Legal Impact for Chickens (LIC) is an American animal law nonprofit organization that uses litigation to improve the treatment of chickens and other farmed animals in the factory farming sector. Founded in 2021 by lawyer Alene Anello, the 501(c)(3) focuses on enforcing existing animal welfare laws through civil lawsuits, investigations, and public education. LIC has brought cases against companies including Costco, Case Farms, Alexandre Family Farm, and Tyson Foods, and has represented advocacy groups such as Animal Outlook in legal actions concerning alleged animal cruelty and misleading marketing claims.
The organization's work has been reviewed by Animal Charity Evaluators and covered by outlets including Prospect, CBS News, The Independent, and Vox. Supporters describe LIC as advancing accountability and legal oversight within industrial agriculture, while critics from the agribusiness sector characterize its actions as part of broader animal rights activism against animal farming.
History
Legal Impact for Chickens (LIC) was founded on June 11, 2021[3] by Alene Anello, a Harvard Law School graduate,[4] and received tax-exempt status in the United States in 2022 as an alliances and advocacy organization (D01).[5]
LIC was established to address what it describes as a lack of enforcement of animal welfare laws on factory farms, particularly in relation to chickens raised for meat and eggs. The organization cites the scale of the poultry industry, approximately nine billion chickens raised and slaughtered for food each year in the United States, nearly all on factory farms, as evidence of the need for improved legal enforcement.[6]
LIC has been involved in several high-profile lawsuits, including one against Costco alleging the neglect of chickens raised for its rotisserie products. These cases attracted coverage from major media outlets and animal advocacy organizations.[7][8][9]
Methods and focus
LIC primarily pursues its mission through civil litigation aimed at improving the welfare of farmed animals in the United States, particularly chickens. Its activities include drafting legal briefs, representing plaintiffs in court, negotiating settlements, and preparing expert witnesses. In 2023, approximately 68% of the organization's spending was allocated to litigation, 24% to investigations, and 8% to educational programs.[5][9]
The organization describes its mission as "to make factory-farm cruelty a liability" by enforcing existing animal welfare laws and holding companies accountable for violations. Cases are selected to both have a meaningful effect on the lives of animals and to have a strong likelihood of legal success.[9][10]
LIC also engages in educational and outreach work to increase awareness of animal law and to build capacity among future advocates. According to founder Alene Anello, "animals, workers, and companies themselves are better off when companies treat animals humanely, and when everyone follows the law".[11]
Funding
In October 2022, Open Philanthropy awarded LIC a $300,000 grant over two years to support its work on lawsuits against companies and executives accused of violating state-level animal cruelty laws or their own animal welfare pledges.[12] In December 2024, Open Philanthropy provided a second grant of the same amount to continue supporting the organization's farm animal welfare litigation.[13]
In 2024, LIC also received a $41,500 grant from California ChangeLawyers through its Legal Empowerment Fund to support civil litigation aimed at improving animal welfare and reforming the poultry industry. The funding focused on addressing conditions for poultry workers, contract growers, and animals, noting that most industry workers are people of color, many are women, and nearly one third are immigrants.[14]
Notable litigations
Costco shareholder derivative suit (Iowa and Nebraska)
LIC represented two Costco shareholders in 2022 in a lawsuit that was reported on by many news outlets. In an attempt to reduce costs, Costco opened a chicken processing plant in 2019. The suit alleged that Costco engaged there in "illegal neglect and abandonment" by intentionally breeding chickens that grow too big, to the point that many could not stand up and die.[7][8][15][16][1] According to LIC, the court granted a motion to dismiss the suit in March 2023 ending it in Costco's favor.[17]
Case Farms litigation (North Carolina)
LIC sued poultry producer and KFC supplier Case Farms in May 2023 for alleged animal cruelty violations. The case was initially dismissed by a lower court before being brought to the North Carolina Supreme Court. Here as before Case Farm argued in July 2025 that the animal cruelty regulations do not apply to commercial operations like theirs. LIC argued that legitimate lawful operations are undermined by unlawful actions, which the alleged animal cruelty and illegal slaughter would be examples of.[18][19][20][21]
Alexandre family farm case (California)
In 2024 LIC sued a Northern California dairy operator over alleged animal cruelty such as "salting the eyeballs of diseased cows, dragging them across concrete with heavy machinery, and cutting the teats off cows without anesthesia", according to the Times-Standard.[22] This case was built on a report made earlier by Farm Forward, an animal welfare focused non-profit.[23] In September 2025, the California Courts of Appeal denied a writ of mandate filed by Alexandre family farm arguing LIC had no standing. With this decision of the court LIC's case was allowed to continue.[24][25]
Harvey's Market settlement (Washington, DC)
Animal Outlook, a national nonprofit organization, was represented by LIC in 2024. They argued that Harvey's Market was misleading consumers by using the labels "humanely raised stock", "free range", and other misleading terms, not consistent with how foie gras animals are treated, despite selling it. In a settlement finalized in June 2025, Harvey's Market agreed to permanently stop the sale of foie gras.[26]
Tyson Foods books and records demand (Delaware)
A shareholder sued Tyson Foods in August 2025 for the release of records on worker safety, alleged child labor violations and lack of proper treatment of chickens on contract farms. LIC provided three of the five attorneys representing the shareholder. According to LIC, shareholders are entitled to records from the company to investigate alleged wrongdoing,[27] and it could demonstrate the situation is under control.[28]
Anello has cited the deaths of her two cockatiel companions as a personal motivation for advocating on behalf of farmed birds and other animals.[4] She has also identified the philosophy of effective altruism as an influence on her approach.[30]
Leadership team and board
As of 2025, LIC's leadership team includes managing attorney Drew Givens and staff attorney Kathryn Evans. The organization's board of directors is chaired by Stephanie Ahart, with Sami Nabulsi serving as treasurer, Alicia Rodriguez as a board member, and Tyler Lobdell as secretary.[31]
Reception
Charity assessments
In 2023, Animal Charity Evaluators (ACE) included LIC among its recommended charities following its annual evaluation process.[32] ACE's review assessed the organization as focusing exclusively on farmed animals, particularly chickens, and using litigation, corporate outreach, and education as its main interventions. It found LIC's programs to have high impact potential and noted strong organizational health indicators, including staff engagement and management processes. The review also estimated that LIC could effectively use up to $1 million in additional funding through 2025.[9] In 2024, ACE again listed LIC among its recommended charities, highlighting its continued use of strategic litigation to improve the welfare of farmed animals in the United States.[33] In June 2025, ACE announced that LIC was selected for re-evaluation as one of six current recommended charities being reviewed before the expiration of their two-year recommendation status.[34]
As of 2025, Charity Navigator has awarded LIC a four-star rating with an overall score of 100%, based on its performance in impact, measurement, leadership, and adaptability.[35] The organization also holds Candid's Gold Seal of Transparency for 2025.[5]
Media coverage
The 2022 shareholder derivative lawsuit Smith v. Vachris, filed by LIC against Costco executives over the treatment of chickens used for the retailer's rotisserie products, received widespread national attention. Outlets including CBS News, the Independent, the Washington Post, and the New York Post reported on the case and the group's broader effort to apply existing animal welfare laws to large-scale poultry operations.[7][8][36][37]
In December 2024, Vox mentioned LIC in an article on animal charities evaluated by ACE. The article described the organization as working to enforce animal cruelty laws in the United States through litigation against companies that violate animal welfare commitments, and noted that its broader strategy is to make cruelty on factory farms a legal liability.[38]
In September 2025, Current Affairs included LIC in its special "Animals Issue", which focused on topics related to animal welfare and advocacy.[11]
Criticism
The agricultural consulting firm AGPROfessionals has described LIC as an animal rights organization rather than an animal welfare group and argued that its shareholder lawsuit against Tyson Foods was intended "to end animal agriculture through the use of corporate law as a weapon."[39]
The Animal Agriculture Alliance, an industry advocacy organization, lists LIC among the animal rights groups it monitors through its "Monitoring Activism" initiative, which tracks what it describes as activist efforts to influence consumer perceptions of animal agriculture.[40]
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