Food & Beverage

  • May 15, 2026

    4 Key Issues Environmental Attys Are Watching In Farm Bill

    After a contentious passage in the House, the Farm Bill may face a similarly thorny path in the Senate. Here, Law360 previews the key issues environmental attorneys are watching in the proposed legislation.

  • May 15, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Licorice Buyer's Wiley Wallaby Label Suit

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday reinstated a consumer's proposed class action accusing a candy maker of deceptively labeling Wiley Wallaby-brand berry licorice as naturally flavored despite using an artificial ingredient, finding the buyer leveled plausible allegations that the manufacturer's statements would likely trick a reasonable consumer.

  • May 15, 2026

    $19.2M Joint Juice Deal Ends Calif. False Ad Suit

    A California federal judge has given final approval to a nearly $19.2 million settlement to end more than a decade of litigation alleging that the makers of Joint Juice misled consumers about its health benefits.

  • May 15, 2026

    Soda Bottler Strikes Deal To End EEOC Disability Bias Suit

    A North Carolina soft drink bottling company has agreed to settle a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging it refused to permanently hire a probationary employee with multiple sclerosis, according to a federal court filing.

  • May 15, 2026

    Restaurant Group Gets Final OK For $800K Wage Settlement

    A Colorado state judge on Friday approved a Denver restaurant group's $800,000 settlement of a class action by workers who accused it of failing to fully compensate employees and firing a worker who refused to sign a form barring him from joining a class action.

  • May 15, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Upholds Tin Tariff Exclusion Rejections For Canner

    A Federal Circuit panel on Friday found the U.S. Department of Commerce didn't violate any rules when it blocked the country's largest vegetable can producer from securing tariff exclusions for its imported tin, affirming a U.S. Court of International Trade ruling.

  • May 15, 2026

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    The past week in London has seen singer Rita Ora be sued by her management company, the billionaire Gertner brothers file a part 8 claim and Stephenson Harwood lodge a debt claim against a member of the Bulgari jewelry dynasty. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 15, 2026

    5th Circ. Faults NLRB's Take On Starbucks Worker's Language

    The Fifth Circuit has ordered the National Labor Relations Board to rethink a ruling that Starbucks unfairly fired a union backer who sent profane messages and opened its mail, saying the board did not grapple with evidence showing his "extreme" words were an outlier in a workplace that tolerated some profanity.

  • May 14, 2026

    Farmworkers Lose Early Bid To Halt DOL H-2A Wage Rule

    A California federal judge declined Thursday to block a U.S. Department of Labor regulation reducing wages for H-2A seasonal farmworkers, ruling that United Farm Workers failed to show there is an immediate injury that warrants court intervention now.

  • May 14, 2026

    House Passes Bill To Narrow Biofuel Blending Exemption

    The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would lift summertime restrictions on the sale of higher-ethanol fuel and tighten requirements for a biofuel blending exemption for small refineries.

  • May 14, 2026

    Smucker's Misleads About Splenda In Fudge, Consumer Says

    A New York man sued The J.M. Smucker Co. in federal court on Thursday, alleging it misleads consumers by claiming its fudge topping is sweetened with Splenda, when in reality its primary sweeteners are less-healthy sugar alcohols and sugar substitutes.

  • May 14, 2026

    Chick-fil-A Worker Fired For Sabbath Observance, EEOC Says

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission told a Texas federal court Thursday that a Chick-fil-A franchisee unlawfully fired a delivery manager because she needed Saturdays off to observe the Sabbath.

  • May 14, 2026

    'People Could Die': Wash. Justice Dings Appeal Of COVID Fine

    A Washington State Supreme Court justice pushed back Thursday after a restaurant argued state regulators improperly fined it nearly $1 million for offering indoor dining during the COVID-19 pandemic, spurning the eatery's claim that regulators failed to cite any harm by noting "people could die" from the disease's spread.

  • May 14, 2026

    Brown-Forman Rejects $15B Takeover Offer, More Rumors

    Alcoholic drink maker Brown-Forman rejected rival Sazerac's $15 billion takeover offer; fintech Digital Asset is seeking a $2 billion valuation with its latest funding round; and shoemaker Skechers has upped its offer to settle an investor lawsuit.

  • May 14, 2026

    HF Foods Investor Sues Over Written Consent Bylaw

    A stockholder has sued HF Foods Group Inc. in the Delaware Chancery Court, claiming the food distributor's bylaws illegally restrict investors' right to act by written consent without advance notice.

  • May 14, 2026

    NCR To Pay $48M To End Former Execs' Lifetime Benefits Suit

    NCR Corp. will pay nearly $48 million to resolve a class action from former executives who alleged the software company broke its promise to send them annuity payments for life, the workers told a Georgia federal court.

  • May 13, 2026

    Tattooed Chef Investors Ink $4.75M Deal Over Growth Claims

    Tattooed Chef Inc. investors Wednesday asked a California federal judge to greenlight a $4.75 million settlement resolving claims that the plant-based meal-maker issued false statements about its revenue growth, causing investors to buy stock at inflated prices before it came crashing down when the truth came out.

  • May 13, 2026

    Frito-Lay Poppables Have 'Synthetic Flavors,' Suit Says

    Frito-Lay Inc. was hit with a proposed class action accusing it of deceiving consumers by labeling Lay's Poppables as having "no artificial flavors" when they actually contain two ingredients that are not natural.

  • May 13, 2026

    Ex-Client Can Relitigate Malpractice Suit Over Workers' Comp

    An Illinois appellate panel has reversed a summary judgment win for a Chicago attorney and her law firm in a legal malpractice dispute, saying a jury must evaluate whether her ex-client lost his workers' compensation case because of her failure to introduce a medical expert's opinion or whether he could have prevailed on appeal had the attorney filed one.

  • May 13, 2026

    French Fry Co. Can't Beat Investor Suit Over Software Rollout

    An Idaho federal judge has largely denied frozen potato products company Lamb Weston Holdings Inc.'s bid to dismiss a proposed shareholder suit accusing it of botching the rollout of an enterprise resource planning system, saying the investors have sufficiently alleged the company sought to downplay challenges after the software went live.

  • May 13, 2026

    Full 5th Circ. Weighs Jackson, Mississippi, Lead Poisoning Claims

    The full Fifth Circuit on Tuesday weighed whether to keep intact a lawsuit alleging the city of Jackson, Mississippi, poisoned its residents by allowing lead to leach into the water supply, asking what level of lead in the water would constitute "shocking the conscience."

  • May 13, 2026

    Denny's Franchisees Say Insurers Shirked Wage Suit Defense

    A group of Washington-based Denny's franchise operators said their Liberty Mutual insurers wrongfully refused coverage for a wage and hour class action, telling a federal court that they are entitled to recoup nearly $700,000 in costs they incurred to defend and settle the underlying suit.

  • May 13, 2026

    Pepsi Bottler Settles Ex-Worker's Race Bias Suit

    A Black former line supervisor and a Georgia Pepsi bottler told a federal court Wednesday they have settled his race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, which alleged the company fired him weeks after he filed a charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

  • May 13, 2026

    NJ Cannabis Regulator Tapped To Head Alcohol Control Unit

    New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has nominated the head of compliance at the state Cannabis Review Commission with a decade of public service experience to lead the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

  • May 13, 2026

    Suit Says IHOP Franchise Fired Training Head Over Absences

    A Georgia-based IHOP franchise operator was sued in federal court by its former training and development director for allegedly firing him for missing work after his manager promised to notify human resources that he was entering an alcohol treatment program.

Expert Analysis

  • Food Kiosk Merger Offers FTC Insights For Dealmakers

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent approval of 365 Retail Markets' merger with fellow food-kiosk provider Cantaloupe balances structural divestiture with behavioral provisions, emphasizing the role of early engagement by the parties and the importance of tailored remedies in concentrated markets, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • 3 AI Adoption Mistakes GCs Should Avoid

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    The pressure in-house legal teams face to quickly adopt artificial intelligence tools, combined with budget constraints and the need to evaluate a crowded market of options, sets the stage for implementation mistakes that are often difficult to undo, says former 23andMe general counsel Guy Chayoun.

  • Series

    Playing Basketball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My grandfather used to say "I wear your jersey" as shorthand for wholly committing to support someone with loyalty and integrity — ideals that have shaped my life on the basketball court and in legal practice, says Tracy Schimelfenig at Schimelfenig Legal.

  • AG Watch: Reconciling 2 Maryland Data Privacy Statutes

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    In-house counsel should map the interplay between the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act's strictly necessary standard to deliver a requested service, and the Protection From Predatory Pricing Act's exemption of consent-based pricing within loyalty programs, before the state attorney general begins enforcement on the latter in October, says Erek Barron at Mintz.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Georgia Court Has Business On Its Mind

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    Thanks to recent legislation, the Georgia State-wide Business Court will soon offer business litigants greater access to the court than ever before, further enhancing the court's emphasis on efficiency, predictability and accessibility for sophisticated commercial disputes, says former GSBC judge Walt Davis at Jones Day.

  • 4 Emerging Approaches To AI Protective Order Language

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    Over the last year, at least five federal district courts have issued or analyzed specific protective order provisions restricting the use of generative artificial intelligence platforms with protected materials, establishing that proactive AI-specific provisions are now standard practice and demonstrating that no single model works for every case, says Joel Bush at Kilpatrick.

  • 1st Surveillance Pricing Law In Md. Reflects Broader Scrutiny

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    A new law will make Maryland the first state to target data-driven or surveillance-based price manipulation, highlighting increased scrutiny from federal and state enforcement agencies and policymakers as they consider whether new laws are required to regulate dynamic pricing, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Heppner Ruling Left AI Privilege Risk For Lawyers Unresolved

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    While a New York federal judge’s recent ruling in U.S. v. Heppner resolved a privilege question surrounding client-side artificial intelligence use, it did not address how to mitigate the risks that can arise when confidential information enters the operative context of an AI system used by an attorney, says Jianfei Chen at Quarles & Brady​​​​​​​.

  • The Ethics And Practicalities Of Representing AI Agents

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    With autonomous artificial intelligence agents now able to take action without explicit instructions from — or the awareness of — their human owners, the bar must confront whether existing frameworks like informed consent and client privilege will be sufficient on the day an AI agent calls seeking counsel, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.

  • Safeguarding RWI Coverage As Materiality Focus Persists

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    As first-quarter broker claims reports reveal that materiality disputes remain a key driver of representations and warranties insurance claims, the scarce case law in this area indicates that including a materiality scrape provision in an RWI policy may aid policyholders with recovery, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Series

    Speed Jigsaw Puzzling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My passion for speed puzzling — I can complete a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle in under 50 minutes — has sharpened my legal skills in more ways than one, with both disciplines requiring patience, precision and the ability to keep the bigger picture in mind while working through the details, says Tazia Statucki at Proskauer.

  • 2 AI Snafus Show Why Attys Can't Outsource Judgment

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    The recent incident involving Sullivan & Cromwell where citations in a filed motion were fabricated by artificial intelligence, as well as a punitive ruling from the Sixth Circuit in U.S. v. Farris, demonstrate that the obligation to supervise AI has belonged and always will belong to lawyers, says John Powell at the Kentucky School Boards Association.

  • Series

    Playing Magic: The Gathering Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The competitive card game Magic: The Gathering offers me a training ground for the strategic thinking skills crucial to litigation, challenging me to adapt to oft-updated rules, analyze text as complicated as any statute and anticipate my opponent’s next moves, says Christopher Smith at Lash Goldberg.

  • Improving Well-Being In Law, 10 Years After Landmark Study

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    An important 2016 study revealed significant substance abuse and mental health issues among lawyers, and while the findings helped normalize the conversation around these topics, a decade later, structural change is still needed, says Denise Robinson at PLI.

  • How To Gear Up For Trump's Pharma Tariffs

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    President Donald Trump's proclamation establishing tariffs on certain pharmaceutical products holds a few areas of ambiguity that companies should review and prepare for before the tariffs come into effect later this year, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

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