internationally Watched Case for Ben & Jerry’s 
December 20, 2022

HOUSTON – The board of directors of Ben & Jerry’s, the premium ice cream brand known for its social awareness, has successfully and confidentially settled a dispute with its parent company Unilever, a multinational consumer product company. The legal battle was over the billion-dollar brand’s corporate governance, including the licensing of Ben & Jerry’s products in the West Bank. 

The fight gained international media attention after the board filed suit in federal court in New York seeking to stop the parent company from subverting its 2000 merger agreement that requires board approval for the sale of Ben & Jerry’s intellectual property.  

“This was a David versus Goliath dispute centering on respecting the parties’ carefully negotiated merger agreement. The Independent Board’s resolve to protect that agreement in the face of intense public pressure, salary freezes, and personal threats was remarkable, said AZA lawyer Shahmeer Halepota. 

The chair of Ben & Jerry’s board added: “Choosing AZA was the best decision we made in terms of the litigation. The firm’s doggedness, integrity, deep immersion in all aspects of the case, and 24/7 availability were essential to reaching the resolution we did.” 

At issue was Unilever’s planned sale of Ben & Jerry’s intellectual property and products in the West Bank, an action that goes against the ice cream company’s and the board’s earlier decision not to sell the products there. The board argued in the lawsuit that this violated the terms of the acquisition agreement with Unilever from 2000. That agreement gave Ben & Jerry’s autonomy in business matters regarding the essential integrity and social mission of the brand.  

The case is Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Holdings Inc., vs. Conopco, Inc., in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 1:22-cv-05681. 

AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos & Mensing, is a Houston-based law firm that is home to true courtroom lawyers with a formidable track record in complex commercial litigation, including energy, healthcare, intellectual property, and business dispute cases. AZA is recognized by Chambers USA 2022 among the best in Texas commercial law and intellectual property; by U.S. News – Best Lawyers’ Best Law Firms as one of the country’s best commercial litigation firms for 11 years running; has been named Litigation Department of the Year by Texas Lawyer three times including for 2021; and was previously dubbed by Law360 a Texas Powerhouse law firm.  

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Houston, TX 77010
(713) 655-1101

© 2025 All rights reserved.

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