Former Ben and Jerry directors file court challenge against Magnum over board appointments
Removed directors are challenging Magnum's plan to appoint new board members. The legal dispute focuses on the independence of the ice cream brand's board.
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Directors removed from the independent board of Ben & Jerry’s have filed a legal challenge in the United States 
USDistrict Court in New York against plans by The Magnum Ice Cream Company to appoint new directors. The filing, which accompanied a statement dated January 29, 2026, contests the authority of the parent company to select board members and disputes the assertion that a chair appointed by the parent company can be truly independent.
USDistrict Court in New York against plans by The Magnum Ice Cream Company to appoint new directors. The filing, which accompanied a statement dated January 29, 2026, contests the authority of the parent company to select board members and disputes the assertion that a chair appointed by the parent company can be truly independent.The legal battle is the latest development in a series of disputes involving the Vermont-based brand and its corporate parents. Unilever PLC retains a 19.9% stake in Magnum, which was established as a separate entity when the consumer goods giant spun off its ice cream unit in December. Since 2024, the independent board of Ben & Jerry’s has been in litigation with Unilever PLC, and now Magnum, in the United StatesDistrict Court in New York over alleged efforts to undermine the brand’s social mission and the board’s autonomy.
