Monsanto Unanimously Wins First Roundup Trial Following U.S. Supreme Court Ruling

On October 30^th, a Missouri Circuit Court jury reached a unanimous defense verdict in favor of Monsanto in the three-plaintiff case of Theresa Aretino, et al. v. Monsanto Company. This is the first Roundup trial to take place since the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Monsanto v. Durnell. The jury found for Monsanto on the design defect, fraud and negligence claims that each of the three plaintiffs pursued at trial following the Supreme Court’s favorable decision in Durnell, which preempted their failure-to-warn claims.

“We are pleased with the jury’s favorable verdict for Monsanto validating our belief that there is no evidence to prove design defect, fraud or negligence claims in the Roundup litigation,” said Bill Dodero, U.S. General Counsel and Global Head of Litigation. “This verdict should send a strong signal that plaintiffs who wish to pursue claims in the court system following the Durnell ruling will face significant challenges both in demonstrating they have viable claims and putting forth the necessary evidence to prove them in court.”

In June 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in the Durnell Roundup case, affirming that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) expressly preempts state law claims based on failure-to-warn theories when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made a definitive determination on product safety. These claims have been a central theory in the Roundup litigation to date. With failure-to-warn claims no longer available, the Aretino plaintiffs pursued design defect and negligence claims. The verdict marks the first time a court has tested the sufficiency of evidence to support design defect and negligence claims at trial in the post-Durnell landscape.