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The NAM filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit to overturn a district court ruling that imposed punitive damages on a pork production facility in North Carolina under a "private nuisance" theory of liability. The case began with a lawsuit by property owners who reside near the facility in North Carolina, alleging that aspects of the facility’s operations are a private nuisance under tort common law. A federal district court ruled for the plaintiffs and awarded compensatory damages and millions of dollars in additional punitive damages. On appeal to the 4th Circuit, the NAM filed an amicus brief that explained why nuisance liability and punitive damages are inappropriate when companies comply with applicable environmental regulations, and further explained North Carolina’s extensive statutory and regulatory control over pork production facilities in North Carolina. This case has important implications for food producers and all manufacturers because the legal standard for what constitutes a “nuisance” under tort law will vary from jury-to-jury, risking the imposition of significant liability—including punitive damages—for manufacturers engaged in legal and thoroughly-regulated conduct. On November 19, 2020, the court vacated the punitive damages award and remanded the case for a rehearing on that issue.