Food & Beverage

  • August 01, 2025

    Defamation Litigation Roundup: Epstein, Macron, Lindell

    In this month's review of defamation fights, Law360 reviews U.S. President Donald Trump's suit against the Wall Street Journal over its reporting on his connections to deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as a Second Circuit decision about the potential unsealing of documents in a since-settled, Epstein-related defamation suit.

  • August 01, 2025

    Nestle Fights Class Cert. In 'Trillion'-Dollar Poland Spring Suit

    Nestle Waters North America Inc. has asked a Connecticut federal judge to deny a class certification bid in a lawsuit challenging whether Poland Spring bottled water is real spring water, saying "gerrymandered classes and subclasses" cannot be used to leverage billions or even trillions of dollars in alleged damages.

  • August 01, 2025

    $34M Milk Price-Fixing Deal Wins Preliminary Approval

    A New Mexico federal judge gave an initial OK to two settlements between a class of dairy farmers and two national milk cooperatives dropping price-fixing claims in exchange for $34.4 million and an end to the alleged scheme.

  • August 01, 2025

    Ill. Court Finds Labor Board Erred In Supervisor Status Case

    An Illinois appeals court has reversed a state labor panel's decision adding workers at Illinois State University to an existing bargaining unit represented by an American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees council, saying the panel ignored precedent on which workers are union-ineligible supervisors. 

  • August 01, 2025

    Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

    The U.S. Department of Justice abandoned its challenge of a corporate travel management deal, while lawmakers are calling for scrutiny of the agency's recent decision to settle a different case, and the Federal Trade Commission agreed to nix the requirements placed on a pair of oil and gas deals.

  • August 01, 2025

    Cargill Says Chubb Unit Must Cover $170M Ice Cream Loss

    Cargill Inc. accused a Chubb unit of failing to cover contaminated batches of ice cream and other food products that caused roughly $170 million in losses, telling a Pennsylvania state court that though the unit "may" rely on a pollution exclusion, an exception in the provision would restore coverage.

  • August 01, 2025

    NC Legislation Highlights Of The 1st Half Of 2025

    The North Carolina General Assembly has pushed through another round of hurricane relief aid to help the western swath of the state while lawmakers remain in talks to repeal a long-standing healthcare law that critics say hampers competition. Here are five North Carolina bills from the year's first half that saw the governor's stamp of approval or remain up for debate.

  • August 01, 2025

    NC Brewery Pares Partnership Rift With Music Operator

    An Asheville brewery has whittled down a live music operator's lawsuit over their sunk partnership to form an entertainment venue after a North Carolina Business Court judge ruled the pair had no fiduciary relationship.

  • July 31, 2025

    Compass Minerals Investors Get Final OK For $48M Deal

    A Kansas federal judge on Thursday granted final approval to a $48 million settlement between salt producer Compass Minerals International and investors who claim they were harmed by the company's failure to maintain sufficient production levels at its Canadian mine.

  • July 31, 2025

    Walnut Co. Says Firm Misled Court To Lead Super Micro Case

    A Hagens Berman client who lost the fight against Universal Investment to lead investor claims against Super Micro Computer has blasted the fund's opposition to its bid for a California federal judge to reconsider the denial, arguing Universal's attorneys from Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP have a "documented history" of "misleading courts."

  • July 31, 2025

    Tyson Says Interference Claim 'Lays Bare' Burford's Greed

    Tyson Foods urged an Illinois federal judge on Thursday to reject Burford Capital's bid to ditch allegations that the litigation funder improperly thwarted a near-final price-fixing settlement with Sysco Corp., arguing the counterclaim "lays bare" Burford's systematic effort to obtain a greater investment return.

  • July 31, 2025

    Insurer Avoids Businesses' COVID-19 Coverage Claims

    A property insurer for numerous restaurants, bars and other small businesses owes no coverage for their consolidated business interruption claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic, an Illinois federal court ruled, looking to the laws of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Tennessee.

  • July 31, 2025

    NYSE Parent May Buy Enverus For $6B, Plus More Rumors

    A Milwaukee-based advisory firm is in late talks for a stake sale at a $1 billion valuation, Black Rock Coffee Bar files confidentially for an initial public offering at a similar value, and the Intercontinental Exchange is in talks to buy Enverus for $6 billion. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable rumors from the past week.

  • July 30, 2025

    Honest Co.'s $27.5M Investor Deal Gets Final OK

    An investor class action against The Honest Co. Inc., the "clean lifestyle" brand founded by actress Jessica Alba, has gotten a final nod for a $27.5 million deal to end claims that the company did not disclose certain negative business trends ahead of its 2021 initial public offering.

  • July 30, 2025

    6th Circ. Unsure It Can Toss Papa John's Leaked Audio Suit

    The Sixth Circuit grappled Wednesday with the fate of a lawsuit that the founder of Papa John's brought against a marketing agency alleging it leaked comments that led to his resignation, with one judge questioning the appellate court's jurisdiction to decide if a valid confidentiality agreement existed.

  • July 30, 2025

    Celsius Cans Accidentally Filled With Vodka Drink, Recall Says

    Alcoholic beverage company High Noon said Tuesday it accidentally got shipped some Celsius energy drink cans, filled them with vodka seltzer and shipped them to retailers in several states, in a recall notice that was also published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

  • July 30, 2025

    Cinemark Calls Suit Alleging Exaggerated Beer Size Meritless

    Cinemark USA Inc. asked a Texas federal court to toss a proposed class action alleging that the movie theater company ripped off thirsty moviegoers by advertising 24-ounce beer cups that in reality only contained 22 ounces, saying the plaintiff failed to allege damages over $5 million.

  • July 30, 2025

    Blue Bell Class Seeks Settlement Records In Derivative Suit

    Attorneys for a Blue Bell Creameries USA Inc. stockholder class sought a Delaware Court of Chancery order compelling access to records concerning a $60 million settlement of liability claims after a deadly ice cream contamination incident in 2015.

  • July 30, 2025

    Texas Senate Again Approves Ban On Hemp-Derived THC

    Texas state senators on Wednesday once again gave approval to a legislative proposal to ban products with THC derived from hemp. 

  • July 30, 2025

    Wiggin And Dana Adds Real Estate Partner From Polsinelli

    Law firm Wiggin and Dana LLP said Vasiliki Yiannoulis-Riva has joined as partner from Polsinelli PC in its real estate, environmental, construction and facilities department.

  • July 30, 2025

    4th Circ. Backs Farm Worker's $2.5M Award For Amputation

    The Fourth Circuit affirmed a $2.5 million jury verdict favoring a former North Carolina farm worker who lost his lower leg to a grain silo auger, finding the farm tried to raise new arguments on appeal that were never before the district court.

  • July 29, 2025

    Ex-United Food President Can't Ditch Investor's Suit

    A New York federal judge has rejected a motion for judgment on the pleadings brought by the former president of United Natural Foods Inc. in a proposed securities fraud class action, finding shareholders have sufficiently shown at this point that the former executive had control and culpable participation in allegedly misleading statements.

  • July 29, 2025

    Jack Daniel's Toy TM Win Violates Free Speech, 9th Circ. Told

    The maker of a dog toy parodying Jack Daniel's iconic whiskey bottle has urged the Ninth Circuit to reverse a finding that its "Bad Spaniels" toy tarnishes Jack Daniel's mark, arguing the ruling constitutes unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination over "mild poo jokes" that weren't similar to famous Jack Daniel's marks.

  • July 29, 2025

    Fight Over End To Migrant Parole May Be Moot, 1st Circ. Hints

    The First Circuit grappled Tuesday with whether the Trump administration could elect to abruptly end a Biden-era immigration parole program, even as it appeared to acknowledge that as a practical matter, the measure could die of attrition before the question is answered.

  • July 29, 2025

    $32M Verdict Holds Up In Curaleaf Pot Farm Dispute

    A Michigan federal judge on Tuesday said he was "waving goodbye" to a years-old case as he denied Curaleaf units' bid to unravel a $32 million verdict in favor of a marijuana farm that alleged the companies breached a sales contract, finding the jury had enough evidence to support its decisions.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Looking Back At 2024's Noteworthy State AG Litigation

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    State attorneys general across the U.S. took bold steps in 2024 to address unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children's internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Opinion

    No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

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    A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.

  • 5 Advertising Law Trends To Watch In 2025

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    Although advertisers are encouraged by the incoming Trump administration's focus on deregulation, this year could feel like wading through uncharted waters, and decreased federal government regulation may mean increased state regulation, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

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    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • NY Plastic Pollution Verdict May Not Bode Well For Other Suits

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    The dismissal of New York state's public nuisance complaint against PepsiCo over pollution of the Buffalo River with the company's single use plastic bottles may not augur well for similar lawsuits filed by Baltimore and Los Angeles County, although tort law varies from state to state, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • 2024 Was A Banner Year For Shareholder Activism

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    Shareholder activism campaigns in 2024 continued at an elevated pace globally, with activist investors exploiting valuation gaps and pushing aggressively for corporate governance reforms, including the ouster of many companies' chief executives, a trend that could continue once President-elect Donald Trump takes office, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

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    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

  • How Trump 2.0 May Change Business In Latin America

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    Companies in Latin America should expect to face more trade restrictions, tighter economic sanctions and enhanced corruption risks, as the incoming administration shifts focus to certain non-U.S. actors, most notably China, says Matteson Ellis at Miller & Chevalier.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Surprise NC COVID Ruling Revises Reasonable Expectations

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    The North Carolina Supreme Court's recent finding in favor of policyholders in a suit for business interruption coverage due to COVID-19 shutdown orders runs contrary to most other state and federal courts' holdings on the issue, and may revitalize the reasonable expectations doctrine in the state, say attorneys at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Complying With Seasonal Product Labeling Requirements

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    Though the holiday season is in the rearview, many seasonal alcohol products remain in the market, and producers should ensure that their labels comply with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's additional requirements for such products, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

  • 5 Drug And Device Developments That Shaped 2024

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    The last year saw significant legal developments affecting drug and device manufacturers, with landmark decisions and regulatory changes that require vigilance and agility from the industry, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • How To Manage During A Trade Dispute With USMCA Partners

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    Companies can try to minimize the potential impacts of future tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods, and uncertainty about future trade relations, by evaluating supply chains, considering how they may be modified, and engaging with the new administration over exemptions and the upcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

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