Split 8th Circuit Says Cigar Trademark Claims Arose Under Stock Transfer Agreement

( June 11, 2026, 2:27 PM EDT) -- ST. LOUIS — A divided Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel affirmed a South Dakota federal judge’s dismissal of a trademark infringement suit brought by the founder of a tobacco company and a cigar maker against the founder’s former company; the majority agreed with the judge that the dispute necessarily arose out of a stock purchase agreement that included a mandatory forum selection clause that required litigation in South Dakota state court....