Food & Beverage

  • May 20, 2024

    Justices Reject Hearst's 'Discovery Rule' Petition In Pics Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a Fifth Circuit decision that found Hearst Newspapers liable for infringing copyrighted photos of Ireland's "Guinness Castle," even though the suit was filed past the three-year statute of limitations.

  • May 20, 2024

    High Court Skips Fight Over 'Impossible' TM Name

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined a cert petition from Illinois-based marketing consulting firm Impossible X LLC, which had asked the justices to review a Ninth Circuit ruling that revived a trademark complaint against it from veggie-burger maker Impossible Foods Inc.

  • May 20, 2024

    Red Lobster Hits Ch. 11 Reeling From Endless Shrimp Deals

    The Red Lobster seafood restaurant chain has filed for Chapter 11 protection in a Florida bankruptcy court with $294 million in debt and sale plans, saying its problems included its equity owner and shrimp supplier possibly pushing it into a disastrous all-you-can-eat shrimp offer.

  • May 17, 2024

    Kirkland-Led Hotpot Chain Sizzles In US Listing Debut

    Shares of Super Hi International Holdings Ltd. rallied in debut trading Friday after the Singaporean hotpot restaurateur priced a $53 million U.S. initial public offering, represented by Kirkland & Ellis LLP and underwriters' counsel Paul Hastings LLP, marking the latest of several cross-border listings in the U.S. pipeline.

  • May 17, 2024

    Co-Lead Counsel Named In Baby Food Toxins MDL

    A California federal judge has tapped attorneys from Wisner Baum LLP and the Wagstaff Law Firm PC to lead multidistrict litigation alleging products from baby food manufacturers and distributors, including Walmart Inc. and Gerber Products Co., contain toxic metals and caused children to develop autism spectrum disorder and other conditions.

  • May 17, 2024

    Zero Duty Doesn't Address Exporter's Benefits, Calif. Biz Says

    A juice wholesaler's attorney argued Friday that the U.S. Department of Commerce ignored the relationship between a Brazilian lemon juice exporter and its supplier, while calling for higher duties to account for benefits the Brazilian company may have received.

  • May 17, 2024

    Home Distillers Tell Feds Ban Fails Under Spirit Of The Law

    The Hobby Distillers Association said the federal government is exceeding its constitutional powers and treading on states' rights by banning homemade liquor under its taxing authority, as the group laid out its position Friday at the request of a Texas federal judge.

  • May 17, 2024

    Koch-Tied Group Says Transparency Law Offends Federalism

    The Corporate Transparency Act is unconstitutional because it does not regulate interstate commerce yet mandates that state-registered entities disclose personal information, a conservative group affiliated with the billionaire Koch brothers told the Eleventh Circuit on Friday.

  • May 17, 2024

    EEOC Sues Smithfield Foods In Ga. For Age Discrimination

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit against Smithfield Foods Inc. and Smithfield Fresh Meats Sales Corp. in Georgia federal court on Friday for age discrimination, alleging the companies violated federal law by firing a senior sales employee because of her age.

  • May 17, 2024

    DOL Fails To Win Order Barring Retaliation On Pork Workers

    A Tennessee federal judge rebuffed a request from the U.S. Department of Labor to bar a pork producer from retaliating against workers providing information about wages, ruling that the department had failed to show that any retaliation had occurred.

  • May 17, 2024

    $5M Candy Recall Coverage Dispute Moved To Texas Court

    An insurer's lawsuit disclaiming coverage for a candy manufacturer over a near $5 million recall over metal fragments found in certain gummy candies belongs in Texas, a New York federal judge has ruled, finding that the action was "filed preemptively to deprive the natural plaintiff of its choice of forum."

  • May 17, 2024

    Nestle Assistant GC Joins Mayer Brown's IP Practice In LA

    Mayer Brown LLP has hired Nestle's U.S. head of brand intellectual property as counsel for its global IP practice in Los Angeles.

  • May 17, 2024

    Tilray To Raise Money For Deals Amid US Pot Policy Change

    Cannabis lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company Tilray Brands Inc. on Friday said it plans to raise money to fund future acquisitions and expansion, in an announcement that comes just one day after President Joe Biden revealed that his administration is formally relaxing restrictions on marijuana.

  • May 17, 2024

    Kitchenware Cos. Seek Duties On Chinese Disposable Pans

    A group of domestic companies that produce disposable aluminum pans is pushing for tariffs on Chinese imports, telling U.S. trade officials that its overseas rivals are using unfair trade practices to get ahead of the competition.

  • May 16, 2024

    Albertsons Sued Over 'Naturally Flavored' Fruit Bar Labels

    Albertsons Cos. Inc. was hit with a proposed class action Wednesday in California federal court by a shopper who alleges the grocer falsely labels its breakfast cereal bars as containing natural flavors even though they're made with artificial ingredients derived from petrochemicals.

  • May 16, 2024

    FTC Can't Make Albertsons, Kroger Produce Divestiture Docs

    An administrative law judge on Thursday denied the Federal Trade Commission's "premature" bid to compel Kroger and Albertsons to fork over documents related to negotiations for the companies' expanded divestiture plan amid the commission's in-house challenge to the grocers' merger.

  • May 16, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Grills Sherwin-Williams, PPG On Coating Patents

    The judges of the Federal Circuit had tough questions for both sides Thursday as Sherwin-Williams Co. appealed a jury verdict that its beverage can coating patents are invalid due to earlier patents issued to PPG Industries Inc., which was accused of infringement.

  • May 16, 2024

    Whirplool, Others Must Face Trimmed Gas Stove Safety Suits

    Whirlpool Corp., Samsung Electronics and BSH Home Appliances Corp. must face trimmed claims in a trio of proposed class actions accusing them of failing to disclose to consumers the pollutant risks associated with natural gas stoves, a California federal judge ruled.

  • May 16, 2024

    Deals Rumor Mill: Shein IPO, Kraft Heinz, Cinven-Jaggaer

    Online fashion giant Shein is shifting IPO plans from the U.S. to London amid resistance from U.S. lawmakers and Chinese regulators, Kraft Heinz wants to sell its Oscar Mayer business, and private equity firm Cinven hopes to divest software firm Jaggaer for $3 billion. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • May 16, 2024

    11th Circ. Tries To Untangle Aftermath Of Judge's Early Exit

    An Eleventh Circuit panel on Thursday quizzed attorneys for rival breeders of disease-resistant shrimp about whether a $10 million trade-secrets jury verdict should be overturned after a federal magistrate judge presided over the trial's ending because a federal district judge had to catch a flight, with one of the panel judges saying the parties had been put "in a very difficult position."

  • May 16, 2024

    Burger King Franchisee Seeks BIPA Coverage Quick Win

    A Burger King franchisee asked an Illinois federal court to rule that due to precedent and policy ambiguities, its umbrella insurer must defend it in a class action claiming it violated Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act by nonconsensually collecting fingerprint data.

  • May 16, 2024

    Biden Admin Proposes To Loosen Restrictions On Marijuana

    President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that his administration has formally recommended relaxing restrictions on marijuana, marking the most significant federal policy shift on cannabis since the drug was criminalized more than 50 years ago.

  • May 15, 2024

    'Law And Order' Star Sues Instacart Over Dog's Shooting

    "Law & Order" actor Angie Harmon has filed a lawsuit against Instacart and a delivery driver who she claims shot and killed her dog while delivering groceries to her home, according to the complaint lodged in North Carolina state court.

  • May 15, 2024

    Water Co. To Pay $8.5M Criminal Fine Over Accounting Claims

    Wastewater treatment company Evoqua Water Technologies Corp. has reached an $8.5 million agreement with federal prosecutors allowing the company to avoid criminal charges for allegedly inflating the company's revenue by $36 million.

  • May 15, 2024

    2nd Circ. Calls Starbucks' Union Discovery Order 'Overbroad'

    The Second Circuit on Wednesday revived the National Labor Relations Board's suit seeking to halt Starbucks' alleged labor violations nationwide, finding that the lower court erred in tossing the suit for noncompliance with its "overbroad" discovery order granting the coffee chain's subpoenas seeking confidential union intel and workers' communications.

Expert Analysis

  • 6 Pointers For Attys To Build Trust, Credibility On Social Media

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    In an era of information overload, attorneys can use social media strategically — from making infographics to leveraging targeted advertising — to cut through the noise and establish a reputation among current and potential clients, says Marly Broudie at SocialEyes Communications.

  • Why Biz Groups Disagree On Ending Chevron Deference

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    Two amicus briefs filed in advance of last month's U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo highlight contrasting views on whether the doctrine of Chevron deference promotes or undermines the stable regulatory environment that businesses require, say Wyatt Kendall and Sydney Brogden at Morris Manning.

  • Key Lessons After A Rare R&W Insurance Ruling

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    The recent New York state court decision in Novolex Holdings v. Illinois Union Insurance is noteworthy as one of the rare judicial opinions arising in the context of representations and warranties insurance, serving to remind parties entering into R&W insurance policies that they may not be immune from some doctrines unfavorable to insurers, say attorneys at Kramer Levin.

  • A Post-Mortem Analysis Of Stroock's Demise

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    After the dissolution of 147-year-old firm Stroock late last year shook up the legal world, a post-mortem analysis of the data reveals a long list of warning signs preceding the firm’s collapse — and provides some insight into how other firms might avoid the same disastrous fate, says Craig Savitzky at Leopard Solutions.

  • Legislative And Litigation Trends In Environmental Advertising

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    Companies that tout their products' environmental benefits can significantly reduce the risk that they will face allegations of greenwashing by staying up to date on related Federal Trade Commission guidance, state requirements and litigation trends, say Raqiyyah Pippins and Kelsie Sicinski at Arnold & Porter.

  • What's On The Horizon In Attorney General Enforcement

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    A look at recent attorney general actions, especially in the areas of antitrust and artificial intelligence, can help inform businesses on what they should expect in terms of enforcement trends as 10 attorney general races play out in 2024, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Reducing The Risk Of PFAS False Advertising Class Actions

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    A wave of class actions continues to pummel products that allegedly contain per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances, with plaintiffs challenging advertising that they say misleads consumers by implying an absence of PFAS — but there are steps companies can take to minimize risk, say attorneys at Keller and Heckman.

  • Aldi Design Infringement Case Highlights Assessment Issues

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    The forthcoming English Court of Appeal decision in Marks and Spencer v. Aldi, regarding the alleged infringement of design rights, could provide practitioners with new guidance, particularly in relation to the relevant date for assessment of infringement and the weight that should be attributed to certain design elements in making this assessment, say Rory Graham and Georgia Davis at RPC.

  • USCIS Fee Increases May Have Unintended Consequences

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    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ new fee schedule, intended to provide the agency with needed funds while minimizing the impact of higher fees on individual immigrants and their families, shifts too much of the burden onto employers, say Juan Steevens and William Coffman at Mintz.

  • Series

    Coaching High School Wrestling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Coaching my son’s high school wrestling team has been great fun, but it’s also demonstrated how a legal career can benefit from certain experiences, such as embracing the unknown, studying the rules and engaging with new people, says Richard Davis at Maynard Nexsen.

  • How Recent Laws Affect Foreign Purchase Of US Real Estate

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    Early diligence is imperative for U.S. real estate transactions involving foreign actors, including analysis of federal and state foreign investment laws implicated by the transaction, depending on the property's nature and location, the parties' citizenship, and the transaction's structure, say Massimo D’Angelo and Anthony Rapa at Blank Rome.

  • SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap

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    As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.

  • The Corporate Disclosure Tug-Of-War's Free Speech Issues

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    The continuing conflict over corporate disclosure requirements — highlighted by a lawsuit against Missouri's anti-ESG rules — has important implications not just for investors and regulated entities but also for broader questions about the scope of the First Amendment, say Colin Pohlman, and Jane Luxton and Paul Kisslinger at Lewis Brisbois.

  • A Refresher On Alcohol Sponsorships Before The Super Bowl

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    As millions of people will see in Super Bowl commercials Sunday, celebrity sponsorships continue to be a valuable tool for alcohol beverage marketers — and those looking to better target audiences must understand how regulation of the alcohol industry affects these deals, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Opinion

    Food Safety Bill Needed To Protect Kids From Heavy Metals

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    The recent announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that hundreds of children may have been exposed to unsafe lead levels in applesauce highlights the continuing failure by Congress to pass legislation that would require baby food manufacturers to ensure safer levels of heavy metals in their products, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.

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