Supreme Court Rejects Monsanto Class-Action Settlement Dispute

The US Supreme Court has declined to hear a dispute over a lawsuit against Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, that could have limited the use of cy pres awards in class action cases. The case involved a settlement in which Monsanto agreed to pay over $39m to settle claims that it deceptively labelled certain Roundup weedkiller products. Critics argue that such awards encourage frivolous lawsuits and excessive fees for class action attorneys, while proponents say they can benefit groups that work for the public good.