Food & Beverage

  • July 29, 2025

    Hershey Tries To Sink Suit Over Spicy Chip Blamed For Death

    The Hershey Company has asked a Massachusetts federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the family of a teen who died after participating in a viral social media trend dubbed the "One Chip Challenge," which involved consuming an extremely spicy tortilla chip, saying the product is legal and includes "prominent warning labels."

  • July 29, 2025

    USDA Seeks End To Pa. Suit Over $13M Food Aid Cut

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania's governor accusing the USDA of haphazardly cutting off $13 million in food aid that supports local farmers.

  • July 29, 2025

    Worker Caused Own Drunk Driving Death, Conn. Court Told

    A woman who died in a drunk driving crash after an allegedly mandatory wine tasting event at the Connecticut restaurant where she worked is responsible for her own death because she drank too much and failed to obey traffic laws, the defendants in her estate's lawsuit said in their answer to the complaint.

  • July 29, 2025

    Jones Day Hires Former Pharma Co. Counsel In DC

    Jones Day has hired a former Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP partner, who has also worked in-house at two pharmaceutical companies and with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the firm announced Tuesday.

  • July 29, 2025

    Pot Growers Not Forum-Shopping In $17M Suit, Judge Finds

    A Massachusetts state court judge has rejected claims of forum shopping made by a berry farm accused of contaminating nearby cannabis fields with pesticides, denying a motion to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction.

  • July 28, 2025

    Smucker, Chubby Snacks End TM Spat Over Uncrustables

    J.M. Smucker has settled its lawsuit accusing Chubby Snacks of misusing its Uncrustables trademarks and making disparaging comments about the signature sandwich while hyping up its own competing peanut butter and fruit spread product as a purportedly healthier option, according to an order signed Monday by an Ohio federal judge.

  • July 28, 2025

    Amazon Looks To Ax Claims Of Heavy Metals In Rice Products

    Amazon urged a Washington federal court to dismiss proposed class litigation seeking to hold the company responsible for rice products sold through its online store that contain toxic metals such as lead and mercury, saying there's no allegation the levels are "above any applicable legal or regulatory thresholds."

  • July 28, 2025

    Splenda-Maker Says Emails Show NC Scientist Ignored Data

    The makers of Splenda said new emails and documents unearthed in discovery for its defamation lawsuit against a scientist show that she ignored and manipulated experiment data to suggest that the artificial sweetener is dangerous for humans.

  • July 28, 2025

    Coca-Cola Looks To Drain '100% Natural Flavors' False Ad Suit

    Coca-Cola urged a California federal judge to drain a proposed class action alleging it deceptively labels its Sprite sodas as made with "100% natural flavors" despite containing citric acid, arguing Friday the plaintiff doesn't plausibly allege the citric acid is artificial, and that her claims are preempted by federal law.

  • July 28, 2025

    Electrolux Range's Defect Led To Fire, Insurer Tells Court

    Three Electrolux companies manufactured ranges with a foreseeable defect that allowed the products to unintentionally activate, a property insurer told a Connecticut federal court as it sought to recover the claim payout for a homeowner's kitchen fire.

  • July 28, 2025

    Cashier Says Cannabis Bakery Didn't Pay Overtime, Took Tips

    A former cashier for an Illinois bakery that makes and sells cannabis products sued the bakery Monday, alleging it failed to pay proper overtime wages and distributed tips to managers in violation of state and federal law.

  • July 28, 2025

    Walmart Makes Deal After $223M Loss In Trade Secrets Trial

    Walmart Inc. has reached a settlement with Zest Labs Inc. to end a suit accusing the retail behemoth of using Zest Labs' trade secrets related to shelf-freshness technology after a jury awarded the company $223 million in damages, according to a Monday court order.

  • July 28, 2025

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    A Delaware vice chancellor last week sent several coordinated derivative suits seeking millions of dollars in damages from AT&T to trial and also chose a boutique firm to lead a potential "blockbuster" suit challenging a take-private deal of a sports and entertainment group after "heated" attacks between competing counsel.

  • July 25, 2025

    Coffee Co. Says Tech Firm Brewed Trademark Conflict

    A coffee roaster is accusing a coffee-focused tech firm of wrongly obtaining a trademark registration for the phrase "meet the farmer" and waging an anticompetitive campaign to damage the roaster over its use of the phrase.

  • July 25, 2025

    4th Circ. Revives Kraft Heinz Suit Over Safety Complaints

    The Fourth Circuit on Friday overturned a win for Kraft Heinz Inc. in a suit by a former worker at a meatpacking plant who alleged that he'd been fired for reporting safety issues, saying the district court wrongly concluded that a separate disciplinary investigation was the sole reason he was terminated.

  • July 25, 2025

    Calif. Air Board Faces New Suit Over Carbon Fuel Standard

    Environmental and public interest groups hit the California Air Resources Board with another lawsuit in Golden State court Friday, alleging that the state's recent amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard will have the perverse effect of incentivizing large-scale factory farms, which pose significant environmental and public health risks.

  • July 25, 2025

    9th Circ.: Gila River Tribe-Farmer Water Fight Not Over

    The Ninth Circuit has ruled a federal judge prematurely sided with the Gila River Indian Community in a water rights dispute, finding future fact-finding is needed before ordering Arizona farmers to shut off wells that allegedly draw water from the river.

  • July 25, 2025

    Fluoride Fans Tell 9th Circ. To Preserve Drinking Water Use

    A pro-fluoride group is supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's fight to overturn a California federal judge's ruling that current limits on the chemical in drinking water aren't protective enough.

  • July 25, 2025

    3rd Circ. Won't Review $3.2M Wawa Breach Fee Award

    The Third Circuit on Thursday won't revisit its prior decision upholding $3.2 million in fees to plaintiffs' counsel in a case that secured a $12 million deal for Wawa shoppers affected by a data breach after attorney Ted Frank argued the fees were disproportionate to the class' recovery.

  • July 25, 2025

    Minnesota Regulators Sue Retailer Over Cannabinoid Wares

    Minnesota's cannabis regulator has brought a state court action seeking an order compelling a retailer to destroy hemp-derived cannabinoid products that are allegedly noncompliant under the state's laws.

  • July 25, 2025

    Texas Farmer Not Owed For Border Wall Costs, 5th Circ. Says

    A Texas farmer isn't owed compensation for a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border wall that the government built on her land in 2008, the Fifth Circuit ruled Thursday.

  • July 25, 2025

    Jurisdiction Issue Leads To USAID Shutdown Suit's Dismissal

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge dismissed a suit Friday by a union and other groups seeking to stop the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and denied a contractor association an order blocking the same, saying their claims belong before expert agencies rather than a district court.

  • July 25, 2025

    Wash. Judge Tosses Costco Customer's Online Upcharge Suit

    A Washington state judge has thrown out a consumer's proposed class action accusing Costco of hidden markups on online purchases, saying Friday that the warehouse retailer's website is "extremely clear" that grocery prices are higher than they are in-store to cover packing and fulfillment costs.

  • July 25, 2025

    Ex-Whataburger Worker Drops 5th Circ. Appeal In 401(k) Suit

    A former employee of Whataburger dropped his Fifth Circuit bid to revive a proposed class action alleging mismanagement of an employee 401(k) plan Friday following a Texas federal court's decision tossing the case in November.

  • July 25, 2025

    Historic Conn. Soda Co., Ex-President Settle Unfair Lease Suit

    The former president of a century-old Connecticut soft drink company has agreed to settle a lawsuit he filed in state court after he became a minority owner in the company following purchases of company stock by family members.

Expert Analysis

  • Latest Influencer Marketing Class Actions Pinpoint 5 Themes

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    Several recent deceptive marketing class actions against both brands and influencers attempt to transform arguably routine business practices into a new focus area for consumer complaints, suggesting a coordinated approach to test what could become an increasingly popular area of litigation, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Trump's Trade Policies Are Shaping Foreign Investment

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    Five months into the Trump administration, investors are beginning to see the concrete effects of the president’s America First Investment Policy as it presents new opportunities for clearing transactions more quickly, while sustaining risk aversion related to Chinese trade and potentially creating different political risks, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • 4 Consumer Class Action Trends To Watch In 2nd Half Of 2025

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    The first half of 2025 has seen a surge of consumer class action trends related to online tools, websites and marketing messages, creating a new legal risk landscape for companies of all sizes, says Scott Shaffer at Olshan Frome.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

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    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • One Year On, Davidson Holds Lessons On 'Health Halo' Claims

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    A year after the Ninth Circuit's Davidson v. Sprout Foods decision — which raised the bar for so-called health halo claims — food and beverage companies can draw insights from its finding, subsequently expanded on by other courts, that plaintiffs must be specific when alleging fraud in healthfulness marketing, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Bill Leaves Renewable Cos. In Dark On Farmland Reporting

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    A U.S. Senate bill to update disclosure requirements for foreign control of U.S. farmland does not provide much-needed guidance on how to report renewable energy development on agricultural property, leaving significant compliance risks for project developers, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

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    My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

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    The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.

  • Series

    Performing As A Clown Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    To say that being a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has changed my legal career would truly be an understatement — by creating an opening to converse on a unique topic, it has allowed me to connect with clients, counsel and even judges on a deeper level, says Charles Tatelbaum at Tripp Scott.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Rejecting Biz Dev Myths

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    Law schools don’t spend sufficient time dispelling certain myths that prevent young lawyers from exploring new business opportunities, but by dismissing these misguided beliefs, even an introverted first-year associate with a small network of contacts can find long-term success, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • DOJ Has Deep Toolbox For Corporate Immigration Violations

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    With the U.S. Department of Justice now offering rewards to whistleblowers who report businesses that employ unauthorized workers, companies should understand the immigration enforcement landscape and how they can reduce their risk, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing

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    Recent instances in which attorneys filed briefs containing artificial intelligence hallucinations offer a stark reminder that effective revision isn’t just about superficial details like grammar — it requires attorneys to critically engage with their writing and analyze their rhetorical choices, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • 9th Circ. Has Muddied Waters Of Article III Pleading Standard

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    District courts in the Ninth Circuit continue to apply a defunct and especially forgiving pleading standard to questions of Article III standing, and the circuit court itself has only perpetuated this confusion — making it an attractive forum for disputes that have no rightful place in federal court, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

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