Jan Sramek—Sramek's Flannery Associates filed $510M lawsuit against multi-generational farming families who refused to sell
Under Sramek's leadership, Flannery Associates filed a $510 million lawsuit in May 2023 against dozens of farmers, family trusts, and ranchers including McCormack Sheep and Grain (farming since the 1880s), accusing them of an 'illegal price-fixing conspiracy' for refusing to sell their land. Farmers reported legal fees were 'draining their savings and jeopardizing their farm's financial future.' Rancher Chris Scheuring called the lawsuits an 'intimidation campaign,' saying 'I think they thought we'd just fold like a cheap suit.'
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Governance | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.858 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)
Evidence (1 signal)
KQED documented impact of Flannery Associates' $510M lawsuit on multi-generational farming families
KQED reported that the Anderson family said legal fees were 'draining their savings and jeopardizing their farm's financial future.' McCormack Sheep and Grain, farming since the 1880s, was among those named in the suit.