Food & Beverage

  • March 05, 2025

    Starbucks Let Hot Drink Spill On Driver, Jury Hears

    Starbucks went to trial Wednesday over a delivery window drink pickup gone wrong, as lawyers for a driver who had scalding water spill in his lap told a Los Angeles jury the coffee giant's employee left one of three cups "not safely secured" in a cardboard drink holder.

  • March 05, 2025

    MSPB Temporarily Reinstates Fired Agriculture Dept. Workers

    The Merit Systems Protection Board stayed the firings of over 5,600 probationary employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday, ordering the employees back to work while the U.S. Office of the Special Counsel continues investigating whether the dismissals were a prohibited personnel practice.

  • March 05, 2025

    Contractors Claim Constitutional Injury In USAID Cuts

    A group representing U.S. citizen personal services contractors working for the U.S. Agency for International Development insisted before a D.C. federal judge on Wednesday that their challenge to the Trump administration's dismantling of the humanitarian agency differs from another brought by workers employed directly by USAID.

  • March 05, 2025

    Agri Stats Wants Another Shot At DOJ Specifics

    Agri Stats is continuing to ask a Minnesota federal court to force the U.S. Department of Justice to identify specific data fields in the company's industry reports that allegedly allow chicken, pork and turkey producers to exchange competitively sensitive information.

  • March 05, 2025

    Igloo Must Pay For Finger-Chopping Coolers, Consumer Says

    A California man is suing beverage storage company Igloo over its popular coolers and ice chests that he says have pinched, broken and even amputated fingertips, saying in a federal suit that the company's remedial efforts haven't been enough.

  • March 05, 2025

    9th Circ. Upholds Arizona's Wine Retailer Law Challenge

    Arizona isn't being discriminatory by requiring companies that want to ship alcohol to people's homes to have a business location in the state, the Ninth Circuit has declared in a split ruling that upheld the state's win against a challenge to the law laying down that mandate.

  • March 05, 2025

    Paul Newman's Daughters End IP Suit Against Newman's Own

    Late actor Paul Newman's daughters withdrew their lawsuit from Connecticut state court accusing the Newman's Own Foundation of trading off their father's name for non-food-related purposes and breaching its duty to fund their own foundations despite the deceased film star's intent.

  • March 05, 2025

    SuperValu Wins FCA Case That Went To High Court

    An Illinois federal jury cleared SuperValu of liability Tuesday on whistleblower claims that it billed the government higher-than-customary prices for millions of prescriptions, marking the end to an important test of a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling reviving the case.

  • March 04, 2025

    Chinese Theme Park Co. Can't Nix Investors' 'Hellscapes' Suit

    A California federal judge will allow investors' securities fraud claims against a Chinese amusement park operator to proceed, finding they plausibly claimed that the company inflated visitor numbers and financials for its park, causing an 89% stock price decline when the truth was eventually revealed.

  • March 04, 2025

    Mariano's Managers Fight Bid To Decertify Class In OT Row

    Current and former supermarket meat, bakery and deli managers who say Kroger subsidiary Mariano's falsely claimed they were exempt from overtime pay hit back on Monday over a bid to decertify their conditional collective of workers, saying the grocery chain repeatedly misrepresents an "extensive and unambiguous record" showing all managers are similarly situated.

  • March 04, 2025

    Poultry Co. Hits Animal Rights Activists With Chancery Suit

    Poultry producer Mountaire Farms Inc. has sued for an injunction and damages against two alleged animal rights activists in Delaware's Court of Chancery, accusing both of sneaking onto a processing plant with a ladder, tools and a camera, and then fleeing when spotted near a chlorine tank.

  • March 04, 2025

    Trump's Mexico, Canada Tariffs To Face Legal Tests, Pros Say

    President Donald Trump placed 25% tariffs on all goods from Canada and Mexico on Tuesday, citing drug trafficking as the core reason he used untested emergency tariff powers, a course of action that will face legal scrutiny, tax professionals told Law360.

  • March 04, 2025

    Ga. PFAS Liability Bill Faces Debate Ahead Of Key Deadline

    A Georgia bill to reduce corporate liability for PFAS contamination on Tuesday received strong industry backing and intense pushback from North Georgia residents and communities who warned state lawmakers against handing "a get-out-of-jail-free card" to carpet manufacturers accused of polluting waterways.

  • March 03, 2025

    Fiji Beats Ill. Microplastics Suit Over Lack Of Testing

    An Illinois federal judge has tossed out proposed class claims that the company behind Fiji Water illegally labels the product as "natural" artesian water knowing it contains microplastics, saying Monday the consumers haven't pointed to scientific evidence directly tying the product to their claims.  

  • March 03, 2025

    National Gaming Chair Gets Pause In Alaskan Casino Suit

    A federal judge has paused litigation against acting National Indian Gaming Commission Chairwoman Sharon M. Avery until the court can determine if an Alaskan Native village is a required party in the dispute that looks to block plans for a 58,000-square-foot casino in Anchorage.

  • March 03, 2025

    Enviro Groups Say DOGE Teams Are Violating Transparency Law

    Five federal agencies are violating their legal obligations to provide transparency about their connection to the Elon Musk-headed entity that's leading the Trump administration's effort to reduce government staffing and spending levels, environmentalists said in a D.C. federal lawsuit filed Monday.

  • March 03, 2025

    Kirkland-Led Garnett Station Partners Clinches $1.2B Fund

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP-advised Garnett Station Partners on Monday announced that it wrapped its fifth fund after securing $1.2 billion from investors, which will be used to invest across the New York-based firm's core sectors of consumer and business services, health and wellness, automotive, and food and beverage.

  • March 03, 2025

    Smoothie King Wins $374K Judgment From Ex-Franchisees

    Following a bench trial in Georgia federal court last December, Smoothie King Franchises Inc. won a $374,000 judgment Friday against a company accused of ripping off its products after setting up shop in a former Gwinnett County franchise location.

  • March 03, 2025

    Activist Investor Nominates 2 Candidates To Portillo's Board

    Activist investor Engaged Capital LLC on Monday unveiled its slate of directors to stand for election to Portillo's Inc.'s board ahead of the company's annual meeting, saying that the Chicago street food-focused restaurant chain's performance has been suffering due to outdated restaurant operations.

  • February 28, 2025

    Galaxy Gas Hides A Dangerous Buzz, Class Action Says

    Galaxy Gas, the maker of a popular line of flavored nitrous oxide dispensers, was hit with a putative class action Friday accusing the company of pushing a commonly abused, addictive, dangerous, and perfectly legal recreational drug under the guise of a "culinary tool."

  • February 28, 2025

    Kraft Heinz Beats Ex-R&D Worker's Vaccine Bias Claims

    A former Kraft Heinz research and development manager cannot go to trial over claims the company discriminated against her religious beliefs by rejecting her COVID-19 exemption request, with an Illinois federal judge saying on Friday her concerns were not religious in nature.

  • February 28, 2025

    Curaleaf Sold Assets Before $32M Verdict, Pot Farm Says

    Two subsidiaries of Curaleaf Holdings Inc. must be forced to immediately pay a $36.8 million jury verdict plus interest owed to a Michigan cannabis farm, the cultivator told a federal judge in a scathing motion, saying the companies feign poverty while spending considerable sums in legal representation.

  • February 28, 2025

    NJ Out-Of-State Wine Sale Limits Are Justified, 3rd. Circ. Says

    The Third Circuit on Friday upheld a New Jersey law barring out-of-state sellers to directly ship wine to in-state consumers, saying that to grant a New York retailer's challenge would "shake the foundations" of New Jersey's three-tiered system for regulating alcohol.

  • February 28, 2025

    Dartmouth Wants Fed. Circ. To Ax Fees After Vitamin IP Loss

    Dartmouth College is appealing a Delaware federal court's $9.1 million fee award after losing a fight over milk vitamins patented by a biochemist at the school, telling the Federal Circuit that there is no reason it should have presumed that the patents it asserted were "worthless."

  • February 28, 2025

    Steakhouse Workers Score Collective Cert. In Tips Row

    Servers and bartenders claiming that a steakhouse known for its 72-ounce steak challenge cheated them out of tips and didn't reimburse them for their uniforms can move forward as a collective, a Texas federal judge ruled, while saying the limitation period clock will start ticking later.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • Why K-Cup Claims Landed Keurig In Hot Water With SEC

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent settlement with Keurig Dr. Pepper for making incomplete statements regarding the recyclability of K-cup pods highlights the importance of comprehensive corporate disclosures, particularly with respect to ESG matters, say attorneys at BCLP.

  • Legislation Most Likely To Pass In Lame Duck Session

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    As Congress begins its five-week post-election lame duck session, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig break down the legislative priorities and which proposals can be expected to pass.

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