OPERATION: IMPOSSIBLE // LITIGATION WAR ROOM

A comprehensive timeline of the trademark litigation between Impossible LLC (Joel Runyon) and Impossible Foods Inc., documenting a 4+ year legal battle over trademark rights.

Case Information

Case Number: 5:21-CV-02419

Court: United States District Court, Northern District of California

Trial Date: March 9, 2026 in San Jose, CA

Filed: April 2, 2021

Duration: Over 1700 days of litigation

Key Timeline Events

Origins (2010-2016)

April 1, 2010: Impossible LLC blog launched by Joel Runyon
August 23, 2011: Original Impossible LLC logo deployed
March 13, 2012: Impossible LLC entity formed
March 23, 2012: Impossible trademark application filed (SN: 88855875)
2011: Pat Brown founds Maraxi Inc (focused on R&D)
2016: Impossible Foods launches plant-based burger
July 23, 2018: FDA approves Impossible Foods GMO ingredient "soy leghemoglobin" under GRAS regulations (Note: Prior to this, Impossible Foods was not approved for sale to consumers)
September 20, 2019: Impossible Foods first made available to consumers directly

Litigation Phase (2021-Present)

April 2, 2021: Impossible Foods files Friday lawsuit (sneak attack before USPTO deadline)
April 4, 2021: USPTO Discovery Deadline
April 5, 2021: USPTO proceedings suspended
November 16, 2021: Case dismissed without prejudice
January 3, 2022: Impossible Foods re-files lawsuit
February 16, 2024: Impossible Foods re-files amended complaint
March 8, 2024: Impossible LLC files counterclaims
July 23, 2024: Parties travel for mediation summit
July 24, 2024: Court-ordered mediation held
July 25, 2024: Mediation concludes without resolution
March 7, 2025: Impossible Foods files new claims (3rd time)
July 3, 2025: Impossible Foods attempts to cancel 8 trademarks via USPTO without notice
October 23, 2025: Summary Judgment Hearing
January 22, 2026: 3rd Court Ordered Mediation (San Jose, CA)
February 23, 2026: 4th Court Ordered Mediation (Zoom)
March 9, 2026: Trial set for San Jose, CA

Business Impact - Impossible Foods

May 13, 2019: Raises $300M in celebrity-backed funding round (Jay-Z, Katy Perry, Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian)
March 16, 2020: Raises $500M, bringing total funding to $1.3B
August 13, 2020: Raises $200M, bringing total funding to $1.5B
April 2021: Targets $10B IPO
November 23, 2021: Raises $500M at $7B valuation
May 2022: Peter McGuinness hired as CEO (Pat Brown leaves)
September 8, 2022: Executive exodus - 8+ executives leave
2023: Internal share value drops to $700M (from $7B peak in 2021)
July 5, 2024: IPO delayed indefinitely
2024: Supply chain terminations (Hard Rock Cafe, Dave & Busters, Habit Burger)

Key Departures from Impossible Foods

Pat Brown - Founder/CEO - Left November 2022 (6.4 years)

Peter McGuinness - CEO - Stepped down January 2026

Dennis Woodside - President - Left September 2022 (3.5 years)

Rachel Konrad - Chief Communications Officer - Left June 2021 (5+ years)

Dana Wagner - Chief Legal Officer - Left January 2022 (4 years)

Steve Turner - Chief Experience Officer - Left May 2022 (13 months)

John York - Chief Science Officer - Left 2022 (~18 months)

David Borecky - CFO - Left December 2023 (2.3 years)

Leilani Gayles - Chief People Officer - Left December 2023 (2.3 years)

Nate Gorence - Chief of Staff - Left July 2024 (2.5 years)

Leslie Sims - CMO - Left September 2024 (21 months)

Sherene Jagla - Chief Demand Officer - Left December 2024 (2 years)

Elaine Paik - CFO - Left April 2025 (16 months)

Sunil Chandran - Chief Science Officer - Left September 2025 (2.3 years)

Alexis Regan - SVP North American Sales - Left September 2025 (20 months)

Emma Hutchens - Chief People Officer - Left October 2025 (21 months)

Legal Representation

Impossible Foods Counsel:

Perkins Coie LLP (April 2020 - April 2021)
Wilson Sonsini (April 2021 - May 2022)
Kilpatrick Townsend (May 2022 - December 2025)
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP (December 2025 - present)

Impossible LLC Trial Counsel: BraunHagey & Borden LLP

Key Legal Decisions

May 2, 2022: Jurisdiction challenge - reversed on appeal
October 4, 2023: Appeal - jurisdiction reversal
Multiple summary judgment motions and delays by Impossible Foods

Impossible LLC vs. Impossible Foods Lawsuit Timeline