H-E-B Grocery Asks Texas High Court To Review Defamation Suit

San Antonio-based grocery chain H-E-B LP asked the Texas Supreme Court to hear a defamation and business disparagement suit against it, framing it as a freedom of speech issue.

The grocer seeks reversal of an appellate ruling forcing it to defend a lawsuit lodged by a supplier H-E-B management criticized for contract delivery failure at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

H-E-B agreed to buy BioEraise wipes from Maverick International Ltd. But it then claimed Maverick breached the parties’ contract by failing to meet delivery deadlines and making misrepresentations about the labeling of the product when marketing to the supermarket ...