Plant-based cheese pioneer Miyoko Schinner and Miyoko’s Creamery, the company she founded, have ended contentious legal challenges against one another.
Both Schinner and the company posted a joint statement on each of their LinkedIn pages on Thursday stating they have resolved all legal disputes and withdrawn all legal claims. The statement says Schinner and the company wish each other well “as they go their separate ways.”
“Miyoko’s Creamery acknowledges the tremendous creativity, hard work, and integrity of its founder, Miyoko Schinner, a true pioneer in vegan creamery products, and appreciates her many contributions to the company over the years,” the statement says.
The statement goes on to say that Schinner appreciates the team at the company “and their commitment to continuing her legacy through sustained and continued excellence in manufacturing, developing and selling vegan creamery products.”
Schinner, who started the company in 2014, was quietly dismissed from the CEO position in June 2022 by the company’s board. Miyoko’s Creamery announced it had parted ways with Schinner in February.
The same day, the company sued Schinner in federal court, accusing her of stealing the company’s proprietary recipes and plant-based culture configurations after she was forced out.
In March, Schinner filed her own lawsuit against the company she started. In her counterclaim, Schinner accused the company of gender discrimination, failure to prevent discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination and misusing her name and likeness.
She claimed that René Weber, the chief operating officer at Miyoko’s Creamery, “singled out and openly denigrated women, especially Miyoko.” In response to her complaints about Weber, the lawsuit claims, the company “swiftly retaliated” against Schinner by demoting and then terminating her.
There was no information about the terms of the settlement in the statements on LinkedIn or the court docket.
Neither party responded to a request for comment by publication time.
