Food & Beverage

  • May 01, 2024

    Eateries Note 'Fatal' Concession By Insurer In NC COVID Row

    Cincinnati Insurance Co. made a "fatal" concession when it argued that "physical loss" merely requires "some sort of dispossession," a group of 16 restaurants told the North Carolina Supreme Court, urging it to reinstate their COVID-19 coverage win that got reversed on appeal. 

  • May 01, 2024

    Food Supplier Can't Shake Off $5M DOD Bid-Rigging Claim

    A food supplier must face a U.S. Department of Defense agency's efforts to recoup the purported $5 million lost to an ex-employee's bid-rigging scheme, after a contract appeals board ruled the contractor was required to provide fair, unrigged prices.

  • May 01, 2024

    Conn. Attorney Scores Default $85K Win In Legal Bill Feud

    A federal judge has ordered two Colorado companies, one of which claimed to be working on a cryptocurrency exchange, to pay a default judgment of $85,456 after failing to answer a Connecticut firm's claims that they failed to pay nearly $107,000 in legal fees.

  • May 01, 2024

    Simpson-Led Mosaic Selling $1.5B Stake In Saudi Mining JV

    Tampa-based fertilizer producer The Mosaic Co. said it has agreed to sell its 25% stake in a phosphate production joint venture to Saudi Arabian mining firm Ma'aden for more than 111 million shares of Ma'aden worth about $1.5 billion. 

  • April 30, 2024

    Red Bull's NY And NJ Distributor Sues Over Threats To Deal

    The New York and New Jersey distributor of Red Bull sued the energy drink company Tuesday in New Jersey federal court over allegations that it unfairly plans to terminate a 24-year-old distribution agreement, saying its entire business is at stake despite fulfilling all of Red Bull's requirements.

  • April 30, 2024

    Chiquita Capitalized On Colombian War, Victims' Families Say

    Attorneys representing the families of 10 men killed during Colombia's civil war told a Florida federal jury Tuesday that the Chiquita banana company is liable for their deaths, saying it knowingly funded a right-wing narcoterrorist group that committed atrocities against its workers as the fruit corporation expanded its business.

  • April 30, 2024

    Split 9th Circ. Finds San Jose Nuisance Laws Constitutional

    A split Ninth Circuit panel held Tuesday that San Jose, California, did not violate the First Amendment rights of a nightclub operator by suspending its license following a shooting, affirming that the public nuisance provisions and licensing scheme for entertainment venues used by the city are not unlawful prior restraints.

  • April 30, 2024

    Foreign Farmworker Protection Rule Could Frustrate Hiring

    A new U.S. Department of Labor regulation boosting labor protections for H-2A visa workers has industry experts worried that it could frustrate a common practice of sharing employees within the agricultural industry, and pose hiring challenges for farmers and ranchers.

  • April 30, 2024

    Kroger, Albertsons Say FTC Distorts Markets In Merger Case

    Kroger and Albertsons told an Oregon federal court to reject a pending merger challenge by the Federal Trade Commission and a group of states, saying it distorts the competitive landscape for the grocery and labor markets.

  • April 30, 2024

    Welch's Says Worker Should Stay Fired In Dispute With Union

    Welch Foods Inc. on Tuesday said a Pennsylvania magistrate judge is wrong to say the company should be forced to rehire a Teamsters-represented worker it fired for making vulgar comments to a female co-worker, saying the words the ex-employee used should be construed as sexual harassment.

  • April 30, 2024

    EPA Chief Faces House Appropriators Hostile To Agency Regs

    Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke grilled U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan at a congressional budget hearing Tuesday, telling him a new coal-fired power plant emissions rule threatens to increase ratepayer costs.

  • April 30, 2024

    8th Circ. Orders BASF Damages Trial In Herbicide Row

    An Eighth Circuit panel on Tuesday once again directed a Missouri federal court to hold a trial to assess punitive damages for BASF Corp. in litigation alleging the sale of herbicide-resistant seeds led to the destruction of a farm's peach trees when herbicide drifted from neighboring farms.

  • April 30, 2024

    Feds Endorse Easing Marijuana Status In Big Policy Shift

    Federal drug enforcers will recommend loosening restrictions on cannabis for the first time since the drug was made federally illegal decades ago, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

  • April 30, 2024

    Wash. Panel Reverses Hartford Unit Fire Coverage Ruling

    A Washington state appeals court reversed a trial court's ruling that a Hartford unit's policy included coverage for an electrical panel that caused a restaurant fire, instead finding that whether the electrical panel was in the care of the restaurant or its landlord remains disputed.

  • April 30, 2024

    FDA Vet Brings Regulatory, Compliance Expertise To Sidley

    Sidley Austin LLP on Monday announced the addition of a longtime U.S. Food and Drug Administration attorney, touting his regulatory and compliance expertise connected to drugs, biologics, medical devices, food, cosmetics and tobacco.

  • April 29, 2024

    High Court Won't Revisit Class Cert. In Chili's Data Breach Row

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to review an Eleventh Circuit ruling that kept alive a class action claiming Chili's restaurants failed to protect customer data in a 2018 data breach that revealed millions of credit card records, which class counsel said "enshrines a path" toward compensation for consumers against companies that mishandle their data.

  • April 29, 2024

    Tilray-Owned Beer Co. Hit With 'Big Juicy' TM Suit

    Brewing company No-Li Brewhouse LLC has sued a competitor owned by cannabis giant Tilray Brands LLC in Washington federal court, accusing the rival of infringing its "Big Juicy" trademark for beers.

  • April 29, 2024

    Restaurateurs Say DOL Drew Tipped Work 'Line' Unfairly

    The U.S. Department of Labor and two restaurant groups told the Fifth Circuit on Monday that they agreed the department's rule regulating what's tipped and nontipped work "is fundamentally a line-drawing problem," but disagreed on whether that "line" had been drawn appropriately under federal statutes.

  • April 29, 2024

    US, Tribes Defend Water Rule Against States', Biz Groups' Suit

    The federal government and several Native American tribes on Friday asked a North Dakota federal judge to toss a lawsuit by two dozen states challenging a rule defining the reach of the Clean Water Act's jurisdiction.

  • April 29, 2024

    Zoning Limits Cost Mich. Wineries $120M, Judge Told

    A group of wineries told a federal judge Monday that a Michigan township's zoning restrictions have caused the vintners to miss out on $120 million in profits and stifled their growth, while the township's lawyer said the damages ask is unreasonable and unwarranted.

  • April 29, 2024

    Calif. Judge OKs $1M Deal In Strawberry Pickers' Wage Suit

    A California federal court gave the first sign-off to a $1 million deal that would end hundreds of strawberry pickers' claims that they were forced to work at unsafe speeds for allegedly little pay.

  • April 29, 2024

    Fruit Co. Must Face Pollution Suit From Tribe, Enviro Groups

    A Michigan federal judge has ruled a fruit and vegetable company can't escape claims it unlawfully contaminated nearby wetlands with polluted wastewater discharges, saying the company's defense essentially ignores the primary theory of liability put forward by a Native American tribe and two environmental groups. 

  • April 29, 2024

    StarKist Looks To Block Guilty Plea From Price-Fixing Trial

    StarKist and its South Korea-based owner are urging a California federal judge to reject a bid by packaged tuna buyers to bring evidence of the tuna company's guilty plea into the civil litigation, arguing that the plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice is irrelevant to a trial over claims that major tuna brands conspired to keep prices high.

  • April 29, 2024

    Turkey Cos. Seek Swift Appeal Of Burford's Ability To Sue

    Some of the country's largest turkey producers have asked an Illinois federal court for permission to immediately appeal a March ruling that allows a Burford Capital investment unit to pursue price-fixing allegations against them, arguing the Seventh Circuit should weigh in on whether the investor is permitted to bring such a claim.

  • April 29, 2024

    High Court To Decide Jurisdiction In Dog Food Label Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up an appeal from Royal Canin USA Inc. and Nestle Purina PetCare Co. in a dispute over whether a suit alleging they falsely represent their products as prescriptions belongs in state or federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • Vagueness In Calif. Climate Law Makes Compliance Tricky

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    California's recently enacted Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Act requires companies making claims of carbon neutrality, or significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions, to disclose information supporting those claims — but vague and conflicting language in the statute poses multiple problems for businesses, say John Rousakis and Chris Bowman at O'Melveny.

  • Series

    Competing In Dressage Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My lifelong participation in the sport of dressage — often called ballet on horses — has proven that several skills developed through training and competition are transferable to legal work, especially the ability to harness focus, persistence and versatility when negotiating a deal, says Stephanie Coco at V&E.

  • Harmonizing Agricultural And Clean Energy Goals

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    Congress' extension of the Farm Bill offers a chance to more thoroughly consider innovation and investments that could transform the competition between farmers and solar developers into synergistic agrivoltaic systems, which use land for both agriculture and solar energy generation, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • What's At Stake In High Court NLRB Injunction Case

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    William Baker at Wigdor examines the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to hear Starbucks v. McKinney — where it will consider a long-standing circuit split over the standard for evaluating National Labor Relations Board injunction bids — and explains why the justices’ eventual decision, either way, is unlikely to be a significant blow to labor.

  • The Legal Industry Needs A Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift

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    As law firms face ever-increasing risks of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, the legal industry must implement robust cybersecurity measures and privacy-centric practices to preserve attorney-client privilege, safeguard client trust and uphold the profession’s integrity, says Ryan Paterson at Unplugged.

  • 5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money

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    As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.

  • Series

    Playing Competitive Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing competitive tennis has highlighted why prioritizing exercise and stress relief, maintaining perspective under pressure, and supporting colleagues in pursuit of a common goal are all key aspects of championing a successful legal career, says Madhumita Datta at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52

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    Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.

  • Workplace Speech Policies Limit Legal And PR Risks

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    As workers increasingly speak out on controversies like the 2024 elections and the Israel-Hamas war, companies should implement practical workplace expression policies and plans to protect their brands and mitigate the risk of violating federal and state anti-discrimination and free speech laws, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success

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    Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.

  • How Consumer Product Cos. Can Keep Up With Class Actions

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    Recent cases show California's federal courts and the Ninth Circuit remain the preferred arena for consumers pursuing false advertising and trade deception claims against companies — so manufacturers, distributors and retailers of consumer products should continue to watch these courts for guidance on how to fight class actions, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Competing In Triathlons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While practicing law and competing in long-distance triathlons can make work and life feel unbalanced at times, participating in the sport has revealed important lessons about versatility, self-care and perseverance that apply to the office as much as they do the racecourse, says Laura Heusel at Butler Snow.

  • Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument

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    Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.

  • Perspectives

    6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice

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    An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: Canada

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    In Canada, multiple statutes, regulations, common law and industry guidance address environmental, social and governance considerations, with debate over ESG in the business realm potentially growing on the horizon, say attorneys at Blakes.

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