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Food & Beverage
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July 31, 2024
Worker Snags Deal To End OT Suit With Pilgrim's Pride
A worker who claimed that one of the country's largest chicken producers misclassified her as overtime-exempt told a Colorado federal judge she reached a settlement with the company to end her proposed collective action.
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July 31, 2024
Insurer Says No Coverage For Wash. Pay Law Class Actions
An insurer said it has no duty to defend or indemnify food service companies accused of violating the Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act in two putative class actions, telling a federal court Wednesday the allegations don't trigger coverage under an employment practices liability insurance policy.
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July 31, 2024
$7.5M Verdict Over Burger King Fall Axed And Retrial Ordered
A Florida appeals court on Wednesday wiped out a $7.5 million verdict in favor of a man who slipped and fell in a Burger King bathroom, saying a new trial is warranted to correct the trial court's mistake of letting his expert change his opinion midtrial.
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July 31, 2024
Philip Morris Nicotine Pouches Are Deceptive, Lawsuit Claims
Philip Morris violated advertising and trade practices laws by selling "highly addictive" nicotine products designed and packaged to resemble breath mints and deceptively telegraphed that the tobacco-free pouches were healthier than cigarettes, according to a proposed class action in Connecticut federal court.
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July 31, 2024
Experienced IP Atty Joins Lewis Brisbois From Fowler White
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP has announced the hire of a former Fowler White Burnett PA intellectual property attorney with over 20 years of experience as a partner in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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July 31, 2024
Mercon Coffee's Ch. 11 Liquidation Plan Confirmed
A New York bankruptcy judge has confirmed the liquidation plan for coffee supplier Mercon Coffee Corp. after ruling earlier this month the company can't reward corporate insiders who stuck with it through its Chapter 11 case with a release from future litigation.
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July 31, 2024
Mich. High Court Restores Strengthened Wage, Leave Laws
The Michigan Supreme Court put back in place higher minimum wage and broader paid sick leave laws on Wednesday, finding the laws were unlawfully amended by the state Legislature in a controversial move to keep a $12 minimum wage law off the ballot.
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July 30, 2024
FTC Seeks Temporary Kroger-Albertsons Block In Oregon
The Federal Trade Commission is formally seeking a temporary block against Kroger's proposed purchase of Albertsons, arguing in an Oregon federal court brief unsealed Tuesday that the planned divestiture of 579 stores to a "failed" supermarket boss won't adequately protect consumers or union labor facing dramatically increased concentration.
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July 30, 2024
Starbucks Gets White Ex-Worker's Bias Suit Pared Down
A New Jersey federal judge on Tuesday trimmed a white former Starbucks store manager's lawsuit alleging she was fired to help the coffee company save face amid accusations of discrimination against Black workers, ruling she filed several claims too late.
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July 30, 2024
10th Circ. Shields Feds From Fire Mismanagement Suit
The U.S. Forest Service doesn't have to face allegations it mismanaged the response to two Utah wildfires in 2018, the Tenth Circuit said Tuesday.
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July 30, 2024
Psychedelics And The Law: A Midyear Review
A groundbreaking effort to secure federal approval for a psychedelic medication hit an unexpected snag. Religious groups asserting the right to access controlled substances had mixed success in federal court. Physicians seeking to administer psilocybin to terminally ill patients will finally have their day in court. Here are the major developments in psychedelics law from the first half of 2024.
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July 30, 2024
Trade Court OKs Erasure Of Duties On Chinese Xanthan Gum
The U.S. Court of International Trade blessed the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to wipe out antidumping duties on Chinese xanthan gum.
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July 30, 2024
What Mass. Attys Will Be Watching In The 2nd Half Of 2024
Two potentially sweeping Massachusetts high court rulings and a long-awaited employment bill lingering in the State House are among the issues Bay State attorneys say they are monitoring closely heading into the latter half of 2024.
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July 29, 2024
S. Africa Advances WTO Citrus Cases To Panel Stage
South Africa is advancing legal challenges against measures the European Union imposed on citrus imports to guard against infestation by both a specific species of moth and a fungus that blemishes fruit rinds, calling for the establishment of two World Trade Organization dispute panels.
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July 29, 2024
Utah Biz Groups Latest To Challenge Corp. Disclosure Law
Several small-business associations in Utah became the latest group to challenge the Corporate Transparency Act's disclosure requirements, telling a federal court Monday the statute violates several constitutional provisions, including the guarantee of due process.
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July 29, 2024
Panera Franchisee Ends Pagan Worker's Religious Bias Suit
A Panera franchisee and a former employee alerted a Pennsylvania federal court Monday that they've agreed to resolve the ex-worker's suit claiming she was harassed out of her job when she disclosed that she practiced neopaganism.
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July 29, 2024
Judge Ends Coverage Quest, Calls $2.7M Loss 'Foreseeable'
An Arizona federal judge granted a quick win to an insurer over $2.7 million in water damage losses claimed by an Arizona landlord, finding the losses were "foreseeable" and therefore not covered by the all-risk policy.
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July 29, 2024
9th Circ. Rules Pretrial Inmates Aren't Entitled To Min. Wage
The California Supreme Court made clear that state law doesn't cover pretrial detainees' wage claims, the Ninth Circuit ruled, flipping a lower court's decision denying a California county and a correctional services company's bid to toss a wage suit.
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July 29, 2024
6th Circ. Revives Challenge Of Clean Water Rule
Just 11 days after oral arguments, the Sixth Circuit on Monday revived Kentucky and industry groups' challenges to a federal government rule defining the scope of the Clean Water Act, finding a district court judge had improperly dismissed the case.
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July 26, 2024
Farmworkers' Children, Corteva Settle Pesticide Injury Claims
Children of migrant farmworkers, Corteva Inc. and its subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. asked an Illinois federal judge Friday to greenlight their confidential settlement resolving claims that the children were injured when they were crop-dusted with pesticides during a corn-pruning operation.
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July 26, 2024
Abbott Owes $495M In Baby Formula Bellwether Trial
A Missouri jury awarded $95 million in compensatory damages and $400 million in punitive damages Friday over bellwether claims that Abbott Laboratories' baby formula caused a premature baby to suffer a fully disabling condition.
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July 26, 2024
DC Circ. Axes Agriculture Department's $1M Fine On Amazon
E-commerce giant Amazon doesn't owe $1 million to the U.S. Department of Agriculture after the D.C. Circuit on Friday undid an order concluding Amazon facilitated unlawful plant and animal product importation, finding that the online retailer didn't knowingly assist the purported infractions.
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July 26, 2024
1st Circ. Says Juror's FB Likes Can't Nix Equal Pay Verdict
A female sales representative for a beer and wine distributor can't get a new trial in her equal pay and discrimination suit because a Maine federal court correctly turned down her arguments that a juror was biased, the First Circuit ruled.
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July 26, 2024
Data Co. Told To Turn Over Contracts In Kochava Case
A D.C. federal judge plans to order TargetSmart to turn over supplier contracts to the Federal Trade Commission in the agency's case against TargetSmart client Kochava on Friday, after TargetSmart's attorney said she was "99% sure that there was no due diligence done by Kochava" regarding the data's provenance.
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July 26, 2024
Feds Invest $240M In Pacific Tribal Fish Hatchery Efforts
Hatcheries that produce Pacific salmon and steelhead will get $240 million in federal funding as the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Commerce Department look to restore fish in the Columbia River Basin and mitigate the impacts of dams on tribes, the U.S. government said.
Expert Analysis
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Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Breaking Down EPA's Rule On PFAS In Drinking Water
Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the first enforceable federal drinking water regulation for PFAS, which, along with reporting and compliance requirements for regulated entities, will have a number of indirect effects, including increased cleanup costs and the possible expansion of existing Superfund sites, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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Expect An Increase In Robinson-Patman Act Enforcement
Recent actions by the Federal Trade Commission and prominent lawmakers should be viewed as a harbinger of renewed scrutiny of price discrimination in all industries and a sign that Robinson-Patman Act investigations and enforcement actions are likely to see an uptick, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Wave Of Final Rules Reflects Race Against CRA Deadline
The flurry of final rules now leaping off the Federal Register press — some of which will affect entire industries and millions of Americans — shows President Joe Biden's determination to protect his regulatory legacy from reversal by the next Congress, given the impending statutory look-back period under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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'Beauty From Within' Trend Poses Regulatory Risks For Cos.
Companies capitalizing on the current trend in oral supplements touting cosmetic benefits must note that a product claim that would be acceptable for an externally applied cosmetic may draw much stronger scrutiny from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when applied to a supplement, say Natalie Rainer and Katherine Staba at K&L Gates.
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How Cos. Can Prep For New Calif. Privacy Regulations
The California Privacy Protection Agency has been very active in the first quarter of 2024 and continues to exercise its rulemaking authority with proposed draft regulations, so retailers should prepare for California Consumer Privacy Act enforcement and figure out how best to comply, say attorneys at Dentons.
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Series
Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.
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4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy
With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.
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Cos. Must Prepare For Calif. Legislation That Would Ban PFAS
Pending California legislation that would ban the sale or distribution of new products containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances could affect thousands of businesses — and given the bill's expected passage, and its draconian enforcement regime, companies must act now to prepare for it, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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The Practical Effects Of Justices' Arbitration Exemption Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Bissonnette v. LePage Bakeries, that a transportation worker need not work in the transportation industry to be exempt from the Federal Arbitration Act, may negatively affect employers' efforts to mitigate class action risk via arbitration agreement enforcement, say Charles Schoenwetter and Eric Olson at Bowman and Brooke.
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Highlights From The 2024 ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting
U.S. merger enforcement and cartels figured heavily in this year's American Bar Association spring antitrust meeting, where one key takeaway included news that the Federal Trade Commission's anticipated changes to the Hart-Scott-Rodino form may be less dramatic than many originally feared, say attorneys at Freshfields.
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The Future Of BIPA Insurance Litigation After Visual Pak
A recent Illinois appellate court decision, National Fire Insurance v. Visual Pak, may have altered the future of insurance litigation under the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act by diametrically opposing a prominent Seventh Circuit ruling that found insurance coverage for violations of the act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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Series
Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.
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3 Lessons From Family Dollar's Record $41.7M Guilty Plea
Family Dollar's recent plea deal in connection with a rodent infestation at one of its distribution facilities — resulting in the largest ever monetary criminal penalty in a food safety case — offers key takeaways for those practicing in the interconnected fields of compliance, internal investigations and white collar defense, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.