McDonald’s Corp.

In April 2013, a judge approved a $700,000 settlement between McDonald’s Corp. and members of Michigan’s Muslim community over claims a suburban Detroit restaurant falsely advertised its food as halal (i.e., prepared according to Islamic law). The parties agreed that $274,000 of the settlement funds would be donated to upgrading the Health Unit on Davison Avenue, Inc. (HUDA), a charitable clinic in Detroit that provides free medical services. The parties also agreed that the rest of the net settlement proceeds (after attorneys’ fees and a $20,000 plaintiff’s award) would go towards the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, MI to provide children from the Arab American community admission to the museum and access to museum educational activities. (Ahmed v. Finley’s Management Co. and McDonald’s Corp., Case No. 11-014559-CZ, Wayne County Circuit Court).