Pardalis & Nohavicka in Action: Jiaherb, Inc. v. MTC Industries, Inc.
Pardalis & Nohavicka trial attorneys, Eleni Melekou, Esq. and Partner Joseph D. Nohavicka, recently completed a 10-day Federal Court trial at the United States District Court in Newark, NJ, representing PN client Jiaherb, Inc. in a high-stakes commercial litigation case.
Case Breakdown:
1️⃣ Parties Involved: Jiaherb, Inc., a manufacturer of herbal extracts, and MTC Industries, Inc., a supplier of nutritional ingredients.
2️⃣ Product in Question: Saw palmetto extract, commonly used in health supplements.
3️⃣ Allegations: PN Client Jiaherb accused MTC of adulterating (cutting) its saw palmetto extract with vegetable oils, like coconut oil, without disclosure.
4️⃣ Misrepresentation Claims: MTC allegedly marketed its product as pure and exceeding U.S. Pharmacopeia standards.
5️⃣ Detection Challenges: Adulteration was extremely difficult to detect.
6️⃣ Discovery of Adulteration: A customer’s advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance testing uncovered the presence of coconut oil.
7️⃣ Consequences: The discovery led to many large scale canceled purchase orders
8️⃣ Further Verification: Jiaherb conducted independent testing, which confirmed the adulteration.
9️⃣ Financial Impact: Jiaherb sought a full refund and damages for the adulterated product.
🔟 Legal Action: Our firm filed a lawsuit alleging product adulteration, false advertising and unfair competition under the Lanham Act.
Eleni Melekou shared her enthusiasm for the case, stating:
"It was an honor to try this case and fight for our client in federal court. There is nothing more exhilarating than advocating for justice seeing the law in action."