Food & Beverage

  • March 11, 2025

    6th Circ. Ends Group's Challenge To Great Lakes Fishing Pact

    The Sixth Circuit on Tuesday rejected a nonprofit's challenge to a pact between Native American tribes and the state of Michigan for allegedly lacking guardrails to prevent overfishing in the Great Lakes, finding it lacked jurisdiction since the nonprofit never intervened in the case and only filed amicus curiae briefs.

  • March 11, 2025

    Ex-USPTO Head Can't Be Expert In Walmart IP Fight, Co. Says

    A startup suing Walmart over trade secrets connected to shelf-freshness technology wants an Arkansas federal court to block the retailer from retaining former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal as an expert when the $115 million case moves forward to a retrial.

  • March 11, 2025

    Origin Brass Face Investor Suit Over Factory Delay Disclosure

    Executives and directors of sustainable chemical manufacturer Origin Materials have been hit with a shareholder's derivative suit alleging that they concealed a three-year construction delay affecting a production facility the company was building that increased company costs and altered relationships with its customers, including Pepsi.

  • March 11, 2025

    Wendy's, Target Accused Of Infringing Online Ordering Patent

    Target and a group of chain restaurants including Wendy's, Applebee's and the Cheesecake Factory were hit with patent infringement lawsuits in Texas federal courts on Monday by Smart Order LLC, which accused them of infringing a patent covering a customer internet ordering system.

  • March 11, 2025

    Girl Scouts Cookies Contain Unsafe Lead Levels Suit Says

    Cookies sold by the Girl Scouts — including the bestselling Thin Mints, Caramel deLites and Peanut Butter Patties — were tainted with heavy metals and pesticides, according to a New York federal lawsuit that leans on independent laboratory testing of the baked goods.

  • March 11, 2025

    Trade Court Affirms Use Of Indian Data For Catfish Duties

    The U.S. Court of International Trade upheld the Department of Commerce's decision to use Indian data over Indonesian data to determine antidumping duties for Vietnamese catfish, despite protests to the contrary from the Catfish Farmers of America.

  • March 11, 2025

    DOJ, Wayne-Sanderson Spar Over Data Sharing Deal

    The U.S. Department of Justice told a Maryland federal court that Wayne-Sanderson Farms is continuing to share wage information despite a settlement over the practice, while the poultry producer argued that it does not exchange any competitively sensitive information.

  • March 11, 2025

    Vegan Co. Huel Hit With Class Action Over Quality Of Protein

    Vegan meal and supplement company Huel Ltd. misled consumers into thinking its protein powders were made with high-quality protein when in reality it's made with inferior ingredients that can't be digested as easily, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court by a health-minded San Jose resident.

  • March 11, 2025

    Post Hit With False Ad Suit Over Rachael Ray Brand Pet Food

    Post sells celebrity chef Rachael Ray's Nutrish brand of pet foods that are falsely labeled as being "natural" with "no artificial preservatives" despite containing citric acid, which is derived from heavy chemical processing, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court Monday.

  • March 11, 2025

    Conservationists Sue FWS Over 'Blanket' Species Rule

    Two conservation groups are suing the U.S. Department of the Interior in Montana federal court over an Endangered Species Act rule they say illegally gives the government power to indiscriminately restrict landowners' use of their property.

  • March 11, 2025

    Dairy Farmers File Class Claims Over 'Defective' Auto-Milker

    Three farming technology companies were hit with proposed class claims in Pennsylvania state court by farmers alleging they deceptively marketed a defective automatic milking system that fell below performance standards, leading to the harm or death of cows in some cases.

  • March 11, 2025

    FTC Defends Southern Glazer's Pricing Case

    The Federal Trade Commission is defending its price discrimination case against alcohol distributor Southern Glazer's, telling a California federal judge Monday that the company's move to dismiss the suit "misapprehends applicable case law, ignores key allegations, and overstates the factual detail required of the pleading standard."

  • March 11, 2025

    Couche-Tard Knocks 7-Eleven Strategy In Push For Takeover

    Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is doubling down on its commitment to acquire 7-Eleven parent company Seven & i Holdings Co., criticizing the Japanese retail giant's latest strategic plans for a U.S. IPO and its "limited" engagement on Couche-Tard's buyout efforts. 

  • March 10, 2025

    Whole Foods Workers Can't Have Class Cert. In Bonus Suit

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge Monday refused to certify a class of past and present Whole Foods employees who accuse the grocery chain of gaming its employee bonus program, saying there are too many individualized questions to resolve the plaintiffs' claims on a classwide basis.

  • March 10, 2025

    Starbucks Faces Suit Over Fatal Patio Crash After Panel Flip

    Starbucks owed a duty of reasonable care to a patron who was struck by a rogue pickup truck while sitting on the patio of a Salt Lake City area store, the Utah Court of Appeals has ruled, reviving her family's lawsuit against the Seattle-based coffee company.

  • March 10, 2025

    Starbucks Owes Up To $125M For Hot Water Burns, Jury Told

    Starbucks should pay as much as $125 million for permanent disfigurement to a takeout driver that "changed who he is as a person," a jury heard Monday, after finding last week that the coffee giant was to blame for the spill of scalding water.

  • March 10, 2025

    USCIS To Allow Grace Period For Immigration Form Changes

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said it will provide a grace period before newly revised forms with only male and female gender options go into effect, a day after immigration lawyers filed a lawsuit challenging the abrupt policy change.

  • March 10, 2025

    Ayahuasca Church Says DEA Violated Religious Use Contract

    A New Mexico-based church whose practice involves a controlled substance has brought a federal lawsuit against the Drug Enforcement Administration, alleging the agency sat on the group's application to export the sacrament to sister churches for close to seven years.

  • March 10, 2025

    Paul Hastings Adds Kirkland Atty As Global M&A Co-Chair

    Paul Hastings LLP has hired a third global co-chair for its mergers and acquisitions practice who was one of the youngest M&A partners in the world to have announced well over $1 trillion in deals, the firm said Monday.

  • March 10, 2025

    Patent Exec Seeks Defamation Win Over Atty's Statements

    A patent-licensing company executive has asked a Florida federal court to rule in his favor on a defamation claim against a Baker Botts LLP attorney representing Starbucks in a Texas patent case and toss a counterclaim from the attorney, saying her abuse-of-process allegation "reads like a failed exercise in ontological gymnastics."

  • March 10, 2025

    Pot Shop Receiver Says Brand Licensor Diverted Product

    A receiver overseeing the possible sale or liquidation of a Massachusetts cannabis retailer asked a judge to order the return of more than 900 packages of product taken from its cultivation facility days before the receivership began.

  • March 07, 2025

    Starbucks Liable For Hot Drink Spill On Driver

    A unanimous California state jury has found Starbucks was negligent in the case of a driver who had scalding water spill in his lap, sending the case to a damages phase.

  • March 07, 2025

    PepsiCo Again Gets Gatorade 'Health Halo' Suit Trimmed

    PepsiCo hasn't been able to fully shake a lawsuit brought by consumers who accuse the company of overhyping the health benefits of its Gatorade-branded protein bars, with a California federal judge knocking out a couple of avenues of relief sought by the buyers but allowing them to proceed with claims of deception.

  • March 07, 2025

    Immigration Lawyers Sue Feds Over Surprise Form Changes

    The American Immigration Lawyers' Association and Benach Collopy LLP sued U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in D.C. federal court on Friday, saying the agency abruptly revised 10 forms to eliminate gender markers without prior warning.

  • March 07, 2025

    Judge OKs Atlanta Strip Club's Wage Theft Settlement

    A Georgia federal judge signed off Thursday on a $119,000 deal to end a suit between an Atlanta strip club and a former server who said the club stole her wages through an allegedly unlawful tip pooling scheme.

Expert Analysis

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

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    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • A View Into NY's New Business Interruption Insurance Law

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    In response to businesses' economic challenges during the pandemic, New York recently allowed the issuance of stand-alone business interruption insurance coverage, and while pricing and insurer participation questions remain, the product stands to benefit business owners and the state economy, say attorneys at Saxe Doernberger.

  • How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin

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    In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • NLRB One-Two Punch Curbs Employer Anti-Organizing Tools

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    The National Labor Relations Board’s recent decisions in Siren Retail and Amazon, limiting employer speech about the impact of unionization and outlawing captive audience meetings, severely curtail employers' arsenal of tools to combat an organizing campaign — though this may soon change under a new administration, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • What Trump's Next Term May Mean For Biz Immigration

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    Leonard D'Arrigo at Harris Beach discusses the employment-based immigration policies businesses can potentially expect during President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, based on policies enacted during his first administration, statements made during his campaign and proposals in Project 2025.

  • Defense Insights As PFAS Consumer Product Claims Rise

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    Amid the recent proliferation of lawsuits seeking damages for failure to disclose the presence of PFAS in consumer products, manufacturers, distributors and consumer product companies should follow the science and consider a significant flaw in many of the filings, say attorneys at Farella Braun.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • Recent Listeria Outbreaks Hold Key Compliance Lessons

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    Listeria outbreaks in ready-to-eat foods from Boar's Head and other companies, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration responses to these outbreaks, should be closely evaluated from an overall compliance and risk management perspective by food manufacturers, retailers and industry investors, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • What Cos. Can Learn from Water Microplastics Class Actions

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    Class actions against companies whose bottled spring water allegedly contains microplastics, challenging claims such as "natural" and "100% spring water," seem to be drying up — but these cases serve as a good reminder to other businesses to review regulatory standards, and carefully vet plaintiff allegations at the outset, say attorneys at Keller and Heckman.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • What's Next For The CFTC After The Election

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    While much of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's enforcement actions in line with its traditional priorities will continue as usual in the near term, postelection leadership changes at the CFTC and new congressional priorities may alter the commission's regulatory framework in 2025 and beyond — particularly its oversight of crypto, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

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