Food & Beverage

  • March 30, 2026

    Stumptown Coffee Packaging Blamed For Flight Attendant's Burns

    Stumptown Coffee Corp.'s failure to address a critical flaw in its product packaging for commercial flights caused an "explosion" of scalding hot coffee on an Alaska Airlines plane that left a pregnant flight attendant with permanent scars on her chest, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in Seattle federal court.

  • March 30, 2026

    Product Liability Q1 Regulatory Roundup

    In the first three months of 2026, executive orders and other regulatory actions by the Trump administration have taken on products with "Made in America" labeling, called for the increased manufacture of the herbicide ingredient glyphosate, and addressed what e-cigarette flavors could receive the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval, among others.

  • March 30, 2026

    Cos. Say UK Court Ruling Aids $440M Zimbabwe Award Bid

    Two forestry and sawmill companies along with a Swiss-German family have told a D.C. federal court that a recent decision from Britain's top court rejecting Zimbabwe's sovereign immunity defense in a related case shows that $440 million of arbitral awards can be enforced.

  • March 30, 2026

    General Mills Gets Lengthy Race Bias Suit Tossed, For Now

    A Georgia federal judge has ordered a proposed class of General Mills factory workers who say they were subjected to years of racist abuse to rewrite and condense their complaint with the goal of avoiding the "prospect of unbridled fishing expeditions" as the suit goes on.

  • March 30, 2026

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    The Delaware Chancery Court's docket this past week featured disputes involving globally recognized companies, high-dollar contract fights, revived claims from the state's high court and the resolution of a closely watched de-SPAC case.

  • March 30, 2026

    Bai Beverage Maker Quenches False Ad Suit Over Sweetener

    Bai Brands permanently defeated a putative class action alleging it deceived consumers into thinking its beverages contained "no artificial sweeteners" despite being sweetened with erythritol, after a New York federal judge found no evidence of how reasonable consumers would define "artificial." 

  • March 30, 2026

    Bakeries Can't Dodge Trial Over Drivers' Worker Status

    A jury will have to determine whether Flowers Foods and two other entities misclassified two distributors as independent contractors who created their own company to deliver goods, a Massachusetts federal judge ruled Monday, saying it's not clear the drivers were in business only for themselves.

  • March 30, 2026

    Judge Cites 'Game Of Thrones,' Pans Testimony In Rent Case

    A Boston landlord is entitled to unpaid rent for a restaurant near Fenway Park, a state court judge found in a colorful order that cited "Game of Thrones" and largely ignored the testimony of attorneys called as witnesses for each side who sounded like "bunkered belligerents."

  • March 30, 2026

    5 Firms Advise On $29B Sysco, Jetro Restaurant Depot Deal

    Wholesale restaurant food distributor Sysco said Monday it has agreed to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot at a total enterprise value of approximately $29.1 billion, in a deal steered by at least five law firms. 

  • March 27, 2026

    Starbucks Inks $325K Deal To End Florida COBRA Notice Suit

    Starbucks has agreed to pay $325,000 to settle a proposed class action in Florida federal court brought by employee health plan participants and their beneficiaries alleging lapses in the coffee chain retailer's post-employment medical insurance notices. 

  • March 27, 2026

    Vital Farms' New Software Cracked Its Revenue, Suit Says

    Pasture-raised eggs producer Vital Farms was hit with a proposed shareholder class action Friday in Texas federal court alleging the company misled investors about a software system rollout that disrupted shipments to retailers and triggered a stock drop when its impact was revealed.

  • March 27, 2026

    SEC Shutters Case Against Bankrupt Fatburger Parent

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Friday that it is walking away from a case accusing restaurant franchisor FAT Brands of running an illegal $27 million personal loan scheme to fuel its former CEO's lavish lifestyle as the public company foundered.

  • March 27, 2026

    Nutrition Co. Execs Hid Stockpiling, Competition, Suit Says

    The top brass of protein-shake maker BellRing Brands Inc. face a shareholder derivative suit in Delaware federal court, alleging they misled investors about the sales growth of "convenient nutrition" products like energy bars and protein powders, causing the company's stock price to fall when the truth was revealed.

  • March 27, 2026

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Judge Exits, Duke Ducks Climate Suit

    The North Carolina Business Court saw an unexpected shakeup with one judge's retirement, rendered a pivotal decision in a first-of-its-kind climate change case against Duke Energy and oversaw a trial between the feuding owners of a commercial bed skirt company.

  • March 27, 2026

    6th Circ. Won't Revive Ky. Bourbon-Makers' Fight Over A 'First'

    A Kentucky distillery that claims to be the first African American-owned company to make bourbon at its own facility in the Bluegrass State can't revive its false advertising lawsuit against another distiller claiming the same distinction, the Sixth Circuit ruled in a Thursday published opinion.

  • March 27, 2026

    Co. Pushing New Whey Deal Theory On Appeal, Judge Says

    A Second Circuit judge said Friday that a nutritional supplement company raised a new contractual theory for the first time on appeal as it tries to restore a lawsuit stemming from the acrimonious end to its relationship with cheese giant Leprino Foods Inc., but the company implored the appellate panel to consider it anyway.

  • March 27, 2026

    'Total Inaction' On Discovery Dooms Texas Dram Shop Suit

    A Texas appellate court has affirmed the dismissal of a Dram Shop Act suit accusing an Arlington bar of overserving alcohol to a woman who later drove drunk and got into a fatal crash, citing the plaintiffs' "total inaction" regarding discovery over a two-year period.

  • March 27, 2026

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    The past week in London has seen Apple hit back at a tech company's wireless charging patent claim, a flurry of businesses bring COVID-19 pandemic insurance claims as a key deadline draws closer and Ipulse Partners LLP file a claim against a luxury yacht company it represented in a trademark dispute. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • March 27, 2026

    Jack In The Box Says Buyer Breached Del Taco Deal

    Jack in the Box Inc. has sued the buyer of its Del Taco business in the Delaware Chancery Court, accusing the purchaser and its affiliates of breaching key post-sale obligations tied to insurance coverage and transition services.

  • March 26, 2026

    DOJ Takes Issue With Tyson Args In Turkey Price-Fixing Fight

    The U.S. Department of Justice has urged an Illinois federal court not to take up Tyson Foods' application of a Fourth Circuit decision in the turkey processor's bid to defeat consolidated antitrust litigation against poultry producers, saying the out-of-circuit decision conflicts with U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

  • March 26, 2026

    Stanley Mug-Maker Beats Most Lid Recall Claims, For Now

    A Seattle federal judge dumped the bulk of a proposed consumer class action accusing the company behind Stanley mugs of selling defective lids that can leak hot liquids, ruling plaintiffs in the case failed to establish that the business had advance knowledge of the alleged defects.

  • March 26, 2026

    Multi-Color's DIP Loan Up In The Air As Judge Balks At Rollup

    A New Jersey bankruptcy judge on Thursday said he wasn't ready to give final approval to a debt rollup proposed in Multi-Color Corp.'s Chapter 11 case, throwing into question one of the postpetition financing backers' willingness to fund the debtor's operations.

  • March 26, 2026

    Conn. Sushi Chef Seeks Sanctions Over Deposition Spectator

    A sushi chef suing a Connecticut restaurant on claims of wage-and-hour violations wants the defendant sanctioned for allowing a nonparty, who is the defendant in a separate but similar lawsuit, to attend a Jan. 19 deposition, allegedly in an attempt to gain a litigation advantage.

  • March 26, 2026

    Akin Must Explain Client's 'Self-Indulgent' 9th Circ. Appeal

    Upholding a foreign arbitration award against a wine importer, the Ninth Circuit on Thursday ordered its attorneys at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP to explain why they and their client shouldn't pay their opponent's attorney fees for bringing a "frivolous" and "self-indulgent" appeal.

  • March 26, 2026

    Musk's SpaceX Eyes $75B IPO Raise, Among Other Rumors

    The market is anticipating what could be one of the largest initial public offerings ever, after reports this past week indicated that Elon Musk's SpaceX is looking to imminently raise as much as $75 billion.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Developments That Defined The 2025 Ethics Landscape

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    The legal profession spent 2025 at the edge of its ethical comfort zone as courts, firms and regulators confronted how fast-moving technologies and new business models collide with long-standing professional duties, signaling that the profession is entering a period of sustained disruption that will continue into 2026, says Hilary Gerzhoy at HWG Law.

  • Navigating AI In The Legal Industry

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    As artificial intelligence becomes an increasingly integral part of legal practice, Law360 guest commentary this year examined evolving ethical obligations, how the plaintiffs bar is using AI to level the playing field against corporate defense teams, and the attendant risks of adoption.

  • How Fractional GCs Can Manage Risks Of Engagement

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    As more organizations eliminate their in-house legal departments in favor of outsourcing legal work, fractional general counsel roles offer practitioners an engaging and flexible way to practice at a high level, but they can also present legal, ethical and operational risks that must be proactively managed, say attorneys at Boies Schiller.

  • Reviewing 2025's Most Pertinent Wiretap Developments

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    2025 was a remarkable year in the world of web tracking wiretapping litigation, not only for the increased caseload but also because of numerous developing theories of liability, with disputes expected to continue unabated in 2026, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • Series

    Nature Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nature photography reminds me to focus on what is in front of me and to slow down to achieve success, and, in embracing the value of viewing situations through different lenses, offers skills transferable to the practice of law, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.

  • What Defense Teams Must Know About PFAS Testing Methods

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    Whether testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances produces results meaningful for litigation depends on the validity of the sampling methodology — so effectively defending these claims requires understanding the scientific and legal implications of different PFAS testing protocols, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practical Problem Solving

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    Issue-spotting skills are well honed in law school, but practicing attorneys must also identify clients’ problems and true goals, and then be able to provide solutions, says Mary Kate Hogan at Quarles & Brady.

  • Opinion

    A Uniform Federal Rule Would Curb Gen AI Missteps In Court

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    To address the patchwork of courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence, curbing abuses and relieving the burden on judges, the federal judiciary should consider amending its civil procedure rules to require litigants to certify they’ve reviewed legal filings for accuracy, say attorneys at Shook Hardy.

  • AG Watch: Texas Junk Fee Deal Shows Enforcement Priorities

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    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's recent $9.5 million settlement with online travel agency website Booking Holdings for so-called junk fee practices follows a larger trend of state attorneys general who have taken similar action and demonstrates the significant penalties that can follow such allegations, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

  • Series

    The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Integrating Practice Groups

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    Enacting unified leadership and consistent client service standards ensures law firm practice groups connect and collaborate around shared goals, turning a law firm merger into a platform for growth rather than a period of disruption, says Brian Catlett at Fennemore Craig.

  • Opinion

    Supreme Court Term Limits Would Carry Hidden Risk

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    While proposals for limiting the terms of U.S. Supreme Court justices are popular, a steady stream of relatively young, highly marketable ex-justices with unique knowledge and influence entering the marketplace of law and politics could create new problems, say Michael Broyde at Emory University and Hayden Hall at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

  • Series

    Knitting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Stretching my skills as a knitter makes me a better antitrust attorney by challenging me to recalibrate after wrong turns, not rush outcomes, and trust that I can teach myself the skills to tackle new and difficult projects — even when I don’t have a pattern to work from, says Kara Kuritz at V&E.

  • Prepping For 2026 Shifts In Calif. Workplace Safety Rules

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    California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health is preparing for significant shifts and increased enforcement in 2026, so key safety programs — including injury and illness prevention plans, workplace violence plans, and heat illness prevention procedures — must remain a focus for employers, says Rachel Conn at Conn Maciel.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Welcome To Miami

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    After nearly 20 years in operation, the Miami Complex Business Litigation Division is a pioneer upon which other jurisdictions in the state have been modeled, adopting many innovations to keep its cases running more efficiently and staffing experienced judges who are accustomed to hearing business disputes, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • How MAHA Is Taking Shape At The State Level

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    The national spotlight on the federal government's Make America Healthy Again movement is bolstering state-level actions regarding potential health impacts of certain food ingredients, increasing the difficulty and importance of maintaining effective compliance programs, say attorneys at Cooley.

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