Food & Beverage

  • June 06, 2025

    Judge Won't Toss 'Patent Ambush' Case Against Clorox, Brita

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has shot down a bid from Clorox Co. and its Brita brand to toss an antitrust lawsuit accusing the companies of engaging in a "patent ambush" to corner the market on home water filters, saying the request was premature.

  • June 06, 2025

    NJ Milk Co. Says Pa. Regulations Violate Commerce Clause

    A New Jersey dairy company on Friday called out two Pennsylvania laws for how they charge out-of-state milk dealers for doing business with producers in the Keystone State, arguing the statutes violate the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution.

  • June 06, 2025

    Ore. Pot Regulators Say No Contract In Firing Suit

    The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission is urging a federal court to throw out a suit from its former deputy director alleging that the OLCC breached his employment agreement by firing him following a whiskey pocketing scandal, saying the state's Statute of Frauds voids the alleged employment agreement.

  • June 06, 2025

    NY Tribe Urges Supreme Court To Overturn Eel Fishing Ruling

    A Long Island tribe is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to undo a Second Circuit ruling that rejected its challenge to New York's regulations on eel fishing harvests, arguing that if the decision is held, it would set a precedent allowing district courts to give up their gatekeeping roles on expert testimony.

  • June 06, 2025

    Kroger-Owned Grocery Escapes Baby Food Metal Claims

    Harris Teeter escaped a proposed class action against parent Kroger and other grocery stores alleging that their Simple Truth baby teething wafers contain unsafe levels of toxic metals, according to a Friday order.

  • June 06, 2025

    Frito-Lay Sun Chips Not 100% Whole Grain, False Ad Suit Says

    Frito-Lay's brand of Sun Chips are deceptively labeled as containing "100% Whole Grain," despite the fact the products contain maltodextrin derived from corn, which is a highly refined grain stripped of important nutrients amid the refining process, alleges a proposed class action filed in California federal court.

  • June 06, 2025

    4th Circ. Stays Ruling Restoring Frozen Federal Grant Funding

    A split Fourth Circuit panel has blocked a South Carolina federal judge's order directing the federal government to restore 32 congressionally funded grants that were frozen by the Trump administration, while casting doubt on nonprofits' and cities' legal challenge.

  • June 05, 2025

    USDA Sued Over Ending 600 Grants Via Flawed Form Letters

    A group of environmental and food sustainability nonprofits hit the U.S. Department of Agriculture with a lawsuit in D.C. federal court Thursday, accusing the Trump administration of unconstitutionally exceeding its authority by abruptly rescinding nearly 600 grants via "minimally edited form letters" that had errors and lacked detailed explanations.

  • June 05, 2025

    Poultry Workers Get Final OK On $398M Wage-Fixing Deals

    A Maryland federal judge granted final approval Thursday to settlements worth nearly $400 million for poultry processing workers who claimed that the nation's biggest chicken producers conspired to suppress their wages.

  • June 05, 2025

    Starbucks Can't Scotch $50M Verdict For Tea-Scorched Driver

    A California judge has affirmed a jury verdict awarding $50 million to a gig economy driver who suffered a severely burned penis after scalding hot tea spilled in his lap due to a Starbucks worker's negligence, saying the verdict was not excessive given his "horrific injuries."

  • June 05, 2025

    Ga. Court Nixes 'Massive' $65M Punitive Award In Fraud Case

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Thursday struck down $65 million in punitive damages awarded to a doctor who was defrauded of his investments in a series of restaurants, ruling that the verdict was "grossly excessive" at more than 100 times the value of the compensatory damages awarded by a state court jury.

  • June 05, 2025

    Spice Co. Hid Lead Levels In Products, Suit Claims

    Florida-based Badia Spices sold ground ginger and cinnamon with elevated levels of lead, according to a New York federal lawsuit that leans on laboratory testing conducted by state food safety regulators.

  • June 05, 2025

    Hooters Closes Locations As It Pursues Ch. 11 Franchise Shift

    Bankrupt casual dining chain Hooters of America began shuttering dozens of restaurant locations throughout the United States Wednesday as it pursues a Chapter 11 restructuring that will see its plan disclosure statement up for approval next week.

  • June 05, 2025

    USDA Sued Over $13M Food Aid Cut In Pennsylvania

    Pennsylvania sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture for pulling $13 million in funds meant for a local food purchase assistance program, telling a federal judge that the decision will have a "devastating effect" on the state's farmers and food banks contrary to the department's mission.

  • June 05, 2025

    KFC Parent Co. Fights $4B IRS Bill In Tax Court

    The parent company of Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell is challenging $2.5 billion in taxes and penalties that the IRS claims it owes for a corporate reorganization to restructure its international operations, according to a U.S. Tax Court petition served Thursday, a figure that has topped $4 billion with interest.

  • June 05, 2025

    Davis Wright Adds Coblentz Patch Wine Industry Expert In SF

    Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is expanding its food and beverage team, bringing in a Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP transactional attorney specializing in the wine and hospitality industry as a partner in its San Francisco office.

  • June 04, 2025

    Starbucks' Legal Chief Exits Amid Organizational Changes

    Starbucks's top attorney Brad Lerman will be exiting the company in the coming months while helping the coffee giant search for his replacement as chief legal officer, the company announced Thursday in its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission paperwork. 

  • June 04, 2025

    Contractor Calls Migrant Workers To Its Aid In Trafficking Trial

    Several migrant workers for a farm labor contracting company testified they weren't forced to turn over their passports or work 20-hour days as the company sought to defend itself against human trafficking claims before a Michigan federal jury on Wednesday.

  • June 04, 2025

    Cheesesteak Icon Asks 3rd Circ. If Loper Bright Slices Sentence

    Counsel for a Philadelphia cheesesteak shop owner seeking a lighter sentence for paying employees off the books told the court Wednesday that he has asked the Third Circuit to consider how the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision striking longstanding agency deference framework might affect his case.

  • June 04, 2025

    Full 4th Circ. Asked To Rethink Copter Pilot's Death Suit

    Farmers accused of negligently allowing a crop-dusting pilot to fly into a steel cable stretched across a property are urging the full Fourth Circuit to release them from a lawsuit filed by the pilot's widow, arguing that, as nonpilots, they had no way of foreseeing aerial hazards.

  • June 04, 2025

    Albright Ends Traxcell's Patent Cases Targeting Grubhub, Lyft

    U.S. District Judge Alan Albright has tossed a pair of lawsuits accusing Grubhub and Lyft of infringing a Traxcell Technologies wireless network system patent, saying the patent owner failed to show that either the food ordering service or ride-hailing company actually uses the system.

  • June 04, 2025

    DOJ Won't Have To Give Agri Stats Specific Data Fields

    A Minnesota federal court refused to force the U.S. Department of Justice to identify specific data fields in industry reports produced by Agri Stats that allegedly allow meat processors to share sensitive information, finding the case is not centered on individual data points.

  • June 04, 2025

    Pa. Brewery Co-Owner Claims Fraud Against Jailed Partner

    A Pittsburgh-area business owner currently jailed for insurance and bankruptcy fraud is also accused of defrauding his former partner in a brewery and restaurant, including hiding the fact that the building the partner was renovating and living in was actually condemned, according to a lawsuit filed in state court.

  • June 04, 2025

    Agent Seeks Toss Of Insurer's $1M Reinsurance Loss Suit

    An insurance company's suit alleging that an insurance agent's errors cost the company its reinsurance through the Federal Crop Insurance Corp. should be tossed, the agent told a Michigan federal court, arguing that the claims are time-barred and have already been litigated.

  • June 04, 2025

    Post Reacquiring Brands Including Ronzoni Pasta For $880M

    Post Holdings Inc. has agreed to acquire 8th Avenue Food & Provisions Inc. in a transaction valued at approximately $880 million, including the assumption of debt, as the packaged goods company looks to expand in private label and dry grocery categories — and brings several legacy assets back under its control.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.

  • Marketing Messages Matter In State AG Consumer Protection

    Author Photo

    Attorneys general interpret marketing claims far more broadly than many companies may realize, so to mitigate potential risk, businesses should be vigilant about all consumer messaging, including communications that may not traditionally be considered advertising in the colloquial sense, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Cos. Must Brace For New PFAS Regulations And Litigation

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed adding over 100 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to the Toxic Release Inventory — and with increasing scrutiny of PFAS from the states and the plaintiffs bar as well, companies should take steps to reduce risks in this area, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Can Romania Escape Its Arbitral Award Catch-22?

    Author Photo

    Following a recent European Union General Court decision, Romania faces an apparent stalemate of conflicting norms as the country owes payment under an International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes award, but is prohibited by the European Commission from making that payment, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • Opinion

    6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School

    Author Photo

    Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.

  • Nutraceutical Patent Insights As Market Heats Up

    Author Photo

    Companies entering the expanding nutraceutical market and seeking patents to protect their innovations should evaluate successful nutraceutical claim language and common patent challenges in this field, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

  • Firms Still Have The Edge In Lateral Hiring, But Buyer Beware

    Author Photo

    Partner mobility data suggests that the third quarter of this year continued to be a buyer’s market, with the average candidate demanding less compensation for a larger book of business — but moving into the fourth quarter, firms should slow down their hiring process to minimize risks, say officers at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Reviewing 2024's State Consumer Privacy Law Enforcement

    Author Photo

    While we are still in the infancy of state consumer privacy laws, a review of enforcement activity this year suggests substantial overlaps in regulatory priorities across the most active states and gives insight into the likely paths of future enforcement, says Thomas Nolan at Quinn Emanuel.

  • What May Have Led Calif. Voters To Reject Min. Wage Hike

    Author Photo

    County-specific election results for California’s ballot measure that would have raised the state’s minimum wage to $18 show that last year's introduction of a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers may have influenced voters’ narrow rejection of the measure, says Stephen Bronars​​​​​​​ at Edgeworth Economics.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: 1 Type Of Case Complexity Stands Out

    Author Photo

    In contrast to some cases that appear complex due to voluminous evidence or esoteric subject matter, a different kind of complexity involves tangled legal and factual questions, each with a range of possible outcomes, which require a “sliding scale” approach instead of syllogistic reasoning, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Netflix Dispute May Alter 'Source' In TM Fair-Use Analysis

    Author Photo

    ​The Ninth Circuit’s upcoming decision in Hara v. Netflix​, about what it means to be source-identifying​, could change how the Rogers defense protects expressive works that utilize trademarks in a creative fashion, says Sara Gold at Gold IP.

  • What Bisphenol S Prop 65 Listing Will Mean For Industry

    Author Photo

    The imminent addition of bisphenol S — a chemical used in millions of products — to California's Proposition 65 list will have sweeping compliance and litigation implications for companies in the retail, food and beverage, paper, manufacturing and personal care product industries, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Note 3 Simple Types Of Legal Complexity

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

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.