MaRS Presents at 10th Annual Cleantech Forum San Francisco, Mar-28-2012 12:00 PM. Venue: Hyatt Regency San Francisco, 5 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94111, United States. Speakers: Tom Rand, Cleantech Adviser.

Mars Chocolate wants 38 employees to accept voluntary redundancies to protect its future in Ballarat. Mars announced the cuts on March 6, 2012 and says more than 38 staff have already expressed an interest in taking up the offer. The redundancy process will take several weeks to finalise.

Settlements have been reached with defendants Cadbury Holdings Ltd., Cadbury plc (Cadbury Limited), and Cadbury Adams Canada, Inc. (Cadbury). The litigation is continuing against the remaining Defendants: Hershey Canada, Inc., Hershey Co., Mars, Incorporated, Mars Snackfood US, LLC and Nestlé USA, Inc. The Indirect purchaser for resale settlement class includes any person or entity that purchased Chocolate Candy made by defendants from someone other than a defendant, for resale in, or for delivery for resale into, certain States and Guam from December 9, 2002 through December 20, 2007. The lawsuit claims that defendants conspired to fix, raise, maintain or stabilize prices of Chocolate Candy resulting in overcharges to those who purchased Chocolate Candy made by a Defendant. The lawsuit seeks nationwide injunctive relief against the Defendants and money for class members. The vast majority of sales of Cadbury's chocolate candy products in the United States are made by the Hershey Company, pursuant to a trademark license agreement. The Defendants deny that they did anything wrong. The Court has not decided who is right. The Settlements provide for the payment by Cadbury of $250,000 in cash to the Indirect Purchaser for Resale Plaintiffs, and $1,312,500 in cash to the Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs. It also provides $250,000 to pay for notice of the settlements to all settlement classes. Cadbury has also agreed to provide certain cooperation in the prosecution of the litigation against the remaining Defendants. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania will hold a Fairness Hearing at 10:30 a.m. on December 12, at 228 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, PA 17108. At this hearing the Court will consider whether the Settlements are fair, reasonable and adequate. The Court will also consider requests by Interim Lead Counsel for both classes to use the settlement funds for expenses to be incurred in the future in this case. If there are objections or comments, the Court will consider them at that time.