Who were the plaintiffs in the Avi Avraham Zinger case against Ben Jerrys?
Ben_Jerrys Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
On March 3, 2022, a licensee of Homemade, American Quality Products Ltd. and its predecessors (collectively, "AQP"), as well as AQP's owner, Avi Zinger ("Zinger") (with AQP and Zinger being collectively referred to herein as "Plaintiffs"), filed an action to prohibit the termination of Plaintiffs' license agreement with Homemade and Unilever (comprised of Unilever United States, Inc. and Conopco, Inc.) and to declare the termination unlawful. In this case description, "Defendants" refers to Homemade and Unilever.
In June 2022, the parties settled the case upon reaching a new business arrangement pursuant to which Ben & Jerry's products will be sold under its Hebrew and Arabic names throughout Israel and the West Bank under the full ownership of AQP.
Source: Item 3 — LITIGATION (FDD pages 18–20)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Ben Jerrys's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the plaintiffs in the case of Avi Avraham Zinger and American Quality Products Ltd. v. Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc., Unilever United States, Inc. and Conopco, Inc. were American Quality Products Ltd. (AQP) and its owner, Avi Zinger. The document refers to them collectively as "Plaintiffs". The defendants in this case were Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. and Unilever, which includes Unilever United States, Inc. and Conopco, Inc.
The litigation, filed on March 3, 2022, aimed to prevent the termination of the license agreement between the Plaintiffs and Ben Jerrys and Unilever, seeking a declaration that the termination was unlawful. The case was ultimately settled in June 2022, with a new business arrangement established. This arrangement allowed Ben Jerrys products to be sold under their Hebrew and Arabic names throughout Israel and the West Bank, under the full ownership of AQP.
For a prospective Ben Jerrys franchisee, this concluded litigation highlights the importance of understanding the brand's international business dealings and potential legal challenges that can arise from those dealings. While this specific case was settled, it demonstrates the complexities involved in franchise agreements and the significance of clear communication and legal counsel when navigating such issues. It also shows Ben Jerrys's willingness to resolve disputes through negotiation and revised business arrangements.