Food & Beverage

  • January 13, 2026

    Starbucks Misled Patrons On Coffee Supplier Ethics, Suit Says

    Two consumers are targeting Starbucks for touting "100% Ethical Coffee Sourcing" on product labels despite reports of forced labor and other human rights violations on supplying farms around the world, according to a proposed class action launched in Washington state federal court Tuesday.

  • January 13, 2026

    DOJ Fights For May Trial Against Agri Stats

    Justice Department attorneys pushed a Minnesota federal judge in oral arguments Tuesday to let them go to trial in May on claims that Agri Stats' protein industry reports help major producers hike prices, arguing they're entitled to leapfrog private plaintiffs and the company cannot toss or winnow their allegations.

  • January 13, 2026

    Lawmakers Eye 2-Year Delay On Hemp Ban Implementation

    A bipartisan group of Congress members led by Rep. Jim Baird, R-Ind., on Tuesday introduced a bill that would delay implementation of a national ban on most hemp products by an additional two years.

  • January 13, 2026

    'America's Coffee' Doesn't Mean Made In US, Black Rifle Says

    Black Rifle Coffee has urged a California federal judge to toss claims it deceives consumers into believing its beans are harvested in the U.S., arguing the American flag and slogan "America's Coffee" on its packaging don't indicate geographic origin, but rather invoke the company's patriotic mission and support for U.S. military vets. 

  • January 13, 2026

    NC Judge Leery Of Early Exit Bid In Produce Co. ESOP Suit

    A North Carolina federal judge seemed disinclined Tuesday to toss a lawsuit alleging a "cabal" of lawyers, private equity firms and their founders conspired to drain a produce company's employee stock ownership plan of its value, noting it's a fact-intensive case that will likely require discovery.

  • January 13, 2026

    NJ Gov. Signs Bill Regulating Intoxicating Hemp Products

    New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has signed into law a bill regulating the sale of intoxicating hemp products, closing what the bill's sponsors called a loophole that allowed them to be sold without oversight.

  • January 13, 2026

    'Sazerac Stitches' TM Too Similar To Sazerac, Fed. Circ. Says

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday affirmed a trademark tribunal's refusal to register "Sazerac Stitches" for a variety of home goods and decor items because of potential confusion with the distilled spirits and cocktail accessories sold by Sazerac Brands LLC.

  • January 13, 2026

    Hemp Co. Accuses Rival Of Using Pot-Based THC, Not Hemp

    Hemp-derived cannabinoid company CCT Sciences LLC is suing a competitor in Florida federal court, alleging that despite the rival's claims of using "natural" hemp-derived THC, it instead uses illegal cannabis derivatives in its products.

  • January 13, 2026

    Celebrity-Owned NY Entertainment Venue Hit With Wage Suit

    A New York City sports and entertainment venue owned by Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake improperly relied on a tip credit, kept a portion of employees' gratuities and paid overtime at the wrong rate, according to a proposed class and collective action filed in New York federal court.

  • January 13, 2026

    Chipotle Replaces Legal Chief Amid Leadership Moves

    Chipotle Mexican Grill has promoted its chief human resources officer, announcing Monday that she is now also the restaurant chain's chief legal officer.

  • January 12, 2026

    US Backs Tarnishment Provision Constitutionality At 9th Circ.

    Jack Daniel's has urged the Ninth Circuit to affirm a district court's ruling that a company's poop-themed "Bad Spaniels" dog toy tarnished the whiskey maker's trademark, while the federal government separately opposed the toy maker's contention that the Lanham Act's tarnishment provision violates the First Amendment.

  • January 12, 2026

    Aristocrat Inks $127.5M Deal In Slot Machine Trade Secret Suit

    Gambling game company Light & Wonder Inc. has agreed to pay competitor Aristocrat Technologies Inc. $127.5 million to put to rest allegations Light & Wonder misappropriated Aristocrat's trade secrets in developing its Dragon Train and Jewel of the Dragon slot machine games, according to an announcement made Monday.

  • January 12, 2026

    States Fight USDA's Renewed Effort To Cut SNAP Benefits

    A coalition of states has asked a California federal judge to enforce an injunction blocking the U.S. Department of Agriculture from withholding funding from states refusing to share sensitive personal information on food assistance benefit recipients, saying the Trump administration has once again threatened to withhold the funding.

  • January 12, 2026

    McDonald's 'Total Inaction' Contributed To Death, Suit Says

    McDonald's Corp. is facing a suit in California state court that alleges employees at a California franchise failed to stop a foreseeable attack on a couple by a homeless man that occurred while the couple waited in the drive-thru line, leaving a woman fatally injured.

  • January 12, 2026

    Yale Asks Judge To Rethink $32M Baby Formula Death Verdict

    Yale University and the affiliated Yale New Haven Hospital have asked a Connecticut state court judge to reconsider a verdict of nearly $32 million over the death of a premature baby, contending that she failed to grasp battery and informed consent law when issuing her decision after a bench trial.

  • January 12, 2026

    High Court Won't Hear Challenge To NLRB Toss Of Complaint

    The Supreme Court on Monday declined a food distributor's bid for review of a decision tossing a challenge to a National Labor Relations Board ruling that backed the withdrawal of a complaint of unfair labor practices against two Teamsters locals.

  • January 12, 2026

    Texas AG Investigating Major Grocery Chains' Pesticide Use

    The Texas attorney general's office on Monday said it has started an investigation into major grocery store chains in Texas that the state accuses of spraying organic produce with pesticides without informing consumers.

  • January 12, 2026

    DC Circ. Told $100K H-1B Fee Threatens Congress' Tax Power

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged the D.C. Circuit to bar the Trump administration from charging employers its new $100,000 H-1B visa fee, arguing it presents a "grave threat" to Congress' exclusive power to levy taxes.

  • January 12, 2026

    Neb. Bill Would Allow Income Tax Deductions For Tips, OT

    Nebraska would allow individual income tax deductions for tips and overtime pay under a bill introduced in the state's unicameral Legislature.

  • January 12, 2026

    Justices Decline To Hear Alaska's Fishing Regulations Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't step into a dispute between Alaska, the federal government and Indigenous groups over a Ninth Circuit order barring the state from opening part of the Kuskokwim River to all fishers and upheld decades of precedent that began with an Ahtna elder's 1984 litigation.

  • January 12, 2026

    High Court Won't Hear Michigan Tribe's Fishing Pact Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't overturn a Sixth Circuit decision to uphold a 2023 decree governing fishery management in the Great Lakes after a Michigan tribe argued that the agreement was negotiated over its objections and that it will micromanage the waters for the next quarter-century.

  • January 09, 2026

    Carbone Owner Sues Pizza Co. For Trademark Infringement

    The owners of the famous Manhattan eatery Carbone filed a trademark infringement suit in New York federal court Friday against Carbone Restaurant Group, which they say are collecting "pre-IPO" investments in a "Fast Fired By Carbone" pizza franchise by misleading the public into believing the two ventures are associated. 

  • January 09, 2026

    Colo. Judge Nixes Lender Claims Against Brewer, Bottling Co.

    A Colorado federal judge has handed an early win to a Hawaiian brewery and water bottling company accused by a lender of interfering with a court-ordered receivership and causing a shutdown order that halted bottling operations, finding the lender did not show personal jurisdiction in Colorado.

  • January 09, 2026

    Buyers Say Herbal Tea Co.'s 'All Natural' Labels Are False

    A group of tea buyers is suing Celestial Seasonings Inc. in Colorado federal court, saying it falsely advertises its herbal teas as having "All Natural" flavors, when instead the ingredients list includes citric acid.

  • January 09, 2026

    7th Circ. Upholds Ex-Atty's Conviction In Burke Bribery Case

    The Seventh Circuit on Friday kept in place the conviction and 32-month prison sentence of a Chicago real estate developer and former attorney for offering legal work to ex-Alderman Edward Burke as a bribe for help with a zoning permit, finding the government presented sufficient evidence to support a guilty verdict and arguments to the contrary were "unavailing."

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Navigating Client Trauma

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    Law schools don't train students to handle repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences, but for litigators practicing in areas like civil rights and personal injury, success depends on the ability to view cases clinically and to recognize when you may need to seek help, says Katie Bennett at Robins Kaplan.

  • Challenging A Class Representative's Adequacy And Typicality

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    Recent cases highlight that a named plaintiff cannot certify a putative class action unless they can meet all the applicable requirements of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, so defendants should consider challenging a plaintiff's ability to meet typicality and adequacy requirements early and often, say attorneys at Womble Bond.

  • Opinion

    4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding

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    As courts increasingly confront cases involving hidden litigation finance contracts, the jurisprudence of four former U.S. Supreme Court justices establishes a constitutional framework that risks erosion by undisclosed financial interests, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery

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    E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.

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