Food & Beverage

  • 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.

  • August 14, 2024

    Kroger Hit With Prop 65 Suit Over Metals In Snacks, Cinnamon

    Kroger and Ralphs sell roasted seaweed snacks and ground cinnamon containing cadmium and lead, which are known to cause cancer and reproductive toxicity, without warning consumers in violation of Proposition 65, according to a complaint filed in California state court by a consumer protection group. 

  • August 14, 2024

    Suit Claims Giant Uses Banned, Toxic Oil In Orange Soda

    A proposed class of soda drinkers is suing The Giant Co. LLC in Pennsylvania federal court, alleging that it makes and sells orange soda made with a kind of vegetable oil that federal regulators banned for its negative effects on the thyroid gland.

  • August 14, 2024

    Skadden, Davis Polk Guide $2.1B US Food Service Deal

    Skadden-led Performance Food Group Co. said Wednesday it has agreed to purchase private equity-backed food service distributor Cheney Bros. Inc., represented by Davis Polk, for $2.1 billion in cash.

  • August 14, 2024

    Candy Giant Mars Paying $36B For Pringles-Maker Kellanova

    Snack food and candy giant Mars Inc. said Wednesday it has agreed to purchase Kellanova, the maker of Cheez-It and Pringles snacks, for $35.9 billion, including assumed debt, in a deal that "enables Mars to further shape the future of snacking" and is the largest merger announced all year. 

  • August 13, 2024

    Fund Manager Seeks Del. Legal Fee Rulings In Ponzi Fight

    Attorneys for a former hedge fund manager now entangled in wide-ranging Ponzi scheme allegations urged a Delaware vice chancellor on Tuesday toward quick action on his legal fee indemnification claims, citing "great risk" from mounting personal liability exposure.

  • August 13, 2024

    Full 7th Circ. Asked To Review Tossing Of Protein Pouch Fight

    A Florida-based protein powder maker is asking the Seventh Circuit to reconsider its upholding of a Wisconsin federal court's decision to toss its claims over allegedly defective plastic zipper pouches on the grounds that they were filed too late.

  • August 13, 2024

    Campbell Soup Co. Defends V8 Splash Labeling As Accurate

    Campbell Soup Co. has urged a New Jersey federal judge to toss a putative class action alleging it duped consumers into thinking its V8 Splash beverages are naturally flavored and healthy, saying the drinks' labels never claimed the drinks were free of artificial flavors.

  • August 13, 2024

    Aramark Applicant Drops Wash. Pay Transparency Suit

    A job applicant on Monday dropped her proposed class action accusing Aramark of failing to include full pay ranges in job postings in violation of Washington state's wage transparency law.

  • August 13, 2024

    Parts Maker Can't Escape Goya Death Suit

    A machine manufacturer must face claims that a negligent inspection at a Texas-based Goya food distribution center led to a forklift operator burning to death after crashing into a pipe carrying hot beans, a federal judge has ruled, saying a jury could still find the company liable for failing to warn of the low hanging pipe.

  • August 13, 2024

    Kroger Blasts FTC's 'Head-To-Head' Competition Claims

    Kroger and Albertsons have assailed the Federal Trade Commission's challenge to their merger, telling an Oregon federal judge that there's no need to preliminarily block the deal because the agency is pushing a "never before applied" theory that reducing head-to-head competition is illegal, which the grocery stores said is undone by the law and the companies' planned divestiture of 579 stores.

  • August 13, 2024

    Tort Report: Disney Blasted For 'Absurd' Arbitration Bid

    A Disney unit's unconventional bid to arbitrate a wrongful death suit and a hefty crash suit verdict out of California lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.

  • August 13, 2024

    Eateries Can't Stop $75M Settlements In Chicken Antitrust Suit

    An Illinois federal judge granted final approval Tuesday to $75 million in settlements between direct chicken purchasers and House of Raeford Farms and Koch Foods in a massive consolidated price-fixing case, denying an objection by restaurants, which he said could not second-guess class counsel's decisions after failing to opt out.

  • August 13, 2024

    Fla. Produce Co. Can't Change Settlement, EEOC Says

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asked a Michigan federal court Tuesday to enforce a settlement with a Florida-based produce supplier that is now insisting on changing the deal over sexual harassment claims after the parties had already agreed on the terms.

  • August 13, 2024

    Food Law Atty Rejoins Thompson Coburn From Davis Wright

    Thompson Coburn LLP said this week that a former partner who focuses on agriculture and food law has rejoined the firm's St. Louis office after a stint with Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.

  • August 12, 2024

    Colo. Brewery And Ex-Manager Settle Embezzlement Suit

    A Colorado brewery and its ex-manager accused of embezzling more than $600,000 for his own business agreed to permanently dismiss a lawsuit, one day after a state judge let the brewery seek punitive damages in the case. 

  • August 12, 2024

    NLRB Official Says Justices' Ruling Doesn't Ax Injunction Bid

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to nix a two-part legal test available to National Labor Relations Board prosecutors pursuing injunctions in some circuits and standardize the use of a four-part test will not diminish prosecutors' likelihood of winning an injunction against a Michigan hospital, an NLRB official argued.

  • August 12, 2024

    Microplastics False Ad Complaint 'Doesn't Hold Water'

    An Illinois federal judge has thrown out a proposed class action alleging that BlueTriton Brands Inc. doesn't tell consumers that its Ice Mountain spring water contains microplastics, saying no reasonable consumer would believe "100% natural spring water" is a guarantee down to the molecular level.

  • August 12, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Says Co. Can't Patent Coke Zero's Secret Sweetener

    A Federal Circuit panel found Monday that the company that developed the artificial sweetener used in Coke Zero can't patent its formula after it has already touched the lips of customers even if they kept the recipe secret, something that's consistent with "precedent going back to the 1800s."

  • August 12, 2024

    Cannabis Drink Cos. Drop Challenge To Iowa THC Law

    After failing to temporarily block an Iowa law that imposed new restrictions on hemp-derived THC consumables, two manufactures of cannabis-infused drinks have decided to drop their lawsuit seeking to upend the statute, according to a notice filed in federal court.

  • August 12, 2024

    Beyond Meat Escapes Investor Suit Over Production Woes

    A California federal judge has tossed a proposed class action accusing vegan burger manufacturer Beyond Meat of securities fraud, saying investors will need to be more specific about what the company's CEO knew at the time he touted the company's allegedly faltering partnerships with fast-food restaurants like McDonald's.

  • August 12, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Multimillion-dollar share conversions, power struggles in a classic rock band, a good deal for fandom collectibles, and a pindown by two heavyweights were all part of the spectacle in Delaware's Court of Chancery last week. New cases involved pharmaceutical companies, cannabis, drones and liquid-gas exports. In case you missed it, here's the latest from the Chancery Court.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.

  • Anticipating Disputes In Small Biz Partnerships And LLCs

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    In light of persistently high failures of small business partnerships and limited liability companies, mediator Frank Burke discusses proactive strategies for protecting and defining business rights and responsibilities, as well as reactive measures for owners.

  • Opinion

    Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

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    The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Roundup

    After Chevron

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    In the month since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 26 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Expect Few Changes In ITC Rulemaking

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's opinion overruling the Chevron doctrine will have less impact on the U.S. International Trade Commission than other agencies administering trade statutes, given that the commission exercises its congressionally granted authority in a manner that allows for consistent decision making at both agency and judicial levels, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

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    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • How Cannabis Rescheduling May Affect Current Operators

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    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's proposal to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III provides relief in the form of federal policy from the stigma and burdens of Schedule I, but commercial cannabis operations will remain unchanged until the federal-state cannabis policy gap is remedied by Congress, say Meital Manzuri and Alexis Lazzeri at Manzuri Law.

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

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    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

  • A Look At Calif. Contract Considerations In Fiji Water Ruling

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    A California appellate court's recent decision in Carolina Beverage v. Fiji Water, that a party may not seek contractual recovery on the basis of constructive termination, offers a look at contract construction and other considerations on negotiating distribution agreements, says Michael Laszlo at Clark Hill.

  • After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1

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    The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

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    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • How Uyghur Forced Labor Law Affects Importing Companies

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    Amid a growing focus on forced labor in supply chains and a likely increase in enforcement under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, companies may face costly import delays unless they develop and implement compliance best practices, say Thad McBride and Lauren Gammer at Bass Berry.

  • Series

    Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

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