Food & Beverage

  • August 16, 2024

    TCJA's Estate Tax Treatment Shouldn't Change, Panel Told

    If the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's estate tax exemption increase is allowed to lapse in 2025, many family farms in the Midwest would face tough choices, including whether to sell to large corporations, panelists told the House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee on Friday.

  • August 16, 2024

    Fla. Advertising Co. Says Pot Cos. Didn't Pay Up For Services

    A Miami advertising agency is suing the cannabis companies behind the Cookies brand, claiming they failed to pay for months of work worth tens of thousands of dollars.

  • August 16, 2024

    Mass. Dunkin' Franchise Sued Over Hot Coffee Spill

    A Massachusetts Dunkin' franchise was hit with a lawsuit by a customer who said he was seriously burned when the lid came off his coffee as an employee handed it to him at the drive-thru window in May.

  • August 16, 2024

    Atty Gets 32 Months In Prison For Bribing Chicago Alderman

    An Illinois federal judge on Friday sentenced an immigration attorney and real estate developer convicted of bribing former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke to two years and eight months in prison, maintaining prison time is warranted because the lawyer initiated the bribe and tried to hide it from federal agents and the grand jury.

  • August 16, 2024

    NC AG Readies Appeal In Fight Over Smithfield Foods Funds

    North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is taking a fight over millions of dollars in environmental grants to the state appeals court, after a trial judge found the funds should be exclusively set aside for use in public schools.

  • August 16, 2024

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

    This past week in London has seen Barry Manilow sued by music rights company Hipgnosis, a struck-off immigration lawyer take on the Solicitor's Disciplinary Tribunal and the former CEO of a collapsed bridging loan firm start proceedings against the FCA. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • August 16, 2024

    Taxation With Representation: Cleary, Kirkland, Skadden

    In this week's Taxation with Representation, Mars Inc. sets a 2024 record with its $36 billion acquisition of Kellanova, Carlyle inks a $3.8 billion purchase with Baxter International Inc., and Performance Food Group Co. agrees to a $2.1 billion cash deal with Cheney Bros. Inc.

  • August 16, 2024

    Harris Economic Plan Targets Food Mergers, Price-Gouging

    Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled an economic plan Friday that said her administration would "crack down" on large corporate food mergers and introduce the first-ever ban on price-gouging, a promise that comes just days after the announcement of one of the largest ever food industry tie-ups.

  • August 15, 2024

    Green Group Backs Feds' Denial Of Water Co.'s Right-Of-Way

    Save Our Forest Association urged a D.C. federal judge on Thursday to reject the company behind Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water's attempt to block the federal government from requiring it cease operation of its 23,000-foot-long water pipeline in Berkeley, California's Strawberry Canyon.

  • August 15, 2024

    Northeast Grocery Chain Escapes 401(k) Mismanagement Suit

    The parent company of grocery chain Price Chopper defeated a proposed class action alleging it allowed its 401(k) plan to be bogged down with underperforming funds and excessive costs, with a New York federal judge ruling Thursday that workers hadn't provided enough detail to sustain their claims.

  • August 15, 2024

    Deals Rumor Mill: Paramount, Blackstone, Starbucks

    The heir to Canadian liquor purveyor Seagram is preparing a bid for Paramount's parent company, Blackstone explores a potential $2.6 billion sale of Clarion Events, and activist investor Starboard sets sights on Starbucks. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • August 15, 2024

    Court Tosses Challenge To Wyoming's New Hemp Law

    A Wyoming federal judge tossed a lawsuit Thursday brought by nearly a dozen hemp product retailers challenging the state's new hemp policy, saying most of the state defendants were entitled to immunity and that the retailers had not stated a claim for which relief could be granted.

  • August 15, 2024

    Kerrygold, Customers Agree To End 'Pure' False Ad Suit

    A consumer who sued Irish butter brand Kerrygold has agreed to end her proposed class action over claims that it falsely advertised its product as "pure" even though it might contain "forever chemicals" by way of its packaging.

  • August 15, 2024

    Hemp Industry Rallies Against Calif. Bill

    Hemp companies are coming out against a California bill that would impose new THC limits on consumables sold outside of licensed dispensaries, with some industry leaders calling it an "existential threat" to the entire state market.

  • August 15, 2024

    Banking Groups Sue To Thwart New Ill. Swipe Fee Restrictions

    The nation's largest bank trade association and other industry groups sued Thursday to block Illinois from implementing a new state law that prohibits financial intermediaries from charging so-called swipe fees on the sales tax and tip portions of payment card transactions, arguing it conflicts with federal law and risks broader "chaos."

  • August 15, 2024

    Partners Stole Dairy Product Co.'s Trade Secrets, Suit Says

    A dairy farm products company has filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court claiming its manufacturing and distribution partners used its trade secrets to develop and sell a competing line of infection prevention offerings.

  • August 14, 2024

    Fla. Gratuity Platform Alleges Toast Stole Trade Secrets

    Gratuity Solutions LLC accused Boston-based Toast Inc. of misappropriating trade secrets in a lawsuit brought Wednesday in Florida federal court, alleging that executives from the point-of-sale software company stole confidential information after a failed bid to merge the two companies.

  • August 14, 2024

    Tuna Price-Fixing Deal Comes With A Catch: $26M In Fish

    Two groups of buyers accusing major canned tuna producers of price-fixing have asked a California federal judge to give the first seal of approval to settlements totaling more than $168 million in cash, plus $26 million in packaged tuna products.

  • August 14, 2024

    4 States Oppose FTC Bid To Block Kroger-Albertsons Deal

    Four Republican-led states defended Kroger's proposed $25 billion acquisition of Albertsons in an amicus brief Wednesday, telling the Oregon federal judge overseeing the Federal Trade Commission's challenge to the deal that blocking it would actually "weaken, not protect, competition."

  • August 14, 2024

    Tyson Says Mo. Plant Sale Did Not Violate Antitrust Law

    Tyson Foods Inc. has asked a Missouri federal court to find that its sale of a shuttered chicken processing plant to egg producer Cal-Maine Foods Inc. did not violate antitrust law after Tyson said a former contract farmer threatened to sue.

  • August 14, 2024

    Grassley Asks HHS For Clarity On Cannabis Position

    Sen. Chuck Grassley has asked federal health officials to clarify their position on marijuana, arguing that a recent U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report is at odds with its recommendation to loosen restrictions on the drug.

  • August 14, 2024

    Suit Says Florida Lab-Grown Meat Ban Is 'Unconstitutional'

    A California business is suing Florida over a law that bans cultivated meat, alleging in a federal complaint that the Sunshine State's prohibition is unconstitutional because it violates the company's right to sell its products through interstate commerce.

  • August 14, 2024

    FTC Finalizes Rule To Crack Down On Fake Online Reviews

    The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday announced it has finalized a rule to thwart marketers from using false reviews and testimonials, cementing the agency's authority to seek civil penalties from knowing violators for a host of misconduct including the use of AI-generated fake reviews.

  • August 14, 2024

    Oregon Gets New 600-Acre Wildlife Refuge

    Oregon is home to a new 600-acre wildlife refuge in the Willamette Valley between Salem and Eugene intended to preserve a variety of animal and plant species, the U.S. Department of the Interior said Tuesday.

  • August 14, 2024

    CFTC Hits Vitol With First-Of-Its-Kind Position Limits Fine

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued its first-ever fine Wednesday against a trader exceeding position limits by holding the same contract across multiple exchanges, penalizing Swiss energy and commodities company Vitol SA for its positions on cattle and crude oil futures.

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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