Jennifer Zwagerman, a member of the Faegre & Benson litigation practice, focuses primarily on food and agribusiness matters. Jennifer litigates and counsels a number of the firm's food and agribusiness clients on issues related to agricultural products liability, agricultural contracts, food labeling and regulation and environmental and nuisance laws. She handles cases venued in both federal and state courts. Additionally, Jennifer is the firm's first Visiting Scholar in collaboration with Drake University Agricultural Law Center. She is uniquely qualified for this appointment given her practice in the areas of food, agriculture and agribusiness litigation, and will teach related courses throughout the 2010-2011 academic year.
Prior to joining Faegre & Benson, Jennifer served as a clerk on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. With several years of experience in the agricultural industry—particularly the beef and dairy sectors—prior to beginning her legal career, Jennifer brings a wealth of relevant knowledge and experience to the firm. She earned a LL.M. Agricultural Law from the University of Arkansas in 2008.
Representative Cases Include:
- Adams, et al. v. United States, DuPont, et al., U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, Case No. 4:03-cv-00049-BLW. Over 400 growers of various crops alleged off-target movement of herbicide applied by the Bureau of Land Management on government-controlled, fire-damaged land to control invasive weed species. In 2009, Faegre & Benson represented DuPont in a four-month trial of the claims of four bellwether plaintiffs.
- Burns, et al. v. UCPA, et al., Clay County Circuit Court, State of Arkansas, Eastern Division, Case No. cv-2009-51. (Multiplaintiff litigation regarding alleged pesticide drift)
- B&O Farms, et al. v. Syngenta Seeds, Inc., Jefferson County Circuit Court, State of Wisconsin, Case No. 09-CV-0358. (Action against client Syngenta Seeds alleging damage to corn crop)
- Albaugh, Inc. v, AHP, Ltd., U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Case No. 06-CV-00556-RP-TJS. (Dispute premised upon FIFRA data compensation agreement)
- Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, Hon. David R. Hansen, 2005–2007
- It's in the Food: Reading the Fine Print of Food Labeling
Food, Agriculture & Biofuels 2010 National Conference, Minneapolis (2010)
- Navigating the Nutrition-Labeling Maze
International Foodservice Manufacturers Association, COEX Conference, Orlando, Florida (March 2010)
- Recent Developments in Agricultural Antitrust Law
AALA Symposium, Williamsburg, Virginia (2009)
- Defending Pesticides in Litigation (co-author)
West (2007–2009)
- New Food Safety Agency in Cards?
Feedstuffs (2009)
- Country of Origin Labeling is Not a Reality (co-author)
Pork Exec (2009)
- Complying with Food Registry No Easy Task (co-author)
Feedstuffs (2009)
- Country of Origin Labeling for Many Meat Products Is Now a Reality (co-author)
Trends (2009)
- Iowa State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, district representative
- Polk County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, co-chair
- American Agricultural Law Association
- American Bar Association
Related Practices
Agribusiness Litigation
Toxic Tort Litigation
Related Industries
Food, Agriculture and Biofuels
Media Mentions
01-May-2010 - Food and Drink Magazine, Faegre & Benson Discuss Food Labeling Claims
12-May-2010 - Franchising.com Takes Note of Visiting Scholar Program with Drake University
04-March-2010 - Food Channel Takes Note of Faegre & Benson Presentations to Restaurant Operators
15-April-2010 - Lawyers Recap USDA Workshop on Agricultural Industry Competition for Law360
17-April-2010 - Zwagerman and Hein Discuss Implications of New Calorie-Display Legislation
Education
University of Arkansas School of Law
LL.M, Agricultural Law (2008)
Drake University Law School
J.D., Editor-in-Chief Drake Journal of Agricultural Law, Order of the Coif, with highest honors (2004)
Michigan State University
B.S. Agricultural Communications, with high honors (1999)
Articles
09-March-2010 - Recent Food Recall Is Reminder to Comply With Reportable Food Registry Requirements
24-November-2009 - Food Safety Bill Unanimously Passes Senate HELP Committee
17-November-2009 - DOJ, USDA Set Dates for Hearings on Competition Issues in Agriculture
05-November-2009 - Taking Lessons From Michigan and Ohio, States Should Prepare to Address Animal Care Issues
27-October-2009 - FDA: Ensure Voluntary Food Nutrition Labels Comply With Regulatory Requirements
26-October-2009 - Complying with Food Registry No Easy Task
17-September-2009 - Navigating the New Reportable Food Registry
15-September-2009 - Defining "Natural" Food: Proposed Rulemaking on Product Labeling
09-September-2009 - FDA Announces Implementation of Reportable Food Registry Electronic Portal
15-January-2009 - Country of Origin Labeling for Many Meat Products Is Now a Reality
01-January-2009 - Country-of-Origin Labeling Is Now a Reality
News
17-May-2010 - Zwagerman Chosen as a Visiting Scholar with Drake University Agricultural Law Center
22-January-2010 - Faegre & Benson an Honoree of the 2009 Chinese Association of Achievement Awards
Bar Admissions
Iowa
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
Events
16-September-2009 - Navigating the New Reportable Food Registry