Willenken, led by partner Eileen Ahern, successfully defended Spectrum Brands, a global home essentials company whose portfolio includes pet, home and garden, and personal care brands, in a putative consumer class action in federal court in California challenging front-label “made with” ingredient claims.
The plaintiff alleged that the labeling was misleading under California consumer protection statutes, despite the undisputed presence of the identified ingredients and accurate disclosure on the product’s ingredient list.
The team moved to dismiss the complaint, arguing that the labeling was not misleading under the “reasonable consumer” standard and that back-label disclosures must be considered when evaluating any alleged ambiguity—a complex issue made more challenging by recent Ninth Circuit decisions limiting when courts may consider back-label information at the pleading stage. The court granted Willenken’s motion in its entirety, with prejudice, eliminating potential class-wide exposure at an early stage.
While similar “made with” labeling cases frequently proceed past the pleading stage, Willenken secured dismissal with a single, strategically crafted motion. This ruling provides persuasive precedent for defendants across industries and positions Spectrum Brands favorably against similar claims.
