Food & Beverage

  • March 17, 2025

    Jonny Pops Can't Stop Rival's Suit Over '100% Real Fruit' Label

    A Texas federal judge refused to discard GoodPop's false advertising suit alleging Jonny Pops copied its popsicles and misleadingly labeled them as being made with "100% real fruit" and "simple ingredients" despite containing an unhealthy amount of added sugar, ruling Jonny Pops's statements, accompanied by images of fruit, could mislead consumers.

  • March 17, 2025

    Gutting USAID Threatens US Credibility, 22 Ex-Officials Say

    A bipartisan group of former high-ranking national security and defense officials on Monday voiced opposition to the Trump administration's decision to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, saying in an amicus brief filed in D.C. federal court that the shutdown undermines the United States' credibility while allowing China and Russia to build theirs.

  • March 17, 2025

    Wayne Gretzky Suing Co-Investor For Malicious Prosecution

    NHL legend Wayne Gretzky and his wife filed a lawsuit in California state court against a co-investor in a failed weight-loss business, whom he alleges lodged a meritless suit against him in 2022 to "score a quick payday" after accusing him of contributing to the demise of the company.

  • March 17, 2025

    Tort Report: Fatal Hippo Attack Prompts Suit Against Tour Co.

    A lawsuit over a woman's death from a hippo attack and the latest on a Fox News sex assault case lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.

  • March 17, 2025

    Burger King Workers Defend Revived No-Poach Case

    Burger King employees are defending their proposed class action over the fast-food chain's past use of no-poach provisions in its franchise agreements, as the restaurant urges a Florida federal court to toss the claims despite an appeals court reviving them in 2022.

  • March 17, 2025

    Hershey Customer Agrees To End Metals-In-Chocolate Suit

    A Hershey customer has agreed to permanently end her suit accusing the confectionery giant of selling dark chocolate products containing dangerous levels of heavy metals, but left open the opportunity for absent proposed class members to pursue claims, according to a notice filed Monday in California federal court.

  • March 17, 2025

    Gorilla Mind Accuses Rival Of Infringing TM For Energy Drinks

    A company that sells energy drinks and dietary supplements called "Gorilla Mind" and "Gorilla Mode" has sued a rival for launching competing products in December with "Gorilla" in the name, alleging it has caused confusion in the energy drink market.

  • March 17, 2025

    Co. Mislabeled Migrant Workers To Skirt Higher Pay, Suit Says

    A Colorado company called over 200 migrant workers "agricultural equipment operators" instead of truck drivers to pay them lower wages, even though their job was to haul product across state lines in trucks, not operate agricultural equipment in fields, a new proposed class action in Colorado federal court alleges.

  • March 17, 2025

    Wash. AG Seeks $32M In Legal Fees In Kroger Merger Case

    Washington's attorney general said the state is entitled to recover $32.4 million in legal fees for prevailing in its lawsuit opposing Kroger's $24.6 billion bid to buy Albertsons, including nearly $10 million for Munger Tolles & Olson LLP's assistance in the state court case.

  • March 17, 2025

    Ex-Freshpet Seller Wins Breakup Fee But May Still Owe $8M

    Pet food maker Freshpet is liable for $5 million for aborting a distribution agreement it had with an animal food distributor, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled Monday, reasoning that there was no dispute that the contract had been breached.

  • March 17, 2025

    Asylum-Seeker Says Biz Owner Forced Him Into 'Servitude'

    A Colorado business owner forced a Venezuelan migrant into working 100 hours a week without any pay and dangled the potential deportation of him and his family over his head so he wouldn't quit, a lawsuit filed in federal court said.

  • March 17, 2025

    PepsiCo Buying Poppi Prebiotic Soda Brand In $1.65B Deal

    PepsiCo Inc. said Monday it has agreed to pay $1.65 billion for the "better-for-you" prebiotic soda brand Poppi, as the beverage giant looks to capitalize on growing consumer interest in health and wellness.

  • March 14, 2025

    Dunkin' Nears End To ADA Suit Over Milk Alternative Charges

    A California federal judge indicated Friday that she's ready to toss a proposed class action claiming doughnut chain Dunkin' violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by charging extra for beverages with nondairy milk after noting that the chain announced it would no longer charge extra for nonlactose alternatives.

  • March 14, 2025

    Chocolate-Makers Can't Keep Child Labor Suit In Fed. Court

    Mars Inc. and other chocolate-makers have lost their bid to keep in federal court a suit claiming they falsely advertised their products as being made without child slave labor, with a federal judge finding the alleged damages weren't high enough to trigger federal jurisdiction.

  • March 14, 2025

    Md. Judge Joins Calif. In Reversing Federal Workers' Firing

    A Maryland federal judge has ordered the reinstatement of thousands of probationary employees who were abruptly fired from 18 federal agencies, saying the Trump administration's lack of required notice left states "scrambling" to pick up the pieces.

  • March 14, 2025

    Texas Restaurant Offered Worker $1K, Seeks To End Tip Suit

    A Houston-area restaurant told a Texas court Friday that it offered $1,000 to a former server who claimed it failed to inform her that she would have to pay for her uniforms, saying the worker's proposed collective action should be tossed.

  • March 14, 2025

    LA Lands Deal With Airline Caterer To End Wage Law Dispute

    An airline caterer accused of violating a Los Angeles city ordinance through its pay practices told a California federal court it resolved its dispute with the city, which had launched an investigation, after the caterer settled claims with a class of employees, according to City Council meeting records.

  • March 14, 2025

    Judge Vacates Baby Formula Trial Win For Abbott, Mead

    A Missouri judge on Thursday threw out a jury verdict that cleared Abbott Laboratories and Mead Johnson of liability in a joint trial over claims their baby formula causes a serious condition in preterm infants, saying a new trial is necessary because the defense "intentionally violated the court's orders and rulings by improperly introducing the inadmissible evidence to the jury, time after time."

  • March 14, 2025

    Starbucks Ordered To Pay $50M In Burn Injury Case

    A California state jury in Los Angeles awarded $50 million Friday to a delivery driver burned by hot water at a Starbucks drive-through window, roughly splitting the difference between the parties' suggested damages.

  • March 14, 2025

    6th Circ. Rejects Tribe's Appeal Of Great Lakes Fishing Pact

    A Sixth Circuit panel upheld a 2023 decree governing fishery management in the Great Lakes on Thursday, finding that a Michigan federal judge had the prerogative to enter the decree over the objections of a Native American tribe. 

  • March 14, 2025

    Hemp Farm's Fees Bid 'Excessive,' Colo. Judge Finds

    A Colorado magistrate judge has found that a hemp farm can collect reasonable attorney fees and costs from a business partner that breached a memorandum of understanding related to a mid-litigation audit, but scolded the farm for its "excessive" calculation, which includes hours billed long before the memorandum was even signed.

  • March 13, 2025

    Starbucks Burn Victim Deserves Up To $125M, Jury Told

    Lawyers for a man burned by hot water at Starbucks made their final appeal Thursday in California state court for an award of up to $125 million for "injury and damage to every facet of his life," as the corporation insisted it wasn't clear all the injury stemmed from the spill.

  • March 13, 2025

    Grubhub Can't Force Arbitration, But Uber Can At 2nd Circ.

    A partially divided Second Circuit panel said Thursday that Grubhub cannot force into arbitration a proposed class action's price-fixing claims based on rules barring restaurants from selling food more cheaply through other channels, but left the arbitrability question for the same claims against Uber Eats up to the arbitrator.

  • March 13, 2025

    Snack Maker Sued Over No-Preservative Label Claims

    Chip company Late July Snacks LLC has misled consumers into thinking its nachos and other tortilla products are "all natural," when in reality, they contain an artificial preservative, according to a woman's proposed class action removed Wednesday by the company to California federal court.

  • March 13, 2025

    Buehler's Managers Say Grocery Chain Flouts OT Laws

    Grocery chain Buehler's Fresh Foods is accused of failing to pay overtime wages to catering, produce, kitchen and bakery managers who put in more than 40 hours per workweek but were wrongly classified as exempt, according to a proposed collective action filed in Ohio federal court. 

Expert Analysis

  • A Look At The Economic Impact Of Drug Patent Differentiation

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    Given the Federal Trade Commission’s recent emphasis on unfair competition based on disputed patent listings, pharmaceutical market participants are likely to require nuanced characterizations of actual and but-for market competition when multiple patents differentiate multiple products, say economists at Competition Dynamics.

  • Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics

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    Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.

  • How Labeling And Testing May Help Reduce PFAS Litigation

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    As regulators take steps to reduce consumers’ exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals, companies can take a proactive approach to mitigating litigation risks not only by labeling their products transparently, but also by complying with testing and marketing standards, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers

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    Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.

  • Expect More Restaurant Ch. 11s As COVID Debt Comes Due

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    The wave of restaurant bankruptcies is likely to continue in the coming months as companies face the looming repayment of COVID-19 pandemic-era government loans, an uncertain economy and increased interest rates, says Isaac Marcushamer at DGIM Law.

  • 'Greenhushing': Why Some Cos. Are Keeping Quiet On ESG

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    A wave of ESG-related litigation and regulations have led some companies to retreat altogether from any public statements about their ESG goals, a trend known as "greenhushing" that was at the center of a recent D.C. court decision involving Coca-Cola, say Gonzalo Mon and Katie Rogers at Kelley Drye.

  • Co-Tenancy Clause Pointers For Shopping Center Landlords

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    Large retail tenants often require co-tenancy provisions in their leases, entitling them to remedies if a shopping center's occupancy drops in certain ways, but landlords must draft these provisions carefully to avoid giving tenants too much control, says Gary Glick at Cox Castle.

  • Complying With FTC's Final Rule On Sham Online Reviews

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    The Federal Trade Commission's final rule on deceptive acts and practices in online reviews and testimonials is effective Oct. 21, and some practice tips can help businesses avert noncompliance risks, say Airina Rodrigues and Jonathan Sandler at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • Nuclear Waste Storage Questions Justices May Soon Address

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    The petition for the U.S. Supreme Court to review U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas stands out for a number of reasons — including a deepening circuit split regarding the NRC's nuclear waste storage authority under the Atomic Energy Act, and broader administrative law implications, say attorneys at MoloLamken.

  • 3 Patent Considerations For America's New Quantum Hub

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    Recent developments signal an incredibly bright future for Chicago as the new home of quantum computing, and it is crucial that these innovators — whose technology has the potential to transform many industries — prioritize intellectual property strategy, says Andrew Velzen at McDonnell Boehnen.

  • Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls

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    Despite the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's continued release of guidance for complying with the Corporate Transparency Act, its interpretation remains in flux, making it important for companies to understand potentially problematic areas of ambiguity in the practical application of the law, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Fed. Circ. Ruling Creates New Rule For Certification Marks

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    The Federal Circuit's decision last month in Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac v. Cologne & Cognac Entertainment is significant in that it establishes a new standard for assessing evidence of third-party uses of a certification mark in deciding whether the mark is famous, say Samantha Katze and Lisa Rosaya at Manatt.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Conservation Rule Already Faces Challenges

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    The Bureau of Land Management's interpretation of land "use" in its Conservation and Landscape Health Rule is contrary to the agency's past practice and other Federal Land Policy and Management Act provisions, leaving the rule exposed in four legal challenges that may carry greater force in the wake of Loper Bright, say Stacey Bosshardt and Stephanie Regenold at Perkins Coie.

  • A Preview Of AI Priorities Under The Next President

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    For the first time in a presidential election, both of the leading candidates and their parties have been vocal about artificial intelligence policy, offering clues on the future of regulation as AI continues to advance and congressional action continues to stall, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • How Companies Are Approaching Insider Trading Policies

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    An analysis of insider trading policies recently disclosed by 49 S&P 500 companies under a new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule reveals that while specific provisions vary from company to company, certain common themes are emerging, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

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