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Food & Beverage
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June 24, 2024
$12.8M Deal Ending Some Chiquita MDL Claims Gets Approval
A Florida federal judge said Monday he would sign off on a proposed $12.8 million settlement between Chiquita Brands International Inc. and some of the victims suing the banana company over its funding of Colombian paramilitary groups.
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June 24, 2024
Paper Bag Imports Found To Have Harmed US Industry
The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled that paper shopping bags from eight countries harmed the domestic industry, providing the final green light for the U.S. Department of Commerce to enact countervailing and anti-dumping duties on the products.
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June 24, 2024
Biotech Co. Hits Ch. 11 With Plans For Sale And 'Reboot'
Virginia-based synthetic biology products maker Solar Biotech Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware with plans to sell its assets, saying a difficult capital market, the loss of a major client and the pandemic drained its cash and caused it to furlough employees.
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June 21, 2024
DOL Says Union's Farm Wage Challenge Too Late
The U.S. Department of Labor has pushed back against a challenge to rules introduced in 2022 that a Washington union said are depressing farmworkers' wages, telling a federal judge Friday that the union should have objected during the rule-making period.
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June 21, 2024
Aramark Sued In Wash. For Alleged Pay Transparency Lapses
Aramark has been accused of violating Washington state's pay transparency law by failing to give full pay ranges in job postings, according to a proposed class action the food services giant removed to Washington federal court on Thursday.
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June 21, 2024
Kona Ice Nabs $533K In Toppings Dispenser Patent Trial
A Florida federal jury has come to the conclusion that a small shaved ice franchise from Boca Raton owes the Kona Ice brand a little over half a million dollars for infringing a patent covering a "liquid toppings dispensing system."
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June 21, 2024
Big Mac Ruling Shows Brands Can't Coast On Reputation
Consumer giants should not be complacent that their globally recognized branding will serve as reason enough to hold onto and enforce their intellectual property, lawyers warn following a European court's high-profile decision to trim McDonald's trademark protections for "Big Mac."
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June 21, 2024
Ohio Atty Reinstated After Flinging Feces-Filled Pringles Can
An Ohio criminal defense attorney suspended for filling a Pringles can with his own feces and throwing it in the parking lot of a victim advocacy center was reinstated this week, according to a court filing.
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June 21, 2024
Taxation With Representation: Travers Smith, Potamitis Vekris
In this week's Taxation With Representation, RSK Group Ltd. gets a £500 million ($632 million) investment, Boston Scientific Corp. acquires Silk Road Medical Inc., Masdar takes a part of Terna Energy SA, and Tate & Lyle PLC buys CP Kelco from JM Huber Corp.
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June 21, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen JD Wetherspoon sue a Welsh pub over its name in the Intellectual Property Court, ex-professional boxer Amir Khan and his wife file libel action against an influencer, the Performing Right Society hit with a competition claim over music licensing, and Manolete Partners bring action against the directors of a bust investment firm. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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June 20, 2024
Ex-DEA Heads Echo GOP AGs' Call For Pot Rescheduling Hearing
A group of former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration leaders and Republican attorneys general have formally requested administrative hearings on the U.S. attorney general's proposal to reschedule cannabis, according to separate letters sent this week that distinctly echo each other.
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June 20, 2024
Attys In Chiquita Case Say Victims Can't Proceed Together
A long-standing rift among plaintiffs' attorneys for victims of violence committed by paramilitary groups funded by Chiquita Brands International Inc. has reached a fever pitch, as attorneys have now told the court they cannot proceed together in a second bellwether trial of the multidistrict litigation set to start next month.
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June 20, 2024
Cannabis-Infused Drink Cos. Sue Iowa Over New Potency Law
Makers of canned drinks infused with hemp-derived THC are urging a federal judge to block an impending state statute that aims to regulate the Iowa cannabinoid market, saying it would swiftly outlaw "approximately 80%" of their current inventory.
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June 20, 2024
Fireball Maker Must Still Face Claims It Duped Whiskey Lovers
A Florida federal judge has trimmed allegations that Sazerac Co. duped consumers into believing miniature bottles of malt beverage were whiskey by selling them under the Fireball brand name, but said a consumer can pursue claims that the beverage's bottle and their display case are nevertheless deceptive.
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June 20, 2024
Waffle Cone Cos. Settle TM War Over Chocolate-Filled Treats
A maker of chocolate-filled waffle cone treats has resolved its claims against a rival over alleged trademark violations, according to a stipulation filed Thursday in New Jersey federal court.
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June 20, 2024
Insurer Hit With Coverage Suit Over Ohio Grocery Shooting
Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle Inc. is claiming that a security contractor's insurer, Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co., has refused to cover its defense costs in a lawsuit over a shooting at a Cleveland, Ohio, store, and was trying to get the grocer to drop its third-party claims against the contractor.
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June 20, 2024
China Denies Tax Crackdown As 2 Cos. Report $80M In Bills
China's tax authority denied a nationwide crackdown on companies' old tax returns Thursday, less than a week after a chemical firm facing 500 million yuan ($69 million) in additional liabilities halted production and a beverage maker reported owing 85 million yuan.
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June 20, 2024
Ore. Water Treatment Plant Not On Farmland, Tax Court Says
Portions of farmland used for a wastewater treatment facility were correctly denied a special farm-use assessment rate, the Oregon Tax Court said, allowing the special rate for other contested areas of the property.
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June 20, 2024
Deals Rumor Mill: Carlyle-KKR, Didi IPO, Open AI
The deals rumor mill is often overflowing with transactions that are reportedly close to being signed, so it can be hard to know which ones to stay on top of.
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June 18, 2024
Doubt Cast On Free Whole Foods Delivery 'Bait And Switch'
A Washington federal judge appeared skeptical at a hearing Tuesday of claims that Amazon misled Prime members by advertising free Whole Foods grocery deliveries and then later pulling the perk in a "bait and switch," noting the retail giant has reserved the right to change Prime members' benefits.
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June 18, 2024
Ex-CBS Sports Chair Denies Fixing NFL Sunday Ticket Price
The recently retired chairman of CBS Sports on Tuesday told a California federal jury considering multibillion-dollar antitrust claims against the NFL that his network didn't collude with the league to fix the price of the DirecTV Sunday Ticket television package.
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June 18, 2024
11th Circ. Orders New Shrimp Secrets Trial Over Judge's Exit
The Eleventh Circuit ordered a new trial in a trade secrets dispute involving breeders of disease-resistant shrimp, saying Tuesday that a magistrate judge who oversaw the trial's conclusion so that a federal judge could catch a flight exceeded his authority by answering jury questions and rejecting a defense counsel's request for clarification on damages awarded.
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June 18, 2024
Feds Say Discovery Order Exposes Migrants To Retaliation
The U.S. Department of Labor is urging a Mississippi federal court to reconsider ordering the disclosure of informants' identities in an investigation into a fish farm's labor practices, saying the May order exposed the informants, who are also migrant employees at the farm, to possible retaliation.
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June 18, 2024
Meat Plant Workers Seek OK On Latest $4M Wage-Fix Deal
Red meat processing plant workers have sought preliminary approval for their latest settlement over wage-fixing claims, a $4 million deal that adds American Foods Group LLC to the list of companies to cut deals that also includes JBS, Tyson, Perdue, Seaboard, Triumph and consulting firm Webber Meng Sahl & Co.
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June 18, 2024
Starbucks Among Eateries Facing IP Suits Over Ordering Tech
Starbucks, Denny's and three other restaurants are the latest to face a patent-licensing company's lawsuits in Texas for allegedly infringing a patent that lets customers place mobile orders on an app or website using a real-time menu that can make personalized suggestions.
Expert Analysis
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4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year
As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.
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What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like
As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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Navigating Class Actions After Papa John's Settlement Denial
A Kentucky federal court's surprising denial of preliminary approval for a $5 million settlement in the Papa John's no-poach case may prove to be an outlier but suggests a class action settlement would only be approved when a plaintiff demonstrates that a litigation class would be certified, say attorneys at Robins Kaplan.
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4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News
Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
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Food And Beverage Policy Trends Cos. Should Track In 2024
The list of legal issues food and beverage companies should watch out for in 2024 include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Human Foods Program, the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s salmonella proposal, Proposition 12 and more, say Bob Hibbert and Amaru Sánchez at Wiley.
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Compliance Refresher Amid DOL Child Labor Crackdown
In light of the Labor Department’s recent announcement of new penalty assessment procedures for child labor law violations, Erica MacDonald and Sylvia Bokyung St. Clair at Faegre Drinker discuss what employers should know about the department’s continued focus on this issue and how to bolster compliance efforts.
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5 Trends That Will Affect Food Litigation In 2024
In 2024, food and beverage companies are likely to continue to face threats of litigation relating to so-called forever chemicals, citric and malic acid, and ESG claims, but recent developments in case law have created potential avenues for defense, say Abby Meyer and Khirin Bunker at Sheppard Mullin.
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Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends
Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
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The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023
A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
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Considerations for In-House Counsel Before Testing For PFAS
In 2024, federal and state agencies are expected to introduce a plethora of new rules regulating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, with private litigation sure to follow — but in-house counsel should first weigh the risks and benefits before companies proactively investigate their historical PFAS use, say attorneys at Stinson.
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5 Most Notable Class Action Standing Cases Of 2023
Key appellate class action decisions this past year continued the trend of a more demanding approach to the threshold issue of standing during each phase of litigation, say attorneys at MoFo.
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Trends Shaping The 2024 Consumer Packaged Goods Industry
The better-for-you segment within the consumer packaged goods industry is poised for a significant evolution in 2024, and industry players must remain agile and adaptive through M&A activities, legal considerations, sustainability initiatives and changing technology, says Christopher Cain at Foley & Lardner.
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Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities
Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
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9th Circ. Scienter Ruling May Strengthen FDA's Leverage
A recent Ninth Circuit decision in U.S. v. Marschall — regarding scienter and violations of the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act — appears to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration another arrow in its quiver to lob in the direction of any repeat offender, with potentially very broad applications, say Elena Quattrone and Zachary Taylor at Epstein Becker.
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In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023
Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.