Food & Beverage

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Thursday refused to toss a proposed class action alleging that FedEx pensioners' benefits were shortchanged due to outdated mortality assumptions used to convert their single life annuity benefits into joint-and-survivor form, holding claims were sufficiently backed up to reach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

  • October 13, 2026

    Biotech Co.'s Egg Protein Patent Case Flops In Del. Court

    A Delaware federal judge found cracks in a biotechnology company's jurisdictional arguments in a case it brought seeking a declaration that it wasn't infringing a rival's patent covering animal-free egg protein, ruling Friday there was no imminent controversy between the companies when the lawsuit was filed.

  • October 13, 2026

    Justices Won't Review 9th Circ. Revival Of Trafficking Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to review the full Ninth Circuit's February ruling that Congress' 2023 bill clarifying civil liability for companies that "attempt to benefit" from human trafficking of Cambodian workers can apply retroactively.

  • October 13, 2026

    Colo. Panel Probes Challenge To Large-Scale Feedlot Permit

    The Colorado Court of Appeals challenged environmental groups' opposition to a permit allowing large-scale animal feeding facilities to operate without certain monitoring requirements, but pressed counsel for both parties on Tuesday on the permit's purpose amid potential pollution to the state's waterways.

  • October 13, 2026

    NYC Pushes Back On Bid To Block Municipal Grocery Stores

    The New York City government urged a federal court not to block plans to open city-owned grocery stores in each of the five boroughs, saying the program is needed to combat hunger as New Yorkers face high inflation and cuts to federal nutrition assistance.

  • October 13, 2026

    Chicagoans Sue Over Delivery Robots' Biometric Scans

    Two California-based robot delivery companies have been hit with biometric privacy suits in Illinois state court alleging that the robots they deploy in Chicago unlawfully scan identifying information from people in their range and stream that data in real time to human operators, using it to train both their own and third parties' artificial intelligence models.

  • October 13, 2026

    Texas County Says Hemp Rule Not Preempted By Federal Law

    Officials in a South Texas county are urging a federal judge to dismiss claims brought against them by a trio of hemp interests challenging a state policy that redesignated intoxicating hemp products as Schedule I substances.

  • October 13, 2026

    2nd Circ. Revives Lidl Worker's Unpaid Waiting Time Suit

    Waiting time is compensable under federal wage law when employees are required to report to work but cannot begin their duties for reasons beyond their control, the Second Circuit ruled Tuesday in reviving a Lidl grocery store worker's unpaid wage claims.

  • October 13, 2026

    Snack Co. Health Plan Levied Unlawful Tobacco Fee, Suit Says

    Snack food company Mondelez Global LLC unlawfully charged employees who used tobacco an additional $1,200 per year to obtain health benefits without adequately explaining how workers could avoid the fee, according to a proposed class action filed in Illinois federal court.

  • October 13, 2026

    1st Circ. Nixes Lobster Fishers' Libel Suit Against Aquarium

    The First Circuit has ordered the dismissal of a defamation suit that lobster fishers brought against an aquarium that urged consumers to avoid buying lobster, finding the claims are barred because the report did not single out any of the plaintiffs.

Expert Analysis

  • Preparing For Next Congress With Eye On Investigation Risk

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Series

    Choral Singing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Singing in the New York City Bar Chorus — a hobby partly inspired by the late U.S. District Judge Richard Owen, who infused my clerkship year with opera music — has improved my legal career by refining my abilities to listen, exude confidence and develop emotional intelligence, says Bonnie Baker at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Attorney Mental Health Is An Ethical Obligation In The AI Era

    Author Photo

    As attorneys cope with the increasing unpredictability that artificial intelligence and constant policy changes have created, particularly in practice areas where they carry the emotional weight of clients’ most consequential life events, otherwise soft discussions about self-care are a matter of professional competence, says attorney Jack Jrada.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Food & Beverage archive.