NEW YORK, Oct 8 (Reuters) -

Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's ( UL ) is set to switch corporate

owners next month, but for Ben Cohen, the counterculture brand's

co-founder, it's a case of meet the new boss, same as the old

boss.

As of November, Ben & Jerry's ( UL ) will be owned by Magnum Ice Cream

Co when it is officially spun out from its current parent,

London-based Unilever ( UL ). Cohen expects the simmering

conflict between Ben & Jerry's ( UL ) and Unilever ( UL ) to continue as he

carries on a quest to try to buy back the brand he co-founded in

1978.

Cohen said Magnum is still censoring Ben & Jerry's ( UL ) ability to

speak out on progressive causes like Palestinian rights and U.S.

immigration. The brand last year claimed in a lawsuit that

Unilever ( UL ) had violated a hands-off policy it had agreed to under

which it acknowledged the ice cream maker's independent board

and its responsibility for its social mission.

"There is no difference between how Unilever ( UL ) is muzzling Ben

& Jerry's ( UL ) and Magnum," Cohen told Reuters in an interview,

saying the same executives are demonstrating a similar "muzzling

prowess."

Unilever's ( UL ) former president of its ice cream business, Peter ter

Kulve, is now the CEO of Magnum. Filings in the lawsuit assert

that he banned the brand from making any statements criticizing

U.S. President Donald Trump.

Cohen added that the conflict will grow when the Magnum

spinoff is complete, because Ben & Jerry's ( UL ) will account for a

larger percentage of the company's business.

"The ongoing conflict is more problematic for Magnum than

Unilever ( UL )," he said.

Ben & Jerry's ( UL ) brought in about 1.1 billion euros ($1.28 billion)

in revenue in 2024, making it third-largest of the brands in

Magnum, which brought in 7.9 billion euros in revenue in that

time, according to a June 2025 company presentation. Unilever ( UL )

posted revenues of 60.8 billion euros in 2024.

Cohen is trying to buy back Ben & Jerry's ( UL ) for $1.5 billion

to $2 billion with a group of investors, but said Unilever ( UL ) and

Magnum have refused to hand over key financial information. He

did not name the investors.

Cohen has previously met with ter Kulve in Vermont, where

the company is headquartered, and Europe. Efforts to settle the

lawsuit have been unsuccessful.

Unilever ( UL ) did not immediately respond to a request for

comment.

Cohen plans to keep trying to buy back the brand.

"What they believe is that they can have the benefits of

owning Ben & Jerry's ( UL ) in terms of sales and

profitability...without dealing with the stands that Ben &

Jerry's ( UL ) is driven to take based on its social mission," he said.

Founded by Cohen with business partner Jerry Greenfield, Ben

& Jerry's ( UL ) became nationally known for whimsically named flavors

that drew on 60s-era psychedelia. "Cherry Garcia" was named

after the Grateful Dead's lead guitarist Jerry Garcia. Another

flavor, the discontinued "Wavy Gravy," was named for the

entertainer-peace activist who made announcements at the

Woodstock music festival in 1969.

Cohen and Greenfield sold the brand to Unilever ( UL ) in 2000.

Greenfield quit his role as brand ambassador last month in a

protest against Unilever's ( UL ) actions.

Strife between Ben & Jerry's ( UL ) and Unilever ( UL ) erupted in 2021,

when Ben & Jerry's ( UL ) decided to stop selling in the West Bank.