Food & Beverage

  • January 29, 2026

    Seafood Co. Exec Avoids Prison Time In Price-Fixing Scheme

    A Florida federal judge on Thursday spared the vice president of a Miami-based seafood wholesale company a prison sentence for his role in scheming with competitors to fix the prices paid to fishermen for stone crab claws and spiny lobster.

  • January 28, 2026

    Tyson Cuts $48M Deal To End More Pork Price-Fixing Claims

    Commercial and institutional indirect pork purchasers have urged a Minnesota federal judge to preliminarily approve Tyson Foods Inc.'s $48 million deal to resolve antitrust claims over allegedly inflated pork prices, noting that it's the certified class's sixth settlement, bringing the class's total recovery to $114 million as the years-long litigation nears trial.  

  • January 28, 2026

    Krispy Kreme Reaches $1.6M Deal Over Employee Data Breach

    Krispy Kreme has agreed to a $1.6 million settlement to resolve a consolidated proposed class action that accused the doughnut chain of failing to protect current and former employees' personal information from a November 2024 data breach, according to a filing in North Carolina federal court.

  • January 28, 2026

    Fairlife Founders Freed From Calif. Cow Treatment Suit

    The founders of Fairlife brand milk can't be held liable in a California proposed class action accusing the company of making false claims about humane cow treatment, a federal judge ruled, saying the suit failed to point to any examples of intentional acts they made directed to the state.

  • January 28, 2026

    'Danke' And 'Merci' Chocolates Not Confusing, TTAB Rules

    A trademark tribunal made precedential a ruling that a chocolate maker's application for "Danke" can proceed because it's not confusingly similar to a confectioner's registration for "Merci," even though both mean "thank you" in different languages.

  • January 27, 2026

    Starbucks VP Says She Was Fired For Flagging 'Siren' System

    A former Starbucks vice president who oversaw new equipment testing claims the company terminated her for raising concerns about the debut of the "Siren" drink-making system, including that maggots spawned in the machine without proper cleaning, according to a lawsuit launched Monday in Washington state court.

  • February 12, 2026

    Law360 Seeks Members For Its 2026 Editorial Boards

    Law360 is looking for avid readers of our publications to serve as members of our 2026 editorial advisory boards.

  • January 27, 2026

    Squires Cements Deshpande's Role As Top PTAB Judge

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has named Kalyan Deshpande to serve as the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's chief judge.

  • January 27, 2026

    EPA Seeks Public Input On Fluoride Health Effects

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday that it is seeking the public's input on the health effects from fluoride in water, which it could use to develop changes to the standards for safe levels.

  • January 27, 2026

    Tyson Worker Fights To Keep Bulk Of OT Suit Alive

    Tyson Foods Inc. shouldn't dodge a proposed class action accusing the company of flouting meal and rest break requirements and not paying workers correctly, a worker told a Washington federal court Monday, arguing that she supported her claims well enough at this stage of the litigation.

  • January 27, 2026

    Butterball Worker Wants Full 4th Circ. To Rehear Wage Case

    Fourth Circuit precedent establishes that state wage and hour laws are not preempted by federal law, a Butterball turkey catcher argued, urging the full appeals court to revisit a panel's decision denying his bid to revive his wage suit.

  • January 27, 2026

    Full 11th Circ. Will Rehear Seafood Co. Workers' ESOP Suit

    The full Eleventh Circuit will rehear a proposed class of seafood company workers' bid to revive mismanagement allegations against their employer and an employee stock ownership plan trustee, the court said Tuesday, after a three-judge panel affirmed dismissal of the case in October.

  • January 27, 2026

    6th Circ. Frees Kellanova From Arbitrating Promotion Fight

    Snack-maker Kellanova doesn't have to arbitrate a promotion dispute with a Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers union local, the Sixth Circuit ruled, finding the dispute isn't arbitrable under an expired collective bargaining agreement.

  • January 27, 2026

    EU, India Reach Major Free Trade Agreement

    The European Union and India have struck a deal on a free trade agreement including major tariff removals and reductions, culminating decades' worth of negotiations between the second- and fourth-largest economies in the world, the governments announced Tuesday.

  • January 27, 2026

    Kratom Buyers Call Co.'s Products Addictive, Dangerous

    A group of kratom product buyers is suing 7Tabz Retail LLC in California federal court, launching the latest suit alleging kratom companies are pushing an addictive drug without warning buyers about the danger.

  • January 27, 2026

    Fatburger Owner FAT Brands Hits Ch. 11 With $1.5B Debt

    FAT Brands Inc., the owner of Fatburger and Johnny Rockets, and its affiliates have filed for Chapter 11 protection in a Texas bankruptcy court with $1.45 billion in funded debt, felled by an unsustainable debt load and flagging liquidity. 

  • January 26, 2026

    Jocko Fuel Sued In NY Over Cadmium In Protein Shakes

    Jocko Fuel misleads consumers into thinking its chocolate protein shakes are made with "just premium protein and functional ingredients" that are tested for safety, despite the fact that the shakes are at risk of containing unsafe levels of cadmium, according to a proposed class action filed Monday in New York federal court.

  • January 26, 2026

    Newman's Own Cookie Deal Crumbled, $2M Suit Alleges

    Avatar Foods sued Newman's Own in Connecticut federal court Monday over a co-packing agreement to produce cream-filled sandwich cookies, which collapsed due to the defendant's alleged large-scale production failures that left Avatar "holding the bag," with over $1 million in outstanding invoices and 19,954 cases of cookies it can't resell.

  • January 26, 2026

    Whole Foods $2M ERISA Deal OK'd, Class Counsel Get $666K

    A Texas federal judge signed off on a $2 million settlement between Austin-based Whole Foods and its employees, resolving a class action in which the company was accused of mismanaging employee 401(k) accounts by failing to negotiate for lower administrative fees.

  • January 26, 2026

    Amazon Accused Of Ignoring Nitrous Oxide Health Hazards

    Amazon and nitrous oxide manufacturer Miami Magic took advantage of a "legal loophole" by selling flavored laughing gas products they claimed were for culinary use rather than recreational inhalation, according to a Seattle federal lawsuit from a Georgia man who alleged that his daily use of nitrous oxide caused him serious harm.

  • January 26, 2026

    Denver Faces Lawsuit Over Flavored Tobacco Ban

    A trade group representing 125 small business owners and manufacturers in Colorado's vaping industry has told a Colorado state court that an ordinance passed by the city banning the sale of flavored tobacco products is unconstitutional.

  • January 26, 2026

    Southern Glazer's Wants To Compare FTC Case To Kroger

    Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits LLC urged a California federal judge Friday to give it key material from the Federal Trade Commission's successful challenge to the Kroger-Albertsons merger, sparring with the FTC on arguments that the agency is contradicting itself in a price discrimination lawsuit.

  • January 26, 2026

    H-2A Truck Drivers Seek Collective Certification In OT Suit

    A Colorado company subjects all its tractor-trailer drivers to the same illegal policy of considering them overtime-exempt under federal law, a group of migrant workers said, urging a Colorado federal court to greenlight a collective.

  • January 26, 2026

    Ill. Judge Trims False Ad Suit Over Abbott Formula

    An Illinois federal judge Friday dismissed several claims in a putative class action alleging Abbott Laboratories falsely advertised its toddler drinks sold under the Similac brand as nutritionally proper for children ages 12 months to 36 months, but largely allowed the parents' complaint to move forward.

  • January 26, 2026

    US Hits Chinese, Vietnamese Green Packaging With Duties

    The U.S. Department of Commerce on Monday levied triple-digit antidumping and countervailing duties against imported biodegradable plates and food packaging from China and Vietnam after the U.S. International Trade Commission found the dumped and subsidized imports were causing material injury to domestic industry.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Series

    Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

  • DOJ Enforcement Trends To Watch In 2nd Half Of 2025

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    Recent investigations, settlements and a declination to prosecute suggest that controlling the flow of goods into and out of the country, and redressing what the administration sees as reverse discrimination, are likely to be at the forefront of the U.S. Department of Justice's enforcement agenda the rest of this year, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Federal Regs Order May Spell Harsher FDCA Enforcement

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    A recent executive order aimed at reducing criminal prosecutions of those who unknowingly violate complex federal regulations may actually lead to more aggressive felony indictments under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, but companies and executives can mitigate risks by following several key principals, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

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    Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

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