Paul Weiss became involved in the case as defense counsel for ASR and Domino in September last year, when Petkoski, the lead attorney for the companies, joined Paul Weiss from rival law firm A&O Shearman.
Mondelēz and other plaintiffs hired law firm Jenner & Block to file their lawsuit in July against ASR Group and other sugar companies. Mondelēz and Jenner did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The case is Mondelēz Global LLC et al v. ASR Group International Inc et al, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, No. 0:26-cv-03528.
Paul Weiss says its defense of ASR does not create a conflict
According to the filing, Paul Weiss has proposed hiring separate lawyers to defend ASR against Kraft Heinz's claims specifically, because Kraft Heinz is a current client of the firm. The food manufacturers called that proposal "unworkable."
Paul Weiss and a lead attorney for ASR Group at the firm, Djordje Petkoski, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. An outside lawyer for the firm in the conflict dispute also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ASR has denied the plaintiffs’ price-fixing claims.
Paul Weiss in court filings has denied that its defense of ASR Group creates a conflict, arguing that the lawyers representing the company were not involved in discussions with the plaintiffs in 2024. In a letter earlier this year to the food manufacturers, Paul Weiss' general counsel Kenneth Schneider said the firm's "representation of ASR and Domino is not adverse to Kraft Heinz and is in compliance with our ethical obligations."
The lead Paul Weiss attorneys who earlier sought to represent the food manufacturers, including William Isaacson, left the firm last year to open a new law firm.
Plaintiffs seek Paul Weiss disqualification over conflict claims
A group of food manufacturers is urging a federal judge to bar law firm Paul Weiss from defending Domino Sugar and its owner ASR Group in a lawsuit over alleged price-fixing in the sugar industry, arguing that the firm earlier tried to represent them as plaintiffs in the case.
Kraft Heinz, Mondelēz Global, Nestlé USA, Hershey and other plaintiffs said in a filing on Tuesday in the federal court in Minnesota that they provided confidential strategy and pricing data to Paul Weiss in 2024 when they were preparing to bring the case and the law firm was vying to represent them.
They asked the court to order Paul Weiss to explain why it should not be disqualified, arguing that its participation in the case creates conflicts of interest and that the firm failed to seek or obtain their consent before agreeing to represent ASR Group.
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