Item 1. Legal Proceedings
ITEM 1.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Other than the following matters, there have been no material changes with respect to the legal proceedings disclosed in our Transition Report on Form 10-K for the eight months ended December 29, 2013 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 30, 2014, nor have any significant new matters arisen during the three months ended September 28, 2014.
North Carolina Nuisance Litigation
As previously disclosed in our Transition Report on Form 10-K for the eight months ended December 29, 2013 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 30, 2014, in July, August and September 2013, 25 complaints were filed in the Superior Court of Wake County, North Carolina by 479 individual plaintiffs against Smithfield and our wholly owned subsidiary, Murphy-Brown alleging causes of action for nuisance and related claims. All 25 complaints were dismissed without prejudice in September and October 2014.
In August, September and October 2014, 25 complaints were filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina by 515 individual plaintiffs against our wholly owned subsidiary, Murphy-Brown, alleging causes of action for nuisance and related claims. The complaints relate to operations on approximately 10 company-owned and 56 contract farms. All 25 complaints include causes of action for temporary nuisance and negligence and seek recovery of an unspecified amount of compensatory, special and punitive damages, as well as unspecified injunctive and equitable relief. A single complaint also includes a cause of action for trespass. Murphy-Brown is in the process of responding to the complaints in all 25 cases. All 25 complaints stem from the nuisance cases previously filed in the Superior Court of Wake County; approximately 263 of the 515 plaintiffs had claims pending in those cases. The Company believes that the claims are unfounded and intends to defend the suits vigorously.
ITEM 1A.
RISK FACTORS
There have been no material changes with respect to the risk factors disclosed in our Transition Report on Form 10-K for the eight months ended December 29, 2013.
ITEM 2.
UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS
Not applicable.
ITEM 3.
DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES
Not applicable.
ITEM 4.
MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
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