Food & Beverage

  • May 16, 2025

    Appellate Ruling Merits New Shot At Sales Regs, Distiller Says

    A New York distillery and two Washington whiskey drinkers are asking a federal judge to reconsider the Washington state liquor board's win in a challenge to rules requiring a physical in-state presence to sell online, saying they never got to analyze the circuit ruling on which the decision was based.

  • May 16, 2025

    Mich. Farm Gets Only Partial Exemption, Court Says

    A Michigan property that has farmland, an apple orchard and an area used for tourism activities is eligible for only a partial agricultural exemption, the state appeals court ruled.

  • May 15, 2025

    Ore. Tribe Looks To Redefine Columbia Basin Fishing Rights

    An Oregon tribe is asking a federal court to open up a decades-old case that reserved fishing rights for the state's Indigenous nations, arguing that it must redefine the nature and scope of its off-reservation rights in order to obtain a fair share of the Columbia Basin's resources.

  • May 15, 2025

    Kroger Worker Fights NLRA Preemption Of State Claim

    A grocery worker suing Kroger and Albertsons over an alleged no-poach agreement is pushing back on the companies' claim the litigation is preempted by federal labor law, telling the Colorado federal judge hearing the case that antitrust laws have not been displaced by labor law, especially in labor market collusion.

  • May 15, 2025

    Colo. Justices To Weigh Self-Defense In At-Will Firings

    The Colorado Supreme Court will consider if the state's at-will employment doctrine has an exception allowing people to challenge their termination for actions taken in self-defense, in the case of a Circle K store clerk who was fired after a confrontation with a robber.

  • May 15, 2025

    DC Circ. Doubts Jurisdiction In Baristas' NLRB Challenge

    A D.C. Circuit panel expressed skepticism Thursday that it had any role in deciding two Starbucks workers' challenge to job protections for National Labor Relations Board members now that the agency agrees with the baristas' argument.

  • May 15, 2025

    Walgreens Settles TM Suit With Founder's Great-Grandson

    Walgreen Co. has settled its trademark infringement suit against the great-grandson of the company's founder for his operation of Walgreen Health Solutions LLC, according to a filing Thursday in Illinois federal court.

  • May 15, 2025

    Davis Wright Adds Longtime Knobbe Martens IP Duo In Seattle

    Davis Wright Tremaine LLP has brought in two intellectual property partners credited with helping Knobbe Martens open its Seattle office.

  • May 15, 2025

    Golden Corral Can't Resurrect COVID-19 Coverage Case

    A North Carolina federal court blocked Golden Corral's last-ditch effort at COVID-19 insurance coverage, finding that although similar policyholders scored a recent win before the state's supreme court, that victory wasn't "extraordinary" enough to disturb a final judgment against the restaurant chain.

  • May 14, 2025

    'Toys R Us' Blows Smoke At 'Vape R Us' Over Similar Marks

    Toys 'R' Us' parent company Wednesday filed suit in Connecticut federal court, accusing a vape business named Vape R Us of copying and tarnishing Toys R Us trademarks and using the marks to trick customers into believing they're shopping somewhere owned or endorsed by the toy store chain.

  • May 14, 2025

    Chicken Price-Fixing Atty Fees Challenged Again At 7th Circ.

    A class objector in Chicago's massive consolidated suit over broiler chicken price-fixing is again urging the Seventh Circuit to vacate an attorney fee award for class counsel in a $181 million deal for chicken buyers, saying the district court erred in calculating the $51.66 million awarded on remand.

  • May 14, 2025

    Insurer Ends Case Blaming Panda Express For Water Leak

    An insurance company on Wednesday dropped its case seeking more than $176,000 from Panda Express Inc. for damages allegedly caused when grease-filled pipes at one of the chain's restaurants backed up and leaked water into a clothing store covered by the insurer.

  • May 14, 2025

    Lawmakers Line Up To Unwind Trump's 'Chaotic' IEEPA Tariffs

    Nearly 150 members of Congress have thrown their support behind 12 state attorneys general suing to halt the Trump administration's "emergency" tariffs, arguing they far exceed the statutory authority of a president.

  • May 14, 2025

    Farm Groups Fight Further Delay In H-2A Wage Rule Suit

    Farm groups on Wednesday countered the Trump administration's bid to further halt litigation challenging a Biden-era H-2A wage rule, telling a Florida federal judge there's no need to delay further for the U.S. Department of Labor to get familiarized with the case.

  • May 14, 2025

    Keurig Settles For $950K Over Coffee Maker Defect

    Keurig Green Mountain Inc. has agreed to pay $950,000 and extend the warranty on its coffee makers to resolve a suit alleging they were sold with a defect that rendered them unusable after descaling.

  • May 14, 2025

    Poultry Workers Seek $138M Atty Fees In Wage-Fixing Case

    Workers who reached settlements totaling nearly $400 million over claims that major poultry companies conspired to keep wages low at their plants have urged a Maryland federal court to approve around $138 million in attorney fees and costs, arguing the deal represents the "largest recovery" of its kind for low-wage workers.

  • May 14, 2025

    Starbucks, Ex-VP Settle $830K Bonus Repayment Suit

    Starbucks has struck a deal with a former senior vice president the company previously accused of failing to repay part of his $1 million signing bonus after he quit, according to filings in New Jersey federal court Tuesday.

  • May 14, 2025

    Walmart Hit With $223M Verdict In Trade Secrets Fight

    An Arkansas federal jury has awarded Zest Labs Inc. nearly $223 million in a suit that had accused Walmart of swiping the startup's trade secrets related to shelf-freshness technology.

  • May 13, 2025

    Pot Payment Co. Wants Court To Enforce $1.3M Deal

    A Boulder, Colorado, fintech company said its former business associates in a failed joint venture to create a cannabis payment system cannot be trusted to pay the $1.3 million settlement meant to end all claims of fraud, urging a Nevada federal court to step in and force them to follow through.

  • May 13, 2025

    Gov't To Restore Climate Webpages After Lawsuit Pressure

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture is reversing course and has committed to restore climate change-focused webpages that were taken offline following the January presidential inauguration, according to a court filing in a lawsuit from environmental groups challenging the removals.

  • May 13, 2025

    Hooters Can Tap Full $40M DIP In Chapter 11

    Restaurant chain Hooters can tap the last $30 million of its $40 million Chapter 11 debtor-in-possession loan after it agreed to escrow disputed royalty revenue to quell a creditor's objection during a Tuesday hearing in a Texas bankruptcy court.

  • May 13, 2025

    Target Slapped With Class Action Over IPhone Warranties

    Target Corp. is facing a proposed class action alleging it misled cellphone buyers about who is responsible for repairs, how much repairs cost and the warranty terms for its phones.

  • May 13, 2025

    Grocery Giants Fight Washington's 'Redundant' $32.4M Fee Bid

    Kroger and Albertsons are fighting a bid by Washington's attorney general to recover a record $32.4 million in legal fees for winning a lawsuit to block a $24.6 billion merger of the grocery giants, saying that the state's "go-it-alone" litigation was unnecessary and wasteful because of parallel antitrust action by the Federal Trade Commission.

  • May 13, 2025

    Texas Investigates Gen­er­al Mills Over Food Coloring In Cereal

    Texas launched an investigation against General Mills Inc. over allegedly illegal misrepresentations the company made about its cereals such as Trix and Lucky Charms, saying in a Tuesday announcement the cereals contain artificial dyes that pose severe health risks for children.

  • May 13, 2025

    Cannabis Water Co. Escapes $10M Fraud Charges With DPA

    A cannabis-infused beverage maker on Tuesday inked a deferred prosecution agreement to resolve charges over its alleged role in a $10 million pump-and-dump scheme, with the deal including compliance provisions but no monetary penalty.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • 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.

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