Food & Beverage

  • June 25, 2026

    Kraft Heinz Must Arbitrate Union Pension Dispute, Judge Says

    An Iowa federal judge has ordered Kraft Heinz Co. to submit a pension eligibility grievance to arbitration, finding the company's collective bargaining agreement requires it to arbitrate the dispute and rejecting its bid to block the proceedings.

  • June 25, 2026

    Monsanto Wins High Court Fight Over Roundup Cancer Warnings

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday handed Monsanto a win in its long-running litigation battle over the labeling of alleged cancer risks of its bestselling weedkiller Roundup, clearing the path for a $7.25 billion settlement to end thousands of suits facing the Bayer AG unit by finding that the state law claims underlying a $1.25 million jury verdict are barred.

  • June 24, 2026

    Ex-Detroit Club Workers Cry As Jury Gets Race Bias Case

    A former server and a former bartender at The Detroit Club broke down in tears in a Michigan federal courtroom Wednesday as their attorney emotionally urged jurors to hold the club and its owner liable for allegedly retaliating against them after they complained about what they believed was racist treatment of Black guests. 

  • June 24, 2026

    Costco Hid Heart Risks Of Grain-Free Dog Food, Suit Says

    Costco deceptively advertises its Nature's Domain grain-free dog food as a healthy and safe option despite a growing body of research showing that grain-free diets heighten the risk of canine heart disease, a California consumer alleged in a new proposed class action filed in Seattle federal court Tuesday.

  • June 24, 2026

    Venue Operator Can't Avoid Fair Dealings Claims In Chancery

    The Delaware Chancery Court on Wednesday largely refused to dismiss a contract dispute between concessions provider Facilities Holdings LLC and venue operator ASM Global Parent LLC, finding it reasonably conceivable ASM Global secretly worked to derail contract extensions after being acquired.

  • June 24, 2026

    Mich. Wineries Say Peninsula Ally Joining Suit Too Late

    A group of northern Michigan wineries is calling "suspect" a citizen advocacy group's motion to intervene in the wineries' suit against Peninsula Township, saying it was filed too late and urged a federal judge to deny the group's request or severely limit the scope of its intervention.

  • June 24, 2026

    Woman Says Starbucks' Coffee, Flimsy Cup Caused Burns

    A woman on Wednesday sued Starbucks Corp. in California state court, alleging she suffered severe and permanent burns when she spilled "scalding" coffee onto her lap because of a structurally defective cup.

  • June 24, 2026

    5th Circ. Sides With Starbucks On Union Backer's Firing

    The Fifth Circuit has reversed a National Labor Relations Board decision finding that Starbucks unlawfully fired a worker for supporting a unionization effort at the store, saying the decision rested on insufficient evidence that the coffee giant acted out of anti-union animus.

  • June 24, 2026

    Impossible X Urges Calif. Judge To Preserve $3.25M Verdict

    Lifestyle brand Impossible X is arguing against a new trial in California federal court after it won a $3.25 million verdict against Impossible Foods in a trademark dispute, saying the plant-based burger maker is trying to relitigate issues and improperly "smuggle" other matters into its challenge to the verdict.

  • June 24, 2026

    Waffle House Tobacco Fees Violate Benefits Law, Worker Says

    Waffle House was sued by a former server who alleges the restaurant chain collected an unlawful tobacco surcharge from employees enrolled in its health plan without offering a compliant wellness program or properly notifying workers of how to avoid the fee.

  • June 23, 2026

    DOJ Says USDA's 'Socially Disadvantaged' Waivers Unlawful

    The U.S. Department of Justice has determined that some of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's programs that waive fees for "socially disadvantaged" farmers unconstitutionally discriminate based on race and sex, according to an opinion released Monday.

  • June 23, 2026

    USDA Lacked Authority To Ban SNAP For Soda, Judge Says

    A D.C. federal judge has vacated U.S. Department of Agriculture approvals of waivers in five states that restrict purchases of sugary foods and drinks using food stamps, saying a section of law the USDA leaned on did not give the department authority to approve the efforts.

  • June 23, 2026

    Green Group Wants Records Behind Trump's Weed Killer Order

    An environmental organization on Monday sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture in D.C. federal court, seeking records behind President Donald Trump's executive order to hike the production of glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weed killer Roundup, an allegedly carcinogenic pesticide at the center of an imminent U.S. Supreme Court decision.

  • June 23, 2026

    Fla. Judge OKs Ch. 11 Sale Of Popeyes Restaurants For $16M

    A Florida bankruptcy judge on Tuesday approved a Popeyes franchisee's Chapter 11 sale, allowing a roughly $16 million sale of nearly 100 restaurants to five purchasers who secured winning bids at an auction earlier this month.

  • June 23, 2026

    Ga. Panel Keeps $1.8M Fall Verdict Against QuikTrip Intact

    The Georgia Court of Appeals upheld a $1.8 million jury award against QuikTrip Corp. in a slip-and-fall case, finding Tuesday the trial court rightly refused to cap damages at $75,000 or set aside the verdict as excessive.

  • June 23, 2026

    Peanut Butter M&M Allergy Suit Survives Despite Label

    Mars Inc. can't escape a woman's lawsuit claiming the candy company sold unreasonably dangerous peanut butter M&M's Minis that caused her to suffer a life-threatening allergic reaction, a Connecticut state judge ruled in a Monday order, saying her allegations are legally sufficient to survive in this stage.

  • June 23, 2026

    Chicken Buyers Say Costco Can't Ditch False Ad Suit

    A proposed class of consumers is urging a California federal court not to throw out their claims that Costco Wholesale Corp. falsely advertised its rotisserie chickens as having no preservatives, saying consumer expectation, not federal regulations, is what matters in the case.

  • June 23, 2026

    US Blocks WTO Appellate Body Selection Process Again

    The World Trade Organization failed again to begin the process of selecting members to the appellate body designed to settle disputes over WTO decisions, marking the 98th time that the initiative has been blocked by U.S.-led efforts, according to a news release Tuesday.

  • June 23, 2026

    EU Parliament Panels Advance Mexico Trade Agreement

    Two European Parliament committees signed off Tuesday on a reworked trade deal with Mexico that would remove nearly all tariffs on European agricultural goods imported into the country, setting up a full vote by Parliament.

  • June 22, 2026

    FTC Reaches 'Agreement In Principle' With Southern Glazer's

    A California federal judge hit pause Monday on the Federal Trade Commission's price discrimination lawsuit against Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits LLC so the parties can hash out a tentative deal resolving the FTC's first, and now only, Robinson-Patman Act case in decades.

  • June 22, 2026

    17 States Sue Over Calif. Regulation Of Plastic Packaging

    Seventeen states and the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors sued Golden State recycling regulators in California federal court Monday seeking to block a new state law regulating plastic packaging, slamming the law as California's "blatant and unprecedented attempt to impose its own policy preferences on the entire nation."

  • June 22, 2026

    No Trial For Splenda Maker, Scientist In Defamation Suit

    Splenda maker TC Heartland LLC and the scientist whom it accused of defamation were sent packing from North Carolina federal court Monday, after a judge found neither had offered evidence to overcome the other's First Amendment right to talk about scientific research.

  • June 22, 2026

    Sodexo Can't Wipe Out Worker's Nicotine Fee Suit

    A California federal judge refused to toss a Sodexo worker's proposed class action alleging the global food services company wrongly charged nicotine-using employees $1,200 more a year for health insurance, opening discovery on allegations that a wellness program implementing the surcharge didn't meet all federal requirements.

  • June 22, 2026

    Coffee Chain's New Openings Guzzled Revenue, Investor Says

    Arizona-based coffee chain Black Rock Coffee, its executives and initial public offering underwriters were hit with a proposed shareholder class action alleging they failed to disclose ahead of the offering that the company's rapid expansion was negatively impacting sales at existing stores.

  • June 22, 2026

    Boston Beer Settles With 2 Ex-Workers Over Noncompete

    Two former Boston Beer Co. sales representatives who sued the company over noncompete agreements have reached a settlement with the Sam Adams brewer, according to a Monday order.

Expert Analysis

  • Del. Dispatch: Workplace Sexual Misconduct Liability In Flux

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    Following the Delaware Court of Chancery's recent contradictory rulings in sexual misconduct cases involving eXp World, Credit Glory and McDonald's, it's now unclear when directors' or officers' fiduciary duties may be implicated in cases of their own or others' sexual misconduct against employees, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Opinion

    SNAP Rule Confusion Risks A Compliance Crisis

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    Recent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food restriction waivers pose a compliance crisis for legal practitioners advising food retailers, amid higher costs and lack of a coherent national standard, says Tyson-Lord Gray at Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

  • Series

    Trivia Competition Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing trivia taught me to quickly absorb information and recognize when I've learned what I'm expected to know, training me in the crucial skills needed to be a good attorney, and reminding me to be gracious in defeat, says Jonah Knobler at Patterson Belknap.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: What Cross-Selling Truly Takes

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    Early-career attorneys may struggle to introduce clients to practitioners in other specialties, but cross-selling becomes easier once they know why it’s vital to their first years of practice, which mistakes to avoid and how to anticipate clients' needs, say attorneys at Moses & Singer.

  • Ariz. Uber Verdict Has Implications Beyond Ride-Hailing Cos.

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    When an Arizona federal jury in Jaylyn Dean v. Uber Technologies recently ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by her driver, their most important finding — that the driver was Uber's agent — could have huge consequences for future litigation involving platform-based businesses, says Michael Epstein at The Epstein Law Firm.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: Practical Use Cases In Chambers

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    U.S. Magistrate Judge Allison Goddard in the Southern District of California discusses how she uses generative artificial intelligence tools in chambers to make work more efficient and effective — from editing jury instructions for clarity to summarizing key documents.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: February Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses four recent rulings from November and December, and identifies practice tips from cases involving the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act and Missouri unjust enrichment claims, the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, the Class Action Fairness Act, and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

  • Series

    Trail Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Navigating the muddy, root-filled path of trail marathons and ultramarathons provides fertile training ground for my high-stakes fractional general counsel work, teaching me to slow down my mind when the terrain shifts, sharpen my focus and trust my training, says Eric Proos at Next Era Legal.

  • Opinion

    Justices' Monsanto Decision May Fix A Preemption Mistake

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    In Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, the U.S. Supreme Court will address whether federal law preempts states' label-based failure-to-warn claims when federal regulators have not required a warning — and its decision could correct a long-standing misinterpretation of a prior high court ruling, thus ending myriad meritless state law personal injury claims, says Lawrence Ebner at Capital Appellate.

  • What Rescheduling Means For Cannabis Labels, Marketing

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    The proposed reclassification of cannabis is expected to bring heightened scrutiny of labeling, advertising and marketing from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission, but the brands that tighten evidence, standardize operations and professionalize marketing controls now will see fewer surprises and better outcomes, say attorneys at Wilson Elser.

  • Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

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    Recent decisions from courts across the country demonstrate how different jurisdictions balance competing policy interests in determining whether legal malpractice claims can be assigned, providing a framework to identify when and how to challenge any attempted assignment, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin & Lodgen.

  • Series

    Teaching Logic Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Teaching middle and high school students the skills to untangle complicated arguments and identify faulty reasoning has made me reacquaint myself with the defined structure of thought, reminding me why logic should remain foundational in the practice of law, says Tom Barrow at Woods Rogers.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Resilience

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    Resilience is a skill acquired through daily practices that focus on learning from missteps, recovering quickly without internalizing defeat and moving forward with intention, says Nicholas Meza at Quarles & Brady.

  • Takeaways From The DOJ Fraud Section's 2025 Year In Review

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    Former acting Principal Deputy Chief Sean Tonolli of the U.S. Department of Justice's Fraud Section, now at Cahill Gordon, analyzes key findings from the section’s annual report — including the changes implemented to adapt to the new administration’s priorities — and lays out what to watch for this year.

  • New State Regs On PFAS In Products Complicate Compliance

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    The new year brought new bans and reporting requirements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in half a dozen states — in many cases, targeting specific consumer product categories — so manufacturers, distributors and retailers must not only monitor their own supply chains, but also coordinate to ensure compliance, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

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