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Food & Beverage
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June 07, 2024
High Court's 'Narrow' Jack Daniel's Opinion Having Big Impact
When the U.S. Supreme Court decided a year ago that the maker of a squeaky dog toy that looks like a Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottle had no free speech protections against trademark infringement claims, the justices described their holding as narrow, but lawyers and academics are now suggesting the opinion is having broader implications.
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June 07, 2024
Brewery Wants Extra Damages For Co-Owner's 'Brazen' Theft
A Colorado brewery accusing a former manager of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars has asked a state court for permission to seek exemplary damages, saying there's plenty of evidence the former manager willfully stole the money for himself and competing businesses he had a stake in.
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June 07, 2024
Pilgrim's Pride Largely Can't Pause Chicken Farmers' Suit
An Oklahoma federal judge largely refused Friday to pause a lawsuit accusing Pilgrim's Pride of conspiring with other chicken producers to suppress farmer compensation while Pilgrim's appeals certification of over 24,000 farmers, finding it does not matter if the $2.77 billion damages claim might pressure the company to settle.
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June 07, 2024
Minn. Jury Convicts 5 In Food Aid Fraud Trial Marred By Bribe
A Minnesota federal jury on Friday convicted five out of seven defendants on a litany of charges alleging they schemed to defraud a federal food aid program during the COVID-19 pandemic, days after one juror told of being offered a $120,000 bribe to vote for acquittal.
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June 07, 2024
Off The Bench: NFL On Trial, Betting Crackdowns, Tennis Suit
In this week's Off The Bench, the NFL stands trial in a massive antitrust class action over its Sunday Ticket broadcast package, a series of sports betting crackdowns makes waves in the MLB and the NBA, and the U.S. Tennis Association denies any liability for a player's sexual assault by her coach.
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June 07, 2024
Justices Are Asked To Ax 9th Circ. Price Discrimination Test
A retail trade association is coming to 5-Hour Energy's defense, calling for the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the energy drink-maker's petition challenging a 2023 Ninth Circuit ruling that revived claims from a group of wholesalers alleging that the company engaged in illegal price-fixing advantaging Costco.
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June 07, 2024
SEC Fines Asian Food Supplier $3.9M Over Splurging Ex-CEO
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has reached a $3.9 million settlement with HF Foods Group Inc. over claims that the food distributor issued false and misleading disclosures, just two days after the regulator settled with two HF Foods executives in a separate case over similar claims.
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June 07, 2024
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
The past week in London has seen British broadcaster GB News hit with a libel claim by climate activist Dale Vince, MGM take aim at an immersive events company over intellectual property rights to the James Bond franchise, and law firms Stephenson Harwood and Bowen-Morris & Partners tackle a contracts claim by investment adviser Yieldstreet. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.
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June 06, 2024
NFL Sunday Ticket Is A Rigged Game, Antitrust Jury Told
An attorney for NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers told a California jury Thursday during opening statements of a multibillion-dollar antitrust suit that secret documents will prove the NFL engaged in anticompetitive behavior, and the trial would reveal the "darker side of the NFL behind the shield."
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June 06, 2024
Real Water Caused 'Devastating' Hospitalizations, Jury Told
A mother whose twin babies were hospitalized with acute liver failure after the family subscribed to water delivery service Real Water told a Nevada state jury Thursday that the experience was "devastating."
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June 06, 2024
FTC Says Kroger Hasn't Turned Over Promised Documents
The Federal Trade Commission urged an administrative law judge on Tuesday to require Kroger to fork over documents related to negotiations for its divestiture plan amid the commission's in-house challenge to the grocer's merger with Albertsons, saying Kroger's prior representations that it would produce the materials "have proven false."
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June 06, 2024
Texas Court Revives Whataburger Customer's Injury Suit
A Texas appellate court on Thursday refused to let Whataburger escape a lawsuit seeking to hold it liable for injuries a customer sustained after her arm was lacerated by a worker carrying a condiment tray, reinstating the customer's claims against the restaurant chain and paving the way for a trial.
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June 06, 2024
Victims Say Chiquita Paramilitary Payments Weren't Extortion
Attorneys for the families of people killed by right-wing paramilitaries in Colombia's banana-producing region asked jurors Thursday for an amount totaling tens of millions of dollars in damages as they closed out their Florida federal case against Chiquita, arguing the company willingly funded paramilitary groups.
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June 06, 2024
Dollar Tree Mint's Injury To Toddler Not Covered, Insurer Says
The insurer of a breath mint manufacturer told a Missouri federal court that due to a pollution exclusion in its policy, it shouldn't have to defend against a suit alleging a toddler suffered severe esophageal injuries after swallowing freshening drops sold by Dollar Tree.
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June 06, 2024
EPA To Reevaluate Widely Used Toxic Chemical Under TSCA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule to limit the use of a chemical found in hundreds of products from paint to cleaning products that has been linked to miscarriages, reduced male fertility and other health issues.
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June 06, 2024
Abbott Labs Must Face Bulk Of Glucerna False Ad Suit
A California federal judge won't free Abbott Laboratories from a proposed class action over its Glucerna shakes, saying the complaint plausibly alleges that the labeling would mislead consumers about the health aspects of the drinks.
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June 05, 2024
Denver Nuggets Owner Says Hot Dog Biz Owes $860K
Billionaire Stan Kroenke's sports holding company, which owns the Denver Nuggets and other professional sports teams, sued a Denver-based hot dog shop chain in state court, alleging the food vendor owes more than $860,000 in sponsorship fees as part of a deal to promote its brand at Ball Arena during sporting events.
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June 05, 2024
Massive NFL Sunday Ticket Antitrust Trial Kicks Off In LA
The California federal trial in a multibillion-dollar antitrust suit against the NFL by Sunday Ticket subscribers kicked off Wednesday with the seating of eight jurors and two alternates, after some potential jurors were eliminated for expressing strong views on former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, player concussions and the league's significant wealth.
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June 05, 2024
Fed. Circ. Questions Willfulness Finding Over Meat Slicer Patent
A Federal Circuit panel appeared wary Wednesday of Provisur Technologies Inc.'s argument that Weber Inc. knew it was infringing its patents for meat slicing and packaging machines, the basis for a $10.5 million judgment against Weber last year.
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June 05, 2024
Texas Tamale Co. Wins Partial Injunction In Trademark Case
A Texas federal magistrate judge has found that a Fort Worth tamale outfit called Texas Lone Star Tamales can't use certain phrases in its advertising but limited some language in a requested injunction.
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June 05, 2024
TTAB Rejects Gin Maker's Attempt To Narrow 'Iron Balls' Mark
The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board has refused a gin maker's bid to force a Texas brewery to limit its use of the phrase "Iron Balls" to craft microbrews instead of just "beer," saying such a change wouldn't make confusion any less likely.
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June 05, 2024
Ill. Budget Has Higher Cap On NOLs, Sports Betting Tax Hike
Illinois will extend a cap on corporate net operating loss deductions, increase its sports betting tax and reduce sales tax rebates for retailers under a $53.1 billion fiscal year 2025 budget signed Wednesday by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
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June 05, 2024
Hiring Pattern Dooms Mo. Spa's Quest For Foreign Waitstaff
A lakeside Missouri resort and spa lost in its quest to hire 15 foreign waitstaff for its tourist season after a U.S. Department of Labor appeals board ruled the resort failed to show its need for the foreign staff was temporary.
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June 05, 2024
Davis Polk Guiding Dollar Tree On Potential Family Dollar Sale
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is representing Dollar Tree Inc. in a formal strategic review of its Family Dollar business that could lead to a sale, spinoff or other disposition, the Virginia-based retailer revealed Wednesday.
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June 05, 2024
McDonald's Loses 'Big Mac' TM Rights Over Poultry In EU
A European Union court on Wednesday stripped McDonald's of its right to use the "Big Mac" trademark on chicken sandwiches in the bloc, ruling that the fast food giant had failed to put the sign to proper use on poultry products in recent years.
Expert Analysis
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A Recipe For Growth Equity Investing In A Slow M&A Market
Carl Marcellino at Ropes & Gray discusses the factors bolstering appetite for growth equity fundraising in a depressed M&A market, and walks through the deal terms and other ingredients that set growth equity transactions apart from bread-and-butter venture capital investing.
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What 100 Federal Cases Suggest About Changes To Chevron
With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to overturn or narrow its 40-year-old doctrine of Chevron deference, a review of 100 recent federal district court decisions confirm that changes to the Chevron framework will have broad ramifications — but the magnitude of the impact will depend on the details of the high court's ruling, say Kali Schellenberg and Jon Cochran at LeVan Stapleton.
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Microplastics At The Crossroads Of Regulation And Litigation
Though there are currently not many federal regulations specifically addressing microplastics as pollutants, regulatory scrutiny and lawsuits asserting consumer protection claims are both on the rise, and manufacturers should take proactive steps to implement preventive measures accordingly, say Aliza Karetnick and Franco Corrado at Morgan Lewis.
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Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert
As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Data Shows H-2B Wages May Be Skewed High By Sample Size
Occupational Wage and Employment Statistics wage data from April illustrates that smaller sample sizes from less populated areas may be skewing prevailing wages for H-2B visas artificially high, potentially harming businesses that rely on the visa program, says Stephen Bronars at Edgeworth Economics.
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Series
Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
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The Secret Sauce For Trademarking Viral Food Products
Three recent high-profile trademark disputes in the food industry illustrate the importance of protecting brands early — especially for any company aiming for viral fame — and underscore the value of intent-to-use applications, say Elliot Gee and Matthew Dowd at Dowd Scheffel.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Breaking Down EPA's Rule On PFAS In Drinking Water
Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the first enforceable federal drinking water regulation for PFAS, which, along with reporting and compliance requirements for regulated entities, will have a number of indirect effects, including increased cleanup costs and the possible expansion of existing Superfund sites, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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Expect An Increase In Robinson-Patman Act Enforcement
Recent actions by the Federal Trade Commission and prominent lawmakers should be viewed as a harbinger of renewed scrutiny of price discrimination in all industries and a sign that Robinson-Patman Act investigations and enforcement actions are likely to see an uptick, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Wave Of Final Rules Reflects Race Against CRA Deadline
The flurry of final rules now leaping off the Federal Register press — some of which will affect entire industries and millions of Americans — shows President Joe Biden's determination to protect his regulatory legacy from reversal by the next Congress, given the impending statutory look-back period under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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'Beauty From Within' Trend Poses Regulatory Risks For Cos.
Companies capitalizing on the current trend in oral supplements touting cosmetic benefits must note that a product claim that would be acceptable for an externally applied cosmetic may draw much stronger scrutiny from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when applied to a supplement, say Natalie Rainer and Katherine Staba at K&L Gates.
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How Cos. Can Prep For New Calif. Privacy Regulations
The California Privacy Protection Agency has been very active in the first quarter of 2024 and continues to exercise its rulemaking authority with proposed draft regulations, so retailers should prepare for California Consumer Privacy Act enforcement and figure out how best to comply, say attorneys at Dentons.
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Series
Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.