Butter and Cheese Class Action

First Impressions Salon, Inc., et al. v. National Milk Producers Federation, et al., Case No. 3:13-CV-00454-NJR-GCS

If you bought butter or cheese directly from a National Milk Producers Federation Cooperatives Working Together Program Member between December 6, 2008, and July 31, 2013, you could receive a payment from a $220 million settlement.

Claim Forms must have been submitted online or postmarked no later than April 23, 2021.

Welcome to the official website for the Butter and Cheese Class Action Lawsuit.

A $220 million settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit brought against National Milk Producers Federation, Agri-Mark, Inc., Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., and Land O’Lakes, Inc. (collectively “Defendants”). The lawsuit claimed that an effort known as Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) operated a Herd Retirement Program that was a conspiracy to reduce milk output that violated the law. The Defendants deny doing anything wrong. The Court has not decided who is right.

The current lawsuit affects both businesses and individual consumers in the United States that purchased butter and/or cheese directly from one or more of the CWT members including the Defendants, during the period from December 6, 2008, to July 31, 2013.

A complete list of the CWT members can be found here. If you purchased cheese and/or butter directly from any of these sources, or their company stores, between December 6, 2008, to July 31, 2013, you are a Class Member.

No judge or jury has concluded that the Defendants did anything wrong. If you are a Class Member, however, you have a choice to make:


Your Legal Rights and Options in this Lawsuit
Submit a Claim Form

Claim Forms have been mailed. Claim Forms must have been submitted by April 23, 2021, to be eligible for an award. We are no longer accepting claims.
Object

The deadline to write to the Court about why you do not like the Settlement passed on March 17, 2020.
Go to a Hearing

The Fairness Hearing has been held. Final approval was granted on April 27, 2020.

Do Nothing If you are a Class Member and if you fail to timely submit a completed Claim Form, you will not receive a payment and you will give up your right to bring your own lawsuit against Defendants about the claims in this case.

Current Status

Documented and Generated Claims submitted on or before April 23, 2021, are currently being reviewed. Payment for Undocumented Claims determined to be eligible mailed on April 20, 2022.


Important Dates

April 27, 2020
Final Approval Granted

April 23, 2021
Claim Filing Deadline

April 20, 2022
Undocumented Fund Distribution for Undocumented Claims Determined to be Eligible