Attorney General Bill Sorrell has named the litigation team that will defend the lawsuit filed by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Snack Food Association, International Dairy Foods Association, and National Association of Manufacturers that challenges the constitutionality of Vermont’s recently enacted law requiring the labeling of foods produced with genetic engineering. Sorrell announced that the State’s defense team will be a combination of talent from both within and outside of Vermont.
The lead attorney on the case will be Assistant Attorney General Megan J Shafritz, Chief of the Attorney General’s Civil Division. She will be joined by several other AGO staff attorneys including Jon Alexander, Kyle Landis-Marinello, and Naomi Sheffield. In related news, Sorrell announced that Kate Duffy, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Human Resources, will be returning to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office and will be an integral part of the defense team.
Human Resources Commissioner Kate Duffy to join Attorney General’s office
“My Office will be lead counsel on the case and will dedicate this great team of experienced attorneys to the matter full time,” said Sorrell.
Sorrell also announced that the work of the Attorney General’s Office will be complemented by resources from the Washington, DC, law firm of Robbins, Russell, Englert, Orseck, Untereiner & Sauber LLP. Lawrence S. Robbins, a partner in the practice, will be the firm’s primary attorney on the case and will have the support of several of his office’s lawyers, including seasoned litigators and a senior associate with a Ph.D. in biology. “The skills and resources of Robbins Russell will be a tremendous asset to the defense team,” said Sorrell. “Larry Robbins, in particular, is an experienced litigator and took on Monsanto in 2010 when he represented the Center for Food Safety and other parties in the Monsanto v. Geertson Seed Farms case in the U.S. Supreme Court. I am excited to welcome Larry and his colleagues to the team of attorneys who will defend Vermont’s GE food labeling law.”
The Attorney General’s Office has negotiated a $1.465 million contract with Robbins Russell that includes the firm’s involvement at all stages of the lower court litigation. “As I have cautioned all along, the defense of this lawsuit will be costly,” said Sorrell. “Plaintiffs are both national and international trade associations that are well-resourced and are expected to mount a vigorous attack on the law. I am confident we have put together a legal defense team that has the resources and expertise to meet that challenge.”
The lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the recently enacted law that requires labeling of foods produced with genetic engineering was filed on June 12, 2014. The next step in the case is for the State to file its response to the Complaint. The parties have agreed that the State’s response will be due on August 8, 2014.
Source: Vermont AG 9.7.2014