St. Louis-based franchise Major Brands and international liquor company Diageo both entered a court trial on Monday, St. Louis Today reports, hoping to put an end to their mutual dispute over distribution agreements.
Diageo sued the company last year in an attempt to end its distributor agreement in the region while Major Brands now wants to block the move.
St. Louis Circuit Judge Robert Dierker found that the franchise relationship between Major Brands and Diageo allowed the latter to move its business to St. Charles-based Glazer's Distributors of Missouri, another company, the newspaper also reports.
Major Brands and Diageo's franchise dispute is primarily over rights for their respective liquor businesses. Jury selection for the trial dispute began on Monday at the St. Louis Circuit Court.
Both companies have not made recent of public statements following the beginning of the trial procedure.
