Corporate Litigation and Liability

Bayer said Tuesday it has agreed to a $7.25 billion settlement to resolve tens of thousands of U.S. lawsuits alleging that Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller caused non‑Hodgkin lymphoma, replacing an earlier $10 billion deal that was scrapped under legal scrutiny. The new program will compensate claimants alleging Roundup‑linked NHL for up to 21 years, though the company did not say what average payouts might look like. The deal comes as Bayer awaits a critical U.S. Supreme Court ruling on whether federal pesticide labeling rules preempt state‑law failure‑to‑warn claims, a case CEO Bill Anderson has said could determine whether Roundup remains on the U.S. market. Analysts note that the prospect of a pro‑Bayer ruling appears to have strengthened the company’s hand, with one research note calling the terms 'highly favorable' and estimating an 80% chance Bayer prevails at the Court. Bayer’s shares rose about 6% on the news, as investors bet that the settlement and a possible Supreme Court win would cap future Roundup liabilities and protect a key product line for U.S. agriculture and lawn‑and‑garden markets.