Food & Beverage

  • October 16, 2026

    Quarterly IPO Volume Fell Short Of Expectations Amid Delays

    Third-quarter capital markets activity in the U.S. proved to be robust with a solid string of initial public offerings, but capital markets attorneys say it did not fully meet expectations due to delays of notable IPOs caused by market uncertainty.

  • October 16, 2026

    Could A Criminal Sentencing Case Upend Loper Bright?

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is concerned that a ruling instructing trial courts to defer to the U.S. Sentencing Commission's interpretation of federal sentencing guidelines could blow a "pretty big hole" in the court's recent rejection of deference doctrines. His colleagues, however, don't appear as perturbed.

  • October 16, 2026

    Ill. Judge Issues Injunction Against Pizzeria In TM Row

    An Illinois federal judge has said family-owned pizzeria Ledo's Inc. can only use its mark within a certain radius of its restaurant, while also limiting how it accepts delivery and shipping orders.

  • October 16, 2026

    11th Circ. ERISA Exhaustion Shift Furthers Textualist Trend

    An Eleventh Circuit decision overruling decades-old precedent that took a strict view of when federal benefits law claims could be brought in court continues a trend of courts excising judicially imposed rules not contained in statutory text, attorneys say.

  • October 16, 2026

    Stop & Shop 'Cheap Trick' Hides App Order Fees, Suit Says

    A Massachusetts resident said grocery chain Stop & Shop adds "sneaky fees" to online pickup orders at checkout, claiming in a new complaint that the tactic violates the state's price transparency regulations.

  • October 15, 2026

    Baby Food Cos. Get ADHD, Autism Claims Cut From MDL

    A California federal judge granted summary judgment on Wednesday to baby food manufacturers including Gerber and Walmart, ruling that children diagnosed with autism and ADHD had no admissible expert evidence showing that lead and arsenic in the products caused their conditions.

  • October 15, 2026

    Mo. Hemp Interests Seek To Block Restrictions

    Missouri officials have asked a federal court to halt discovery in a lawsuit by hemp companies challenging new regulations on intoxicating cannabinoid products, arguing the case turns on pure legal questions that can be resolved within the state's motion to dismiss.

  • October 15, 2026

    Josh Cellars Cos. Say Court, Not Jury, Must Decide Defenses

    Entities that help manage and market Josh Cellars wines say a Connecticut state judge, not a jury, must decide fairness defenses in former company president Thomas Steffanci's bid for millions in royalties, urging the judge to decline Steffanci's request to revisit a September order as a November trial date looms.

  • October 15, 2026

    Union Can't Arbitrate Quarrel Over Kraft Retiree Benefits

    A Delaware federal judge blocked a Teamsters union from arbitrating claims that the Kraft Heinz Company improperly withheld health benefits from retirees, ruling the parties' collective bargaining agreement makes clear that the dispute must be resolved through different means.

  • October 15, 2026

    Commerce Finalizes Duty Rates For Brazilian, Norwegian Pulp

    The U.S. Deparment of Commerce on Thursday finalized its determinations that high-purity dissolving pulp imported into the country from Brazil and Norway are being sold at unfair prices, setting up possible duty rates.

  • October 15, 2026

    FedEx Can't Escape Mortality Data Fight 6th Circ. Revived

    A Tennessee federal judge Thursday refused to toss a proposed class action alleging that FedEx pensioners' benefits were shortchanged due to outdated mortality assumptions used to convert their single life annuity benefits into joint-and-survivor form, holding claims were sufficiently backed up to reach discovery.

  • October 14, 2026

    Unions, Nonprofits Get USDA Reorganization Plan Blocked

    A California federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Agriculture from closing offices and reshuffling staff, saying the department's planned reorganization likely amounted to "reprogramming" prohibited by statutory spending restrictions.

  • October 14, 2026

    Boies Schiller Adds Ex-DOJ Civil Division Leader In NY, DC

    Boies Schiller Flexner LLP has added a former deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Division to its global investigations and white collar teams in New York and Washington, D.C., according to an announcement made Wednesday.

  • October 14, 2026

    Perrigo To Pay $10M To End Consumer Gerber Antitrust Suit

    Perrigo will pay $10 million to consumers accusing the company of cutting an anticompetitive agreement with Gerber to maintain a monopoly in the store-brand infant formula market, according to a motion filed in New York federal court Tuesday.

  • October 14, 2026

    Texas Court Wipes Out $8.9M Verdict In Shopper Assault Suit

    A Texas appellate court has overturned an $8.9 million verdict in favor of a grocery store customer who was assaulted by another shopper and suffered severe injuries, saying a certain negligence claim was improperly submitted to the jury.

  • October 14, 2026

    US Backs Alaska In High Court Fight Over Plane Forfeiture

    The federal government has told the U.S. Supreme Court that Alaska is well within its right to confiscate "instrumentalities of crime" and the state's attempted forfeiture of an 83-year-old bush pilot's $95,000 plane for transporting a six-pack of beer to a dry village wasn't excessive.

  • October 14, 2026

    Colo. Judge Mulls Coors' Bid To Stop Suppliers' Contract Exits

    Coors Distributing Co. LLC urged a Colorado state judge Wednesday to block a beer brand supplier from terminating its decades-long contract with the beer wholesaler until arbitration occurs, arguing that the supplier's contract exit presents a "real risk" that other suppliers will end their agreements with the wholesaler.

  • October 14, 2026

    Utz Sued Again Over Avocado Oil Potato Chip Labeling

    Utz was sued again Wednesday by customers who alleged in California federal court that they were misled into thinking its Boulder Canyon potato chips are cooked only with avocado oil, despite a recent UC Davis study that suggests the chips aren't consistent with a product containing only avocado oil.

  • October 14, 2026

    4 Questions After US, China Announce Tariff Shield

    The U.S. and China's recent announcement that they will shield a subset of goods from tariff actions and extend a trade truce is welcome by importers and advisers, though those stakeholders recognize more substantive policy outcomes between the world's two largest economies continue to face obstacles. Here, Law360 looks at four questions on the subject.

  • October 14, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Won't Revive UPL Patent, But Rejects Sanctions

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday refused to bring back an agricultural fungicide patent owned by UPL Ltd. that was invalidated at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, but also shot down a bid to sanction the Indian agrochemicals company.

  • October 14, 2026

    Kroger's 'Zero Sugar' Syrup Draws Allulose Labeling Suit

    Kroger was hit with a proposed class action in Illinois federal court Wednesday alleging its maple syrup's "Zero Sugar" label misleads shoppers because it contains allulose, joining a growing number of suits following a Seventh Circuit ruling that the sweetener qualifies as sugar under federal labeling rules.

  • October 14, 2026

    Germany Floats Tax On Sugary Drinks To Curb Health Costs

    Germany wants to tax sugary drinks starting next year in an effort to cut sugar consumption and reduce public healthcare costs, according to a proposal approved Wednesday by the Federal Cabinet.

  • October 14, 2026

    Couple Says Target Can't Escape Tainted Baby Formula Suit

    Two parents are urging a Washington federal court not to throw out their claims against Target Corp. in a suit alleging their baby contracted infant botulism from tainted baby formula sold at the store, saying their complaint sufficiently pleads that Target had a duty of reasonable care and should have looked into its sources.

  • October 14, 2026

    Smithfield Settles EEOC Suit Over Pregnant Worker's Firing

    A Smithfield Foods subsidiary reached a deal to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it placed a pregnant employee on unpaid leave and then fired her when she asked for lighter work and occasional breaks, according to a North Carolina federal court filing.

  • October 13, 2026

    Walmart Shorts Customers On Shrimp Weight, Ill. Suit Says

    Walmart has been accused in Illinois state court of illegally shorting its customers by including the ice "glaze" in the weight advertised on its Great Value shrimp packaging, which a customer says can lead to substantial differences in the product's true weight once thawed and drained.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Being A Singer Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Before law school, I spent seven years trying to make it as a professional singer in Los Angeles, and nearly everything I learned about preparation, humility, confidence and more has followed me into my legal practice, says Jessica Caterina at Moses & Singer.

  • USDA Rule Would Broaden Foreign Co. Reporting Burden

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    The U.S. Department of Agriculture's recently proposed overhaul of foreign landholder reporting obligations would expand covered agricultural uses, mandate more detailed online disclosures and toughen penalties, so organizations must proactively reassess U.S. land interests and prepare for a more stringent compliance regime, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Preparing For Next Congress With Eye On Investigation Risk

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    Rod Rosenstein, Brian Whisler and Bruce Linskens at Baker McKenzie offer advice for organizations seeking to build a proactive response plan to potential congressional oversight as the election looms.

  • How To Brace For A Potential Democratic Oversight Push

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    With the possibility of a shift in congressional control after the November midterm elections, companies and their general counsel should prepare now by mapping oversight exposure, reviewing government interactions, preserving records and developing coordinated communications strategies, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Series

    Being A Magician Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I've developed as a lifelong magician have translated directly into tangible benefits in the courtroom because performing magic and trying cases both live at the intersection of psychology, storytelling, timing and disciplined rehearsal, says Mark Dombroff at Fox Rothschild.

  • Opinion

    Shareholder Derivative Litigation Needs A Better Framework

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    Uncoordinated, multiforum shareholder derivative litigation is a growing issue for corporate defendants that have little to no recourse for organizing and consolidating actions, but several commonsense steps should be utilized to preempt such disputes, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • How Justices' TPS Ruling Affects Workforce Planning

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent holding in Mullin v. Doe that courts lack jurisdiction to review temporary protected status determinations greenlights the end of TPS for thousands of Syrian and Haitian nationals, and means employers must reevaluate TPS-designees' employability while avoiding discriminatory document practices, says attorney Richard Herman.

  • How Cos. Can Prep For Ultra-Processed Food Legal Risks

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    A wave of litigation and government scrutiny directed against ultra-processed foods is now gaining momentum, following patterns seen previously in other industries — and food companies that recognize those patterns early will be better positioned to manage the increasing risks, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Series

    Bass Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Landing a trophy striped bass and closing a big deal both require cultivating the patience to finesse — not force — your way to desired outcomes, changing course when your old approach isn’t working and learning from the ones that got away, says Jon Ruiss at Alston & Bird.

  • Roundup

    The Most Talked-About Supreme Court Decisions Of 2026

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    This term, 11 U.S. Supreme Court decisions quickly became hot topics among Law360's guest writers.

  • What Ex-CFPB Head's Calif. Role May Foretell For Oversight

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    California Gov. Gavin Newsom's selection of former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra to lead a new consumer agency signals tougher state financial services oversight, especially for fintechs, as well as heightened enforcement activity and larger penalties, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Immigration Ruling Maps Alternative To Universal Injunctions

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    A Rhode Island federal court's decision in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. USCIS vacating policies that froze key immigration adjudications for nationals of 39 countries, and paused asylum applications altogether, suggests how practitioners might press for the Administrative Procedure Act's bad faith exception to record review and seek vacatur as a viable alternative to universal injunctions, says Kemal Hepsen at Mandamus Lawyers.

  • Lessons From EEOC Suit Over Coca-Cola Women-Only Event

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    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's recent lawsuit alleging that Coca-Cola Northeast violated federal law by having a professional development retreat for female employees demonstrates that the EEOC is scrutinizing DEI-related practices with unprecedented intensity, so even the most well-intentioned programs may be challenged, say attorneys at Venable.

  • High Court's FCC Fine Ruling Reframes Agency Enforcement

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Federal Communications Commission v. AT&T sweeps aside uncertainty about what kinds of regulatory enforcement trigger a Seventh Amendment right, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • After Durnell, Connecting Science And Causation Will Be Key

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's June 25 decision in Monsanto v. Durnell narrowed label-based failure-to-warn claims — meaning that going forward, viable theories will depend even more on whether experts can reliably connect scientific evidence to the causal proposition the law requires, says Alex Smolak at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar.

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