Food & Beverage

  • July 28, 2025

    Coca-Cola Looks To Drain '100% Natural Flavors' False Ad Suit

    Coca-Cola urged a California federal judge to drain a proposed class action alleging it deceptively labels its Sprite sodas as made with "100% natural flavors" despite containing citric acid, arguing Friday the plaintiff doesn't plausibly allege the citric acid is artificial, and that her claims are preempted by federal law.

  • July 28, 2025

    Electrolux Range's Defect Led To Fire, Insurer Tells Court

    Three Electrolux companies manufactured ranges with a foreseeable defect that allowed the products to unintentionally activate, a property insurer told a Connecticut federal court as it sought to recover the claim payout for a homeowner's kitchen fire.

  • July 28, 2025

    Cashier Says Cannabis Bakery Didn't Pay Overtime, Took Tips

    A former cashier for an Illinois bakery that makes and sells cannabis products sued the bakery Monday, alleging it failed to pay proper overtime wages and distributed tips to managers in violation of state and federal law.

  • July 28, 2025

    Walmart Makes Deal After $223M Loss In Trade Secrets Trial

    Walmart Inc. has reached a settlement with Zest Labs Inc. to end a suit accusing the retail behemoth of using Zest Labs' trade secrets related to shelf-freshness technology after a jury awarded the company $223 million in damages, according to a Monday court order.

  • July 28, 2025

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    A Delaware vice chancellor last week sent several coordinated derivative suits seeking millions of dollars in damages from AT&T to trial and also chose a boutique firm to lead a potential "blockbuster" suit challenging a take-private deal of a sports and entertainment group after "heated" attacks between competing counsel.

  • July 25, 2025

    Coffee Co. Says Tech Firm Brewed Trademark Conflict

    A coffee roaster is accusing a coffee-focused tech firm of wrongly obtaining a trademark registration for the phrase "meet the farmer" and waging an anticompetitive campaign to damage the roaster over its use of the phrase.

  • July 25, 2025

    4th Circ. Revives Kraft Heinz Suit Over Safety Complaints

    The Fourth Circuit on Friday overturned a win for Kraft Heinz Inc. in a suit by a former worker at a meatpacking plant who alleged that he'd been fired for reporting safety issues, saying the district court wrongly concluded that a separate disciplinary investigation was the sole reason he was terminated.

  • July 25, 2025

    Calif. Air Board Faces New Suit Over Carbon Fuel Standard

    Environmental and public interest groups hit the California Air Resources Board with another lawsuit in Golden State court Friday, alleging that the state's recent amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard will have the perverse effect of incentivizing large-scale factory farms, which pose significant environmental and public health risks.

  • July 25, 2025

    9th Circ.: Gila River Tribe-Farmer Water Fight Not Over

    The Ninth Circuit has ruled a federal judge prematurely sided with the Gila River Indian Community in a water rights dispute, finding future fact-finding is needed before ordering Arizona farmers to shut off wells that allegedly draw water from the river.

  • July 25, 2025

    Fluoride Fans Tell 9th Circ. To Preserve Drinking Water Use

    A pro-fluoride group is supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's fight to overturn a California federal judge's ruling that current limits on the chemical in drinking water aren't protective enough.

  • July 25, 2025

    3rd Circ. Won't Review $3.2M Wawa Breach Fee Award

    The Third Circuit on Thursday won't revisit its prior decision upholding $3.2 million in fees to plaintiffs' counsel in a case that secured a $12 million deal for Wawa shoppers affected by a data breach after attorney Ted Frank argued the fees were disproportionate to the class' recovery.

  • July 25, 2025

    Minnesota Regulators Sue Retailer Over Cannabinoid Wares

    Minnesota's cannabis regulator has brought a state court action seeking an order compelling a retailer to destroy hemp-derived cannabinoid products that are allegedly noncompliant under the state's laws.

  • July 25, 2025

    Texas Farmer Not Owed For Border Wall Costs, 5th Circ. Says

    A Texas farmer isn't owed compensation for a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border wall that the government built on her land in 2008, the Fifth Circuit ruled Thursday.

  • July 25, 2025

    Jurisdiction Issue Leads To USAID Shutdown Suit's Dismissal

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge dismissed a suit Friday by a union and other groups seeking to stop the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and denied a contractor association an order blocking the same, saying their claims belong before expert agencies rather than a district court.

  • July 25, 2025

    Wash. Judge Tosses Costco Customer's Online Upcharge Suit

    A Washington state judge has thrown out a consumer's proposed class action accusing Costco of hidden markups on online purchases, saying Friday that the warehouse retailer's website is "extremely clear" that grocery prices are higher than they are in-store to cover packing and fulfillment costs.

  • July 25, 2025

    Ex-Whataburger Worker Drops 5th Circ. Appeal In 401(k) Suit

    A former employee of Whataburger dropped his Fifth Circuit bid to revive a proposed class action alleging mismanagement of an employee 401(k) plan Friday following a Texas federal court's decision tossing the case in November.

  • July 25, 2025

    Historic Conn. Soda Co., Ex-President Settle Unfair Lease Suit

    The former president of a century-old Connecticut soft drink company has agreed to settle a lawsuit he filed in state court after he became a minority owner in the company following purchases of company stock by family members.

  • July 24, 2025

    Tyson's $55M Delaware Win Won't Aid Ga. Suit, Rival Says

    Poultry rendering company American Proteins Inc. told a Georgia federal judge Wednesday that a Delaware court's award of $55 million to Tyson Foods for overpaying to acquire the company has no bearing on their antitrust suit over whether Tyson forced the buyout through strong-arm tactics.

  • July 24, 2025

    Logan Paul's Co. Can't Depose Messi In Drink TM Row

    Logan Paul's sports drink company has lost its bid to depose soccer star Lionel Messi in a trademark dispute after a New York federal judge found the deposition request to be "vexatious and improper," and pointed out that Messi attested he lacks unique knowledge about the issues in the case.

  • July 24, 2025

    Wash. AG Sues Contractor To Keep Benefits Data From Feds

    Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown launched a lawsuit in Evergreen State court on Thursday seeking to block a fintech contractor from providing the federal government with the private details of food assistance benefit recipients, saying the Trump administration intends to use the data for its "mass deportation project."

  • July 24, 2025

    JBS S.A. Sued In Del. Over Pilgrim's Pride Control Moves

    Pension fund stockholders of poultry industry giant Pilgrim's Pride Corp. have sued Brazil-based meat giant JBS S.A., its affiliates and its Pilgrim's board appointees in Delaware's Court of Chancery, alleging actions that unfairly increased JBS' clout and access to dividends and tax benefits at minority shareholder expense.

  • July 24, 2025

    Conn. Water Cos. Want Judge To Toss Customer PFAS Cases

    The Connecticut Water Co. and Aquarion Water Co. on Thursday asked a Connecticut Superior Court judge to dismiss two consumer proposed class actions seeking cash damages for tap water allegedly contaminated with PFAS "forever chemicals," arguing the case should have been first considered by a state regulatory agency.

  • July 24, 2025

    Texas Hemp Group Blasts New Legislative Proposal

    A Texas hemp industry advocate has slammed a second effort by the state Senate to ban all consumable products containing THC, saying residents want "smart, responsible regulation," not "prohibition."

  • July 24, 2025

    Kraft Must Face Claims It Stole Overseas Distributor Database

    The Kraft Heinz Co. cannot escape a lawsuit accusing it of stealing confidential information from a business that helps U.S.-based consumer goods brands expand their markets internationally by identifying foreign distributors, an Atlanta federal judge has ruled.

  • July 24, 2025

    Miami Van Gogh Cafe, Museum Exhibitor Settle TM Suit

    A company that runs an immersive Vincent van Gogh-themed exhibit has reached a deal to settle trademark infringement claims it brought against Miami's Van Gogh Cafe.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Advertising Law Trends To Watch In 2025

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    Although advertisers are encouraged by the incoming Trump administration's focus on deregulation, this year could feel like wading through uncharted waters, and decreased federal government regulation may mean increased state regulation, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

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    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • NY Plastic Pollution Verdict May Not Bode Well For Other Suits

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    The dismissal of New York state's public nuisance complaint against PepsiCo over pollution of the Buffalo River with the company's single use plastic bottles may not augur well for similar lawsuits filed by Baltimore and Los Angeles County, although tort law varies from state to state, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

  • 2024 Was A Banner Year For Shareholder Activism

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    Shareholder activism campaigns in 2024 continued at an elevated pace globally, with activist investors exploiting valuation gaps and pushing aggressively for corporate governance reforms, including the ouster of many companies' chief executives, a trend that could continue once President-elect Donald Trump takes office, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

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    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

  • How Trump 2.0 May Change Business In Latin America

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    Companies in Latin America should expect to face more trade restrictions, tighter economic sanctions and enhanced corruption risks, as the incoming administration shifts focus to certain non-U.S. actors, most notably China, says Matteson Ellis at Miller & Chevalier.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Surprise NC COVID Ruling Revises Reasonable Expectations

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    The North Carolina Supreme Court's recent finding in favor of policyholders in a suit for business interruption coverage due to COVID-19 shutdown orders runs contrary to most other state and federal courts' holdings on the issue, and may revitalize the reasonable expectations doctrine in the state, say attorneys at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Complying With Seasonal Product Labeling Requirements

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    Though the holiday season is in the rearview, many seasonal alcohol products remain in the market, and producers should ensure that their labels comply with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's additional requirements for such products, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

  • 5 Drug And Device Developments That Shaped 2024

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    The last year saw significant legal developments affecting drug and device manufacturers, with landmark decisions and regulatory changes that require vigilance and agility from the industry, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • How To Manage During A Trade Dispute With USMCA Partners

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    Companies can try to minimize the potential impacts of future tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods, and uncertainty about future trade relations, by evaluating supply chains, considering how they may be modified, and engaging with the new administration over exemptions and the upcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

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    Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Product Safety Issues In 2024 Highlight Need For Vigilance

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    A look at some of the medications and foods that led to significant class actions last year demonstrates the need for robust regulatory systems and proactive measures to protect consumers from defective and harmful products, says Jennifer Taylor at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin.

  • Lessons Learned From 2024's Top ADA Decisions

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    Last year's major litigation related to the Americans with Disabilities Act highlights that when dealing with accommodation requests, employers must communicate clearly, appreciate context and remain flexible in addressing needs, say attorneys at Dechert.

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