Food & Beverage

  • April 01, 2025

    Bigelow Waved The Flag While Selling Foreign Tea, Jury Told

    R.C. Bigelow Inc. falsely advertised its foreign-grown teas as "manufactured in the USA" in a deceitful effort to play on customers' patriotic sentiments, counsel for a certified class of Golden State tea buyers told jurors as a damages trial opened in California federal court Tuesday.

  • April 01, 2025

    FDA Beats Challenge To Approval Of Elanco's Cattle Gas Drug

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has defeated an administrative challenge to its approval of Elanco Health's drug meant to reduce ammonia gas emissions from beef cattle and their waste, with a California federal judge ruling Tuesday that the agency reasonably evaluated its safety based on a wide array of studies.

  • April 01, 2025

    Pork Price-Fixing Fight Over Sales Data Swap Heads To Trial

    A Minnesota federal court mostly denied Monday a slew of summary judgment motions from Tyson and other pork producers seeking wins in an antitrust suit alleging they conspired with data firm Agri Stats to fix pork prices and reduce supply, teeing up the high-stakes multidistrict litigation for a June trial.

  • April 01, 2025

    Gov't Says Climate Webpage Takedowns Reflect New Priorities

    Environmental groups have failed to show that the U.S. Department of Agriculture must restore certain climate change-focused webpages to its sites, government attorneys have argued, telling a Manhattan federal judge Monday that it's in the public's interest to have government websites that reflect the current presidential administration's priorities.

  • April 01, 2025

    7th Circ. Upholds Simmons' $8M Chicken Price-Fix Deal

    The Seventh Circuit refused to undo an $8 million chicken price-fixing deal between direct buyers and Simmons' Foods that was challenged by Boston Market, which claimed the deal improperly released its bid-rigging claims, noting Tuesday the restaurant provided no evidence the deal is an unreasonably low value for the claims.

  • April 01, 2025

    Loeb, Skadden Steer Siddhi Acquisition's Upsized $240M IPO

    Siddhi Acquisition Corp., backed by food and technology-focused private investors, began trading Tuesday after raising an upsized $240 million initial public offering, represented by Loeb & Loeb LLP and underwriters' counsel Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP.

  • April 01, 2025

    Court Won't Toss FTC's Merger Penalty Case Against 7-Eleven

    A D.C. federal court refused to toss the Federal Trade Commission's case looking to hit 7-Eleven with a $77.5 million penalty for allegedly violating a merger settlement after rejecting arguments that only the U.S. Department of Justice can seek civil penalties for the commission.

  • April 01, 2025

    Carnival Biz, H-2B Visa Workers To Settle Wage Suit

    A carnival business that tours the East Coast and two H-2B visa workers who alleged that it forced them to work long hours in sometimes dangerous conditions without overtime pay have agreed to settle a proposed class action, according to Virginia federal court records.

  • March 31, 2025

    Hooters Hits Ch. 11 With Plans For Restaurant Sales

    Restaurant chain Hooters filed for Chapter 11 protection in a Texas bankruptcy court late Monday with about $380 million in debt, saying it has reached a deal to shed its company-owned restaurants and trade debt for equity.

  • March 31, 2025

    Minimum Wage Orders Blocked For H-2A Farmworkers In Wash.

    The U.S. Department of Labor may not approve minimum wage job orders for migrant farmworkers in Washington state, a federal judge has ruled, saying seasonal farmworkers with H-2A visas must receive paychecks that don't depress agricultural wages in the area.

  • March 31, 2025

    Agencies Shouldn't Hear PFAS Class Claims, Conn. Court Told

    A Connecticut state judge should not dismiss most of a putative class action alleging that Aquarion Water Co. knowingly sold water contaminated with "forever chemicals" because the Eversource Energy unit is wrong that the claims should go before state regulators first, according to the plaintiffs.

  • March 31, 2025

    Chicken Processor Strikes $7.26M Deal In Wage Suit

    A North Carolina chicken processor and workers claiming unpaid wages jointly requested that a federal court greenlight a deal in which the company agreed to pay $7.26 million to the workers.

  • March 31, 2025

    Trader Joe's Scores Win In Chocolate Heavy Metals Case

    Consumers alleging dark chocolate sold by Trader Joe's contains unsafe levels of lead and cadmium cannot pursue some of their state law claims because information about the presence of heavy metals in chocolate has been reasonably available to consumers for decades, a California federal judge ruled.

  • March 31, 2025

    Nut Butter Co. Says Calif. Rival Copied 'Big Spoon' Trademark

    A North Carolina company that makes various nut butters under the name "Big Spoon" is suing a California sauce company for trademark infringement, saying in a federal complaint that the rival business is selling similar products using the same name and confusing customers.

  • March 28, 2025

    DOJ Alleges Missing Docs In Agri Stats Price-Fixing Case

    The U.S. Department of Justice asked a Minnesota federal judge to force Agri Stats Inc. to produce more information in a case alleging the company's industry reports facilitate price-fixing by chicken, pork and turkey producers, raising concerns over widespread discovery failures and "facially unsupported privilege claims."

  • March 28, 2025

    Grocery Vendor Gets $3M In Atty Fees In Bony Chicken Case

    A Washington federal judge has awarded an Evergreen State grocery vendor about $3 million in attorney fees following its $10.5 million jury trial win in its case blaming a poultry producer for a lost chicken burger deal with Trader Joe's, acknowledging the "excellent work" of the plaintiff's counsel while stopping short of granting the full $4.5 million fee request.

  • March 28, 2025

    Judge Ends $400M Air Force Base PFAS Contamination Case

    A Court of Federal Claims judge has dismissed a $400 million lawsuit from New Mexico landowners alleging that PFAS runoff from a nearby U.S. Air Force base contaminated their land, saying they hadn't shown any taking by the government.

  • March 28, 2025

    Kroger, Albertsons Appeal Block Of $24.6B Merger

    Kroger and Albertsons say they plan to appeal a Washington state judge's ruling that blocked the $24.6 billion merger of the grocery chains and determined the state could collect legal costs for prevailing in its Consumer Protection Act suit opposing the deal.

  • March 28, 2025

    Nitrous Oxide Makers, Sellers Sued Over 'Whippet' Death

    The estate of a woman who died after inhaling nitrous oxide as a recreational drug is suing makers and sellers of the canisters, alleging they are knowingly selling them to be used as "whippets."

  • March 28, 2025

    NYC Margaritaville Ch. 11 Plan OK'd After Buffett Hit Played

    A New York bankruptcy judge on Friday confirmed the Chapter 11 plan of the developer of the Margaritaville resort in Times Square, as he played the resort's namesake song during a hearing.

  • March 28, 2025

    Insurer Denied Early Win In $6.1M Cargo Loss Coverage Suit

    A New York federal judge said there was too much controversy to hand an early win to a stone company in its case seeking coverage of a more than $6.1 million loss over marble destroyed by a snail infestation. 

  • March 28, 2025

    Taxation With Representation: Norton Rose, Latham, Ashurst

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, Dollar Tree sells its Family Dollar business to private equity firms, eye care company Alcon buys medical technology company Lensar and Ithaca Energy PLC buys the U.K. subsidiary of Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd.

  • March 28, 2025

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: TikTok Duel Heats Up, NIL Suit Plays On

    In March, the North Carolina Business Court readied for trial in an insurance coverage dispute involving Smithfield Foods, heard why TikTok is subject to the state's jurisdiction, and allowed the Cardiac Pack's NIL suit against the NCAA to proceed while a parallel case plays out.

  • March 27, 2025

    Trade Court Skewers ITC Over Secretive Redaction Policy

    The U.S. Court of International Trade issued a stinging rebuke of the U.S. International Trade Commission Thursday, clarifying disclosure laws and accusing the quasi-judicial agency of being too protective of information it deems "confidential" in violation of basic transparency rules.

  • March 27, 2025

    Nuture Can't Escape Parents' Heavy Metal Baby Food Case

    Nurture Inc. cannot escape consolidated class claims brought by parents who allege the baby food manufacturer hid the presence of toxic heavy metals in its Happy Family Organics products, a Manhattan federal judge ruled Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • What Cos. Can Learn from Water Microplastics Class Actions

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    Class actions against companies whose bottled spring water allegedly contains microplastics, challenging claims such as "natural" and "100% spring water," seem to be drying up — but these cases serve as a good reminder to other businesses to review regulatory standards, and carefully vet plaintiff allegations at the outset, say attorneys at Keller and Heckman.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • What's Next For The CFTC After The Election

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    While much of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's enforcement actions in line with its traditional priorities will continue as usual in the near term, postelection leadership changes at the CFTC and new congressional priorities may alter the commission's regulatory framework in 2025 and beyond — particularly its oversight of crypto, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

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