Food & Beverage

  • March 28, 2024

    Dole Drops $293M Sale Of Vegetable Biz Under DOJ Pressure

    Dole PLC said Thursday it agreed to drop the planned $293 million sale of its fresh vegetable division to Chiquita Holdings Ltd. after the U.S. Department of Justice raised concerns about the deal's effect on packaged salad prices.

  • March 28, 2024

    'Better Made' Chips Goes After 'Better Smoke' Pot

    Detroit-based Better Made Snack Foods Inc. said a number of cannabis companies in Michigan have been selling a line of "Better Smoke" cannabis products that mimics the snack brand's century-old logo in a trademark infringement lawsuit filed Wednesday.

  • March 28, 2024

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

    This past week in London has seen investors target fraudsters who ran a fake film tax scheme, Barclays Bank sue privately owned Russian bank PJSC Sovcombank, easyGroup bring a trademark infringement claim against online casino TGI Entertainment for its "easybet" word sign, and a bioethanol fuel company hit high-profile individuals connected to the collapsed Elysian Fuels scheme. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • March 27, 2024

    Minor League Players Charged With Insider Trading

    California federal prosecutors have hit current and former minor league baseball players with claims they made profits totaling over $162,000 trading off insider information about burger chain Jack in the Box's $575 million acquisition of its fellow chain Del Taco.

  • March 27, 2024

    Foreign Subsidy Rule Muddles 'Countervailable' Meaning

    The U.S. Department of Commerce's new final rule authorizing itself to investigate subsidies that governments give to manufacturers in other nations casts uncertainty over the definition of "countervailable" in the absence of clarity on how third-party governments will be incorporated into these duty probes. 

  • March 27, 2024

    Tribes Want Climate Change Row With Oil Cos. In State Court

    Two Native American tribes urged a Washington federal court to remand their consolidated case against ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66 back to state court, arguing they've only asserted state-law causes of action.

  • March 27, 2024

    Cannabis Caucus Dems Urge Garland To Restore Pot Protections

    The two Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives' Congressional Cannabis Caucus blasted Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday for not reissuing "overdue" protections for marijuana businesses acting in compliance with state and tribal law.

  • March 27, 2024

    DoorDash, Grubhub Want Docs From NY Restaurant Lobbyists

    DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats have urged a Manhattan federal judge to let them subpoena the trade group executives who allegedly "worked closely" with officials on challenged New York City caps on fees that food delivery apps can charge restaurants.

  • March 27, 2024

    Candy Co. Can Use Recipe Amid 'Chocolate Moonshine' Fight

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has refused to ban the candy maker Local Yokels Fudge from making or selling fudge, ruling the owner's ex-husband hadn't shown the company is still using his family's secret "Chocolate Moonshine" fudge recipe.

  • March 27, 2024

    Farm Data Co. Wants To Bar Carlton Fields Atty From IP Suit

    Lawyers for an agricultural industry data software outfit want a Carlton Fields lawyer banned from participating in a patent dispute with a rival startup because of her in-house involvement at the rival and work on an older trade secrets suit involving the same technology.

  • March 27, 2024

    47 House Dems Urge Changing Trade Deal To Stem Migration

    A large bloc of U.S. lawmakers has called on the Biden administration to remove what the lawmakers say is a damaging investor-state dispute settlement mechanism from the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement, warning federal government officials that it's a primary reason why migrants are leaving the region.

  • March 27, 2024

    HR Services Co. May Be Liable In Harassment Suit, Court Says

    A Texas appellate court said Wednesday that more fact-finding is needed to determine whether a professional employer organization could be on the hook for a sexual harassment claim brought by a cafeteria worker, but found that the company is, legally, an employer.

  • March 27, 2024

    9th Circ. Rejects Rust-Oleum's Bid To Sink Class Cert.

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday upheld the certification of a class of Rust-Oleum customers who are suing the company for allegedly greenwashing its degreaser products with the terms "non-toxic" and "Earth friendly."

  • March 27, 2024

    CBD Retailer Used Spyware, Recorded Online Chats, Suit Says

    Charlotte's Web Inc., a CBD retailer, is secretly recording conversations of those who visit its website in violation of a California privacy law that is simple to follow, according to a proposed class action removed to federal court on Monday.

  • March 27, 2024

    Vietnamese Producer Faces Brunt Of Shrimp Subsidy Probe

    A Vietnamese shrimp farm may face a nearly 200% countervailing duty rate based on preliminary findings in the U.S. Department of Commerce's probe into whether shrimp imports from four countries are hurting the U.S. market through unfair government subsidies.

  • March 27, 2024

    3 Firms Vie To Lead Instacart Pre-IPO Action

    Levi & Korsinsky LLP, Pomerantz LLP and The Rosen Law Firm PA have each asked a California federal judge to lead a securities lawsuit against grocery delivery company Instacart for allegedly misrepresenting its growth potential in the lead-up to its initial public offering.

  • March 27, 2024

    Smucker Needn't Pay Multiple Limits For Tainted Jif Row

    J.M. Smucker Co. does not have to satisfy the retained limit for 225 underlying claims seeking damages for salmonella-contaminated Jif peanut butter individually before being eligible for coverage, an Ohio federal judge ruled, holding that the underlying claims constituted a single occurrence.

  • March 26, 2024

    EPA Pressed On Cost, Strength Of Slaughterhouse Water Rule

    Meat and poultry industry groups and environmentalists are clashing over how strict the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's water quality regulations for slaughtering, processing and rendering facilities should be, while local regulators urged a focus on feasibility.

  • March 26, 2024

    Distillers Group Wants Injunction To Make Liquor At Home

    The Hobby Distillers Association renewed its call Tuesday for a Texas federal judge to give early permission for its members to distill spirits at home, telling the court that it has authority to declare the federal laws banning home distilling unconstitutional.

  • March 26, 2024

    SPAC 'Frenzy' Led To $1.6B Deal For Dog Treat Co., Suit Says

    Shareholders of a special-purpose acquisition company that merged with dog-treat box company BarkBox in a $1.6 billion deal have sued the executives and directors of both entities, alleging they breached their fiduciary duties in connection with what the complaint calls "an extreme example of the 'churn-and-burn' SPAC frenzy."

  • March 26, 2024

    Web Designer To Get Atty Fees After High Court Win

    A federal judge on Tuesday said a Christian website designer and her company are entitled to attorney fees and costs after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that Colorado can't force her to create wedding websites for same-sex couples.

  • March 26, 2024

    Conagra Can't Sink Sustainable Fishing False Ad Suit

    An Illinois federal judge trimmed but refused to toss a proposed class action claiming Conagra Brands Inc. deceptively labels its seafood products as sustainable when the fish is sourced with methods harmful to oceans, saying the customers have sufficiently alleged the phrase "Good for the Environment" is deceptive.

  • March 26, 2024

    DC Circ. Rebukes NLRB's 'Nonsense' In Driver Camera Case

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday vacated a National Labor Relations Board decision that found a produce company unlawfully disciplined a pro-union worker and gave another the impression he was being surveilled, calling the board's approach to the case "nonsense."

  • March 26, 2024

    Starbucks Settles Worker's Suit Alleging Manager Groped Her

    Starbucks Corp. has settled a lawsuit with an employee who alleged her reports of groping and harassment by a manger resulted in a retaliatory investigation, stunting her career with the coffee chain.

  • March 26, 2024

    NY Urges 2nd Circ. To Deny Tribe's Eel Fishing Challenge

    The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation called on the Second Circuit to uphold a lower court's rejection of the Unkechaug Indian Nation's challenge to the agency's regulations on eel harvests, saying contrary to the tribe's arguments, they're not preempted by any federal treaty or statute.

Expert Analysis

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: South Korea

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    Numerous ESG trends have materialized in South Korea in the past three years, with impacts ranging from greenwashing prevention and carbon neutrality measures to workplace harassment and board diversity initiatives, say Chang Wook Min and Hyun Chan Jung at Jipyong.

  • Employer Takeaways From 2nd Circ. Equal Pay Ruling

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    The Second Circuit 's recent decision in Eisenhauer v. Culinary Institute of America reversed a long-held understanding of the Equal Pay Act, ultimately making it easier for employers to defend against equal pay claims brought under federal law, but it is not a clear escape hatch for employers, say Thelma Akpan and Katelyn McCombs at Littler.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • Rite Aid's Reasons For Ch. 11 Go Beyond Opioid Suits

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    Despite opioid-related lawsuits being the perceived reason that pushed Rite Aid into bankruptcy, the company's recent Chapter 11 filing reveals its tenuous position in the pharmaceutical retail market, and only time will tell whether bankruptcy will right-size the company, says Daniel Gielchinsky at DGIM Law.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • How Fla. Bankruptcy Ruling May Affect Equity Owners

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    A Florida bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in Vital Pharmaceuticals — which rejected the Third Circuit’s Majestic Star decision that determined a bankrupt corporation’s flow-through status was not protected by the automatic stay — may significantly affect how equity owners can mitigate the impact of flow-through structures in bankruptcy, say Eric Behl-Remijan and Natasha Hwangpo at Ropes & Gray.

  • M&A Ruling Buoys Loss Calculation Method, R&W Insurance

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    The recent Southern District of New York decision in Taylor Precision Products v. Larimer affirms the use of EBITDA as a basis to quantify loss, highlighting the potential shortcomings of a traditional seller indemnity compared to representation and warranty insurance, say Mark Schwartz at Lockton, and William O’Neil and Gretchen Scavo at Winston & Strawn.

  • How Consumer Complaints Can Help Companies

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    As seen most recently in Zoom's terms of service controversy, consumer complaints — despite initially seeming troubling for companies — can offer businesses the opportunity to identify, tackle and resolve budding challenges before those challenges escalate into larger issues, say Meghan Stoppel and Hannah Cornett at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Opinion

    Life Sciences Regulators Must Write Cloud-Specific Guidance

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    As cloud services continue to revolutionize the life sciences industry's ability to conduct regulated activities, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulators should update their data management policies to clearly support and encourage use of cloud technology, say Nate Brown and Marlee Gallant at Akin.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Analyzing The Legal Ripples Of The EPA's PFAS Regulation

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    As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency makes major moves on its pledge to regulate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the developing body of PFAS regulation will lead to an increase in litigation, and personal injury and product liability claims, say attorneys at Gordon & Rees.

  • The Growing Need For FLSA Private Settlement Rule Clarity

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    A Pennsylvania district court's recent ruling in Walker v. Marathon Petroleum echoes an interesting and growing trend of jurists questioning the need for — and legality of — judicial approval of private Fair Labor Standards Act settlements, which provides more options for parties to efficiently resolve their claims, says Rachael Coe at Moore & Van Allen.

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