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CHICAGO, May 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Edward Smolyansky, who together with Ludmila Smolyansky, beneficially own approximately 27% of outstanding shares of Lifeway Foods common stock, today issued the following statement in response to Lifeway's amended 2024 Annual Report and its latest disclosures on executive and director compensation.
Apparent Delay of 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders
On March 13, Edward Smolyansky submitted a full slate of Board nominees for Lifeway's 2025 Annual Meeting. To date, Lifeway has yet to file a preliminary or definitive proxy statement setting forth its own slate.
"The filing of the amended 2024 Annual Report, and other steps taken recently by the Company, suggest to me that the Board is planning to delay the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders past the June 2, 2025, date provided for in the bylaws," said Mr. Smolyansky. "I am prepared to make my case to our fellow shareholders - at the annual meeting or otherwise - and it is disappointing that the Board is not prepared to do the same."
Any attempt to delay the annual meeting or sidestep the proxy contest would reflect yet another act of hostility toward shareholders, led by CEO/Chair Julie Smolyansky and endorsed by an entrenched and ineffective Board.
The Company is clearly at an inflection point as shareholders rightly question whether the Board's rejection of Danone's offer – at a significant premium to the then-current share price – served the interests of directors and executives over those of shareholders, especially given the hostile actions toward Danone and the exorbitant compensation awarded to Julie Smolyansky in the immediate aftermath.
In December 2024, the Board awarded Ms. Smolyansky a $2 million retention bonus and a $6.5 million equity grant1 without providing any rationale in Lifeway's updated compensation disclosures. It also quietly increased her change-in-control severance multiple from 2x to 3x her base salary. These rewards came in a year when Lifeway's earnings declined by 20.6%.
Legal and Regulatory Dysfunction
Under Ms. Smolyansky's leadership, Lifeway has initiated multiple lawsuits against its largest shareholders, including Edward and Ludmila Smolyansky. These legal actions raise questions about governance, internal controls, and the misuse of shareholder funds. They also potentially undermine Lifeway's standing and influence in future court proceedings.
The company has been embroiled in multiple legal disputes, including a federal trade infringement lawsuit against former executives Edward and Ludmila Smolyansky along with their new venture, Pure Culture Organics™ that was dismissed with prejudice, permanently barring Lifeway from bringing the same claim again. Perhaps more troubling, Burdeen's multiple false declarations in the case have eroded Lifeway's credibility in court, while his broader involvement has significantly weakened the company's legal and strategic standing.