Food & Beverage

  • May 07, 2025

    Tupperware's Post-Sale Ch. 11 Plan Approved

    The Chapter 11 plan of liquidation of food storage container company Tupperware Brands Corp. received court approval Wednesday in Delaware without any opposition, marking a complete turnaround from the turmoil at the outset of the case.

  • May 07, 2025

    Coffee Exporter Hit With $31M Judgment Over Missed Shipments

    A Florida federal judge said Wednesday she would enter a roughly $31 million judgment for a "green" coffee retailer that said it prepaid for coffee shipments that were never received from a Nicaraguan green coffee bean exporter.

  • May 07, 2025

    Splenda Maker Can't Claim Scientist's Research Is 'Defamation'

    A North Carolina federal judge has partially dismissed claims from the maker of sweetener Splenda alleging that a scientist defamed the company by saying in a television interview that Splenda contains a harmful chemical, saying accurately stating the results of her research is protected by the First Amendment.

  • May 07, 2025

    LA Firm Sues Fisher Phillips Over 'Ridiculous' SLAPP Suit

    A Los Angeles employment lawyer has sued Fisher Phillips for malicious prosecution, alleging the international labor firm targeted him with a "frivolous Rube Goldberg-esque legal argument" in an attempt to block him from representing workers at a Southern California diner chain in claims against their employer.

  • May 07, 2025

    Baking Co. Says Trade Secret Sanctions Bid Is Undercooked

    An Ohio baking products company says it shouldn't be sanctioned for sharing some of the ingredients in one of its products in a temporarily public court filing, since the same ingredients had been discussed in open court during testimony about how that product allegedly differed from the trade-secret recipe a rival was trying to protect.

  • May 07, 2025

    Bimbo Bakeries Accused Of Misclassifying Drivers

    A pair of New England drivers who deliver Sara Lee and other branded baked goods said Tuesday in a proposed class action that Bimbo Bakeries violates Massachusetts law by treating them as independent contractors rather than employees.

  • May 06, 2025

    Whole Foods Beef Buyers Urge Judge Not To Wait On Justices

    An attorney for a group of consumers alleging Whole Foods falsely advertises its beef as free from antibiotics urged a California federal judge Tuesday not to wait for a pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling about class certification standards for uninjured members, saying that all the purchasers were injured because they paid inflated prices. 

  • May 06, 2025

    WeightWatchers Files Ch. 11 To Eliminate $1.15B Of Debt

    WeightWatchers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware bankruptcy court Tuesday, saying the restructuring will eliminate $1.15 billion in debt and allow the company to focus on its telehealth services.

  • May 06, 2025

    Mars Dog Food Has Dangerous Vitamin D Levels, Suit Says

    Mars Petcare's Pedigree brand of kibble is falsely marketed as a "100% Complete & Balanced" diet for pets despite containing dangerous levels of vitamin D that leads to vomiting and diarrhea in dogs, according to a recently filed proposed class action in Tennessee federal court.

  • May 06, 2025

    Judge Backs Kellanova In $330M Teamsters Pension Row

    An Illinois federal judge on Monday sided with Kellanova in considering cross-motions from the food company and a Teamsters pension fund to enforce and modify an arbitration award governing Kellanova's withdrawal liability after it ended its participation in the multiemployer pension plan in 2019.

  • May 06, 2025

    Cipriani Bellini Maker Says Drink Importer Copies Cocktail Dress

    Cipriani Bellini maker Altunis and its U.S. licensee Bicobi Ltd. have sued alcohol importer Monsieur Touton Selection in New York federal court for allegedly infringing its trade dress by using an Altunis cocktail's seafoam green color bottle and package for its own products after Bicobi walked away from a distribution agreement.

  • May 06, 2025

    4th Circ. Flags Possibly New Arguments In Severed-Foot Case

    A Fourth Circuit judge on Tuesday suggested a North Carolina farm had sandbagged a federal district court judge by raising arguments on appeal that weren't fleshed out for the lower court in an effort to overturn a $2.5 million jury verdict favoring a worker who lost his foot to a grain silo auger.

  • May 06, 2025

    Mich. Judge Urges Contract Suit Settlement After $32M Verdict

    A Michigan federal judge on Tuesday granted a pot farm's bid for prejudgment interest on a $31.8 million verdict in its contract dispute against two Curaleaf units, but declined to sanction the units and said it was advisable for both sides to reach a settlement in post-judgment proceedings.

  • May 06, 2025

    Diageo Overstates Agave Content In Tequilas, Suit Says

    Global liquor giant Diageo North America falsely advertises its Casamigos and Don Julio beverages as containing 100% tequila agave, despite that the distilled spirits are adulterated with significant amounts of cane or other types of alcohol, according to a proposed class action filed Monday in New York federal court. 

  • May 06, 2025

    Ill. Judge Trims False Ad Suit Over Smartfood Popcorn

    An Illinois federal judge on Monday partially granted a bid by PepsiCo to dismiss a putative class action alleging popcorn made by subsidiary Smartfoods Inc. was deceptively marketed as containing no artificial flavors or preservatives, when it contains maltodextrin, while saying the plaintiffs had done enough at this stage to allege the ingredient is an artificial preservative.

  • May 06, 2025

    Pa. House OKs Pot Legalization Bill With State-Run Shops

    Pennsylvania's House of Representatives approved on Tuesday a Democrat-backed bill to legalize recreational adult-use marijuana and regulate its sale through state-run stores.

  • May 06, 2025

    Firms Beat Malpractice Suit Over Chicken Plant Pollution

    Delaware's Supreme Court on Tuesday affirmed a trial court's dismissal of a malpractice suit against Brockstedt Mandalas Federico LLC and Schochor Staton Goldberg & Cardea PA for their alleged mishandling of claims associated with a child's "catastrophic injuries" purportedly caused by contamination from a chicken plant.

  • May 06, 2025

    Ex-Investor In Cannabis-Infused Water Wants Charges Tossed

    A former shareholder of American Premium Water Corp. is urging an Ohio federal judge to throw out the charges against him alleging that he participated in a $10 million pump-and-dump scheme, saying the indictment doesn't properly allege his wrongdoing.

  • May 06, 2025

    Food Co. Harvest Sherwood Hits Ch. 11 Amid Sprouts Lawsuit

    Meat distributor Harvest Sherwood Food Distributors Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas bankruptcy court with up to $559 million in debt, saying it intends to wind down its remaining business and pursue claims against Sprouts Farmers Market over allegedly withheld payments.

  • May 05, 2025

    CoreLife Eatery Settles $7.8M Fraud Claim Over COVID Funds

    CoreLife Eatery will pay over $7.8 million to settle allegations that it falsely claimed eligibility for a pandemic-era program meant to boost small businesses, the U.S. Attorneys' Office for the Northern District of New York announced Monday.

  • May 05, 2025

    Citizens Policy May Cover BIPA Claim, 7th Circ. Says

    An Illinois food ingredient manufacturer may be able to tap into one of its Citizens insurance policies for coverage of an underlying biometric privacy suit, if the company can prove it provided the insurer with timely notice of the claim, the Seventh Circuit said.

  • May 05, 2025

    Judge Backs Biden-Era Protections For H-2A Farmworkers

    A North Carolina federal judge tossed a challenge to a Biden-era regulation that enhanced the organizing rights of seasonal farmworkers with H-2A visas, saying Monday that the U.S. Department of Labor didn't act arbitrarily and capriciously when it issued the regulation.

  • May 05, 2025

    PCA Tribunal Favors UK In Sandeel Fishing Dispute With EU

    The United Kingdom has a right to stop the commercial fishing of sandeels in U.K. waters as it looks to protect endangered seabirds, a Permanent Court of Arbitration tribunal has ruled in a dispute brought by the European Union.

  • May 05, 2025

    Burger King Can't Chop Claims It Cooked Up Misleading Ads

    Burger King can't toss a proposed class action alleging its advertisements misrepresent the size and amount of toppings in its iconic Whopper hamburger, a Florida federal judge ruled Monday, saying the consumers have plausibly alleged the advertisement photos "go beyond mere exaggeration or puffery."

  • May 05, 2025

    IHOP Franchisee, Ex-Server End Sex Harassment Suit

    A North Carolina federal judge agreed to dismiss a legal battle between an IHOP franchisee and a former server who said she was fired for rejecting a manager's sexual advances, as the parties had said a previous ruling from another judge doomed the worker's suit.

Expert Analysis

  • What Bisphenol S Prop 65 Listing Will Mean For Industry

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    The imminent addition of bisphenol S — a chemical used in millions of products — to California's Proposition 65 list will have sweeping compliance and litigation implications for companies in the retail, food and beverage, paper, manufacturing and personal care product industries, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Note 3 Simple Types Of Legal Complexity

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    Cases can appear complex for several reasons — due to the number of issues, the volume of factual and evidentiary sources, and the sophistication of those sources — but the same basic technique can help lawyers tame their arguments into a simple and persuasive message, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Tracking The Uncertainty Of The FTC's Negative Option Rule

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    The fate of the Federal Trade Commission's final rule requiring businesses that utilize negative options to provide consumers with a simple cancellation method remains in limbo as it faces multiple legal challenges and the threat of possible congressional action looms, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • Series

    Gardening Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond its practical and therapeutic benefits, gardening has bolstered important attributes that also apply to my litigation practice, including persistence, patience, grit and authenticity, says Christopher Viceconte at Gibbons.

  • What New Calif. Law Means For Cannabis Lounges

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    With a recently enacted California law authorizing licensed cannabis retailers and microbusinesses to prepare and sell noncannabis food and beverages, the door opens for a more sustainable business model — but challenges related to costs and liability remain, says Tracy Gallegos at Duane Morris.

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

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    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • A View Into NY's New Business Interruption Insurance Law

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    In response to businesses' economic challenges during the pandemic, New York recently allowed the issuance of stand-alone business interruption insurance coverage, and while pricing and insurer participation questions remain, the product stands to benefit business owners and the state economy, say attorneys at Saxe Doernberger.

  • How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin

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    In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • NLRB One-Two Punch Curbs Employer Anti-Organizing Tools

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    The National Labor Relations Board’s recent decisions in Siren Retail and Amazon, limiting employer speech about the impact of unionization and outlawing captive audience meetings, severely curtail employers' arsenal of tools to combat an organizing campaign — though this may soon change under a new administration, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • What Trump's Next Term May Mean For Biz Immigration

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    Leonard D'Arrigo at Harris Beach discusses the employment-based immigration policies businesses can potentially expect during President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, based on policies enacted during his first administration, statements made during his campaign and proposals in Project 2025.

  • Defense Insights As PFAS Consumer Product Claims Rise

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    Amid the recent proliferation of lawsuits seeking damages for failure to disclose the presence of PFAS in consumer products, manufacturers, distributors and consumer product companies should follow the science and consider a significant flaw in many of the filings, say attorneys at Farella Braun.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • Recent Listeria Outbreaks Hold Key Compliance Lessons

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    Listeria outbreaks in ready-to-eat foods from Boar's Head and other companies, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration responses to these outbreaks, should be closely evaluated from an overall compliance and risk management perspective by food manufacturers, retailers and industry investors, say attorneys at Kirkland.

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