$217.7 Million Verdict in Kansas Class Action Over Syngenta GMO Corn Named 'Top 50 Verdict'

Gray Ritter Graham attorney Don Downing was a co-lead plaintiffs’ counsel representing more than 7,000 Kansas corn farmers in a 2017 class action lawsuit against Syngenta (Syngenta AG MIR 162 Corn Litigation, D. Kan., 2:14-MD-02591-JWL- JPO 6/27/2017).  The farmers alleged Syngenta’s actions with its genetically modified strains of corn led to the loss of an important market for U.S. corn and causing them economic harm.  In June 2017, the jury returned a verdict of $217.7 million in compensatory damages to the Kansas corn farmers.  The National Law Journal recently announced that the verdict, which represented 100 percent of damages requested by Downing and the other co-lead counsel, has been named to the "Elite Trial Lawyer Top 50 Verdicts" in 2018. Elite Trial Lawyer Top 50 Verdicts highlights the largest verdicts from January 2017 through April 2018. The National Law Journal’s verdict search affiliate scours the nation’s court records in search of the largest verdicts; it also consults with practitioners and with additional ALM Media LLC publications.  The Kansas litigation was the first of eight state class action lawsuits certified in the Syngenta corn Multi-District Litigation.  In March 2018, a preliminarily approved settlement of $1.51 billion was reached in the nationwide class action lawsuit.  U.S. corn farmers have until October 12, 2018 to file their claims.  To file a claim, click here.

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