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

  • Litigation Inspiration: Reframing Document Review

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    For attorneys — new ones especially — there is much fulfillment to find in document review by reflecting on how important, interesting and pleasant it can be, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • A View Into NY's New Business Interruption Insurance Law

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    In response to businesses' economic challenges during the pandemic, New York recently allowed the issuance of stand-alone business interruption insurance coverage, and while pricing and insurer participation questions remain, the product stands to benefit business owners and the state economy, say attorneys at Saxe Doernberger.

  • How Boards And Officers Should Prep For New Trump Admin

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    In anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and mass deportation campaign, company officers and board members should pursue proactive, comprehensive contingency planning to not only advance the best interests of the companies they serve, but to also properly exercise their fiduciary duty of care, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • NLRB One-Two Punch Curbs Employer Anti-Organizing Tools

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    The National Labor Relations Board’s recent decisions in Siren Retail and Amazon, limiting employer speech about the impact of unionization and outlawing captive audience meetings, severely curtail employers' arsenal of tools to combat an organizing campaign — though this may soon change under a new administration, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • What Trump's Next Term May Mean For Biz Immigration

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    Leonard D'Arrigo at Harris Beach discusses the employment-based immigration policies businesses can potentially expect during President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, based on policies enacted during his first administration, statements made during his campaign and proposals in Project 2025.

  • Defense Insights As PFAS Consumer Product Claims Rise

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    Amid the recent proliferation of lawsuits seeking damages for failure to disclose the presence of PFAS in consumer products, manufacturers, distributors and consumer product companies should follow the science and consider a significant flaw in many of the filings, say attorneys at Farella Braun.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • Recent Listeria Outbreaks Hold Key Compliance Lessons

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    Listeria outbreaks in ready-to-eat foods from Boar's Head and other companies, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration responses to these outbreaks, should be closely evaluated from an overall compliance and risk management perspective by food manufacturers, retailers and industry investors, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • What Cos. Can Learn from Water Microplastics Class Actions

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    Class actions against companies whose bottled spring water allegedly contains microplastics, challenging claims such as "natural" and "100% spring water," seem to be drying up — but these cases serve as a good reminder to other businesses to review regulatory standards, and carefully vet plaintiff allegations at the outset, say attorneys at Keller and Heckman.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • What's Next For The CFTC After The Election

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    While much of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's enforcement actions in line with its traditional priorities will continue as usual in the near term, postelection leadership changes at the CFTC and new congressional priorities may alter the commission's regulatory framework in 2025 and beyond — particularly its oversight of crypto, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

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