The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal brought by Nestle SA and two other companies in an attempt to reject a class-action lawsuit that brought allegations of human rights violations against the three companies. The denial left in place a 2014 federal appeals court ruling that refused to dismiss the class-action lawsuit brought against Nestle SA, Cargill Inc., and Archer Daniels Midland Co. The lawsuit had been initiated in 2005 by Malinese laborers who accused the three companies of being complicit in allowing child labor to continue while offering financial assistance to Ivory Coast farmers in order to ensure guaranteed low cocoa prices. On appeal, the case focused on how lower courts have interpreted a 2013 Supreme Court ruling that challenged the ability for plaintiffs to sue corporations in U.S. courts for abuses overseas.
See "U.S. top court rejects Nestle bid to throw out child slavery suit", Lawrence Hurley, Reuters, January 12, 2016