Food & Beverage

  • February 06, 2026

    Allstate Denies Coverage For Uber Driver's Deadly Road Rage

    Allstate called on a Seattle federal judge to find that it has no duty to defend a delivery driver from a wrongful death lawsuit alleging he fatally shot and killed another man during an apparent road rage incident while working for Uber Eats and DoorDash.

  • February 06, 2026

    Kroger And Albertsons Win Dismissal In Antitrust Labor Case

    A Colorado federal judge on Friday dismissed a grocery store employee's proposed class action against Kroger and Albertsons alleging the pair violated antitrust law through a no-poach agreement to not hire competitor employees during a strike.

  • February 06, 2026

    Bojangles Let Russian Hackers Steal Worker Data, Suit Says

    Fried chicken fast food chain Bojangles allegedly let Russian hackers infiltrate its computer system and steal hundreds of thousands of files on its employees, resulting in the exposure of their sensitive personal information on the dark web, according to a new complaint in North Carolina's business court.

  • February 06, 2026

    Shake Shack Governance Suit Headed For Dismissal In Del.

    A stockholder lawsuit challenging Shake Shack Inc.'s corporate governance arrangements is set to be dismissed after the parties jointly asked the Delaware Court of Chancery to end the case, cutting off the named plaintiff's claims while preserving the ability of other stockholders to bring similar suits later.

  • February 06, 2026

    4 Takeaways From The EU's Latest Trade Agreements

    The European Union recently cemented formal trade agreements with India and Mercosur, a group of Latin American countries, which — along with creating certainty for businesses in the regions — strike a sharp contrast with the approach taken in framework deals reached by President Donald Trump. Here, Law360 examines four takeaways from the two trade agreements announced by the EU.

  • February 06, 2026

    NC Restaurants Say They Didn't 'Keep' Tips In DOL Wage Suit

    Two North Carolina restaurants urged a federal court Friday to narrow a U.S. Department of Labor lawsuit alleging they unlawfully kept and pooled tips from front-of-house workers and allocated the funds to tip-ineligible back-of-house employees, arguing they did not "keep" the tips by distributing them to nontipped workers.

  • February 06, 2026

    Anti-Pot Advocates Vow To Fight Legalization In Courts

    Principals and allies of a leading antidrug nonprofit pledged Friday to pursue the fight against marijuana legalization and normalization in the courts by challenging a pending proposal to loosen federal cannabis restrictions and directly suing some of the country's largest marijuana companies.

  • February 06, 2026

    Japan's Kirin Selling Bourbon Brand To Gallo For Up To $775M

    Kirin Holdings said Friday it has agreed to sell its U.S.-based Four Roses bourbon whiskey business to E. & J. Gallo Winery for up to 120 billion yen ($775 million).

  • February 06, 2026

    5 Firms Guide Refresco's $768M Acquisition Of SunOpta

    Netherlands-based Refresco said Friday it has agreed to acquire Minnesota-based SunOpta in an all-cash deal valuing the U.S.-listed company at $6.50 per share, or roughly $768 million, in a deal steered by at least five law firms. 

  • February 06, 2026

    Pa. Grocer Denied Bid To Bar Competition From Walmart

    A Pittsburgh-area grocery store can't get a court order barring a neighboring Walmart from selling groceries, after a federal judge found that the store could not convincingly link its decline in sales to Walmart's recent expansion of its food offerings.

  • February 05, 2026

    7th Circ. Deems Pilgrim's Price-Fix Settlement Non-Binding

    The Seventh Circuit on Thursday held that Pilgrim's Pride did not definitively settle chicken and other protein price-fixing claims with Sysco via a brief email acceptance and unsigned agreement, ruling that "a barebones email exchange" and unsigned agreement wasn't enough to formally resolve the dispute.

  • February 05, 2026

    Conagra Owes $25M For Man's Lung Disease From Pam Spray

    A California state civil jury hit Conagra Brands with a $25 million verdict after unanimously finding it liable for causing a debilitating lung disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans of a man who says he was exposed to diacetyl that was added to the company's Pam butter-flavored cooking spray.

  • February 05, 2026

    Consumers Fight To Keep Frozen Potato Antitrust Suit Alive

    Consumer groups pursuing price-fixing allegations against the nation's leading frozen potato product producers and certain others have urged an Illinois federal judge to let their claims proceed, arguing they've plausibly outlined a "classic antitrust story" that should be allowed to enter the evidence-gathering stage.

  • February 05, 2026

    8th Circ. Says Farmer Must Face Water Dispute In Tribal Court

    The Eight Circuit ruled that a Minnesota farmer can't block White Earth Tribal Court proceedings in federal court while his river water permitting case is still being litigated in the tribe's court system.

  • February 05, 2026

    Wash. Lawyer Faces Sanction Threat Over Alleged AI Errors

    A federal judge has ordered an attorney in Washington state to submit a sworn declaration explaining why she shouldn't be sanctioned for what opposing counsel claimed are dozens of artificial intelligence "hallucinations" across multiple case filings.

  • February 05, 2026

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Dual Representation DQ, Biting Censure

    The North Carolina Business Court kicked off 2026 with a flurry of rulings and a few rebukes from the bench, including partially disqualifying counsel in a restaurant mismanagement melee and censuring a solo attorney who sought to circumvent the specialized superior court's rules.

  • February 05, 2026

    David Protein Gets Ingredient Supply Antitrust Claims Tossed

    A New York federal court dismissed a lawsuit from several low-calorie food producers accusing protein bar-maker David Protein of refusing to sell them a fat replacement ingredient after it purchased the ingredient's only supplier.

  • February 05, 2026

    Tyson Won't Have To Hand Over Poultry Welfare Records

    The Delaware Chancery Court on Thursday recommended against greenlighting a Tyson Foods Inc. stockholder's effort to obtain wide-ranging internal records about poultry welfare and labor practices, concluding the plaintiff failed to show a credible basis to suspect corporate wrongdoing that would justify further inspection.

  • February 05, 2026

    DOL Must Pay Retaliation Suit Atty Fees, Farm HR Head Says

    The U.S. Department of Labor should pay attorney fees and expenses that a human resources manager at a Tennessee pork farm incurred to defend the agency's retaliation suit, the manager told a federal court Thursday, saying the department failed to investigate the claims against her before suing.

  • February 05, 2026

    Nerds And Other Ferrara Candies Allegedly Contain Arsenic

    Ferrara Candy Co. was hit with a proposed class action Wednesday in Illinois federal court over allegations that popular brands of its candy, including Nerds, Trolli gummy candy, Laffy Taffy and Sweet Tarts, contain toxic levels of arsenic.

  • February 05, 2026

    FAT Brands Seeks OK To Use Subsidiary Stock Sale Cash

    FAT Brands is asking a Delaware bankruptcy judge for permission to use the proceeds from a sale of new shares in one of its subsidiary restaurant chains, saying it needs the more than $3 million in cash to fund its Chapter 11 case.

  • February 05, 2026

    Fla. Judge Recommends Axing Some Claims Against IP Atty

    A Florida federal judge Thursday recommended tossing several claims in a lawsuit alleging a patent attorney defamed an inventor in the press, saying the claims are unsupported.

  • February 05, 2026

    FDA Changes 'No Artificial Colors' Food Claims Rules

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said that companies can promote their products as containing "no artificial colors" when the colors aren't derived from petroleum, a move intended to make it easier for companies to claim that their foods aren't artificially colored.

  • February 05, 2026

    Judge Caps Off 'Beer Law' Trademark Case

    A federal judge has dismissed a trademark lawsuit from a North Carolina law firm that brands itself as the "Beer Law Center" against a Colorado firm that calls itself the "Beer Law HQ," finding the latter company lacked sufficient connections to North Carolina for the court to hear the case.

  • February 05, 2026

    News Orgs Urge 1st Circ. To Reject Lobster Industry Libel Suit

    The New York Times, The Atlantic and other national news media organizations have asked the First Circuit to sink a defamation suit by lobster fishermen over a conservation group's warning not to eat lobster because of the purported impact on an endangered whale species.

Expert Analysis

  • Influencer Marketing Partnerships Face Rising Litigation Risk

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    In light of recent class actions claiming that brands and influencers are misleading consumers with deceptive marketing practices — largely premised on the Federal Trade Commission's endorsements guidance — proactive compliance measures are becoming more important, say attorneys at Olshan Frome.

  • Mulling Worker Reclassification In Light Of No Tax On OT

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    The One Big Beautiful Bill Act's no-tax-on-overtime provisions provide tax relief for employees who regularly work overtime and are nonexempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act, but reclassifying employees may lead to higher compliance costs and increased wage and hour litigation for employers, says Steve Bronars at Edgeworth Economics.

  • 7 Ways Employers Can Avoid Labor Friction Over AI

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    As artificial intelligence use in the workplace emerges as a key labor relations topic in the U.S. and Europe, employers looking to reduce reputational risk and prevent costly disputes should consider proactive strategies to engage with unions, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Series

    Playing Baseball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing baseball in college, and now Wiffle ball in a local league, has taught me that teamwork, mental endurance and emotional intelligence are not only important to success in the sport, but also to success as a trial attorney, says Kevan Dorsey at Swift Currie.

  • What Cos. Must Note From EU's Delivery Hero-Glovo Ruling

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    The European Commission’s recent landmark decision in Delivery Hero-Glovo, sanctioning companies for the first time over a stand-alone no-poach cartel agreement, underscores the potential antitrust risks of horizontal cross-ownership between competitors, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • Ultra-Processed Food Claims Rely On Unproven Science

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    Plaintiffs' arguments that ultra-processed foods are responsible for the nationwide increase in certain chronic illnesses, though a novel approach to food-based personal injury claims, depend on theories that are still being tested, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Skillful Persuasion

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    In many ways, law school teaches us how to argue, but when the ultimate goal is to get your client what they want, being persuasive through preparation and humility is the more likely key to success, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

  • A Look At Trump 2.0 Antitrust Enforcement So Far

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    The first six months of President Donald Trump's second administration were marked by aggressive antitrust enforcement tempered by traditional structural remedies for mergers, but other unprecedented actions, like the firing of Federal Trade Commission Democrats, will likely stoke heated discussion ahead, says Richard Dagen at Axinn.

  • Litigation Inspiration: How To Respond After A Loss

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    Every litigator loses a case now and then, and the sting of that loss can become a medicine that strengthens or a poison that corrodes, depending on how the attorney responds, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Tips For Cos. From California Climate Reporting FAQ

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    New guidance from the California Air Resources Board on how businesses must implement the state's sweeping climate reporting requirements should help companies assess their exposure, understand their disclosure obligations and begin documenting good-faith compliance efforts, says Thierry Montoya at Frost Brown.

  • FDA's Hasty Policymaking Approach Faces APA Challenges

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    Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has abandoned its usual notice-and-comment process for implementing new regulatory initiatives, two recent district court decisions make clear that these programs are still susceptible to Administrative Procedure Act challenges, says Rachel Turow at Skadden.

  • The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

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    The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • What 9th Circ. Cracker Barrel Ruling Means For FLSA Cert.

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    The Ninth Circuit's decision in Harrington v. Cracker Barrel suggests a settling of two procedural trends in Fair Labor Standards Act jurisprudence — when to issue notice and where nationwide collectives can be filed — rather than deepening circuit splits, says Rebecca Ojserkis at Cohen Milstein.

  • Defense Lessons From Freshworks' Win In Post-IPO Case

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    A California federal court’s recent decision to grant Freshworks’ summary judgment bid in a proposed investor class action helpfully clarifies two important points for defendants facing postoffering securities claims under Section 11 of the Securities Act, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.

  • Series

    Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator

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    Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.

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