Food & Beverage

  • November 17, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Finds Baby Formulas For Illnesses Duty-Free

    A baby formula maker's products designed as therapies for children with chronic medical conditions qualify for duty-free treatment, the Federal Circuit ruled Monday, overturning the U.S. Court of International Trade's decision in a decade-old dispute.

  • November 17, 2025

    Gibson Dunn Seeks Exit From Josh Cellars TM Royalties Case

    With a February trial date looming, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP has asked a Connecticut state judge's permission to stop representing the former president of a company behind the popular "Josh Cellars" wine brand, claiming unpaid legal bills and an alleged breakdown of the attorney-client relationship require its withdrawal.

  • November 17, 2025

    Cannabis Co. Not Covered In Product Safety Suit, Insurer Says

    A cannabis company is not entitled to coverage for a proposed class action accusing it of misrepresenting the nature and safety of its cannabis-infused products, a Nationwide unit told an Illinois federal court, saying the suit doesn't allege bodily injury, property damage, or personal and advertising injury to trigger coverage.

  • November 17, 2025

    NY Beer Distributor To Pay $1M In Drivers' OT Suit

    A New York-based beer distributor has agreed to pay $1 million to more than 1,675 drivers and helpers who claimed they were not properly paid overtime under state law, the workers told a federal court, asking it to greenlight the deal.

  • November 17, 2025

    3 Firms Advising On CD&R's $10.3B Bubble Wrap Maker Buy

    Private equity firm CD&R has agreed to purchase Sealed Air Corp., a provider of packaging solutions including Bubble Wrap and Cryovac, at an enterprise value of $10.3 billion in a deal steered by three law firms, Sealed Air said in a Monday announcement.

  • November 14, 2025

    Costco Tequila Buyers Say They Were Misled About Quality

    A group of consumers accused Costco of falsely marketing its Kirkland Signature tequila as pure agave when, in fact, its tequila products feature a "significant presence" of non-agave sugars, according to a proposed class action filed Friday in Washington federal court.

  • November 14, 2025

    7th Circ. Questions 'Pizza Puff' Maker's Injunction Win

    A Seventh Circuit panel seemed skeptical Friday that a lower court held Little Caesar's to the correct standard when it blocked the chain from using the term "pizza puff" to describe its muffin-pizza products.

  • November 14, 2025

    Campbell's Settles With Politician Who Used Soup Can In Ad

    The Campbell's Co. on Friday resolved its trademark fight in federal court with a Michigan congressional candidate for using its iconic can design in her campaign, with the defendant agreeing to stop producing, distributing or using any of Campbell's marks and trade dress in connection with any campaign, fundraising and promotional materials.

  • November 14, 2025

    Amazon Blasts Claim It Destroyed Evidence In Labeling Suit

    Amazon.com Services LLC is fighting calls for sanctions in a proposed class action accusing it of failing to follow federal labeling laws for dietary supplements, saying it shouldn't be penalized for allegedly failing to preserve online product pages for the supplements.

  • November 14, 2025

    Safeway Beats Claims It Falsely Advertised Wine Discount

    Grocery chain Safeway beat a proposed class action alleging that it hawks bogus, limited-time discounts on wine for its rewards members, after a California federal judge said Thursday that the members don't specifically allege how Safeway's representations were false or misleading, since higher, nonmember prices are unquestionably real prices charged to nonmembers. 

  • November 14, 2025

    DoorDash Inks $18M Deal With Chicago Over Fee Practices

    DoorDash will pay $18 million to resolve the city of Chicago's suit in Illinois federal court alleging it fooled diners into paying higher prices, charged hidden fees, used tips to subsidize its own costs and took advantage of restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the city's announcement Friday. 

  • November 14, 2025

    Poultry Producer Avoids 401(k) Forfeiture Lawsuit

    A poultry producer defeated a proposed class action Friday alleging it unlawfully used forfeited 401(k) funds to cover its contributions to the plan, with a Mississippi federal judge finding the plan's terms gave the company discretion over how to allocate the funds.

  • November 17, 2025

    CORRECTED: Estate Of Slain Clerk Wins $15.3M In Gaming Co. Suit

    Two gaming machine companies, a convenience store owner, and a convicted murderer have been hit with a $15.3 million verdict in a lawsuit filed by the family of a Pennsylvania store clerk who was fatally shot during a 2020 robbery alleged to have been prompted by the presence of skill games on the premises.

  • November 14, 2025

    Okla. AG, Governor Feud Over Tribal Hunting Enforcement

    Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed a special prosecutor to go after Native Americans who hunt or fish on tribal lands without state licenses after Attorney General Gentner Drummond said last month he would not prosecute the cases.

  • November 14, 2025

    Customer PFAS Cases Against Conn. Water Cos. Can Proceed

    Connecticut's utility and public health regulators do not have the authority to grant the relief that customers are seeking through two proposed class actions alleging The Connecticut Water Co. and Aquarion Water Co. sold water contaminated with "forever chemicals," a state court judge ruled in declining to dismiss each case.

  • November 14, 2025

    US To Slash Tariff On Swiss Imports To 15% In Trade Deal

    The U.S. will reduce a 39% tariff on Swiss imports to 15% as part of a framework trade agreement reached with Switzerland, according to Friday announcements by the White House and the Swiss government.

  • November 14, 2025

    ByHeart Sued Over Baby Food Botulism Contamination

    A proposed class of consumers is suing ByHeart Inc., alleging that the company failed to warn buyers that its baby formula is contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which can cause rare but potentially fatal infant botulism.

  • November 13, 2025

    7th Circ. Judge Questions Pilgrim's Chicken Price-Fix Win

    A Seventh Circuit judge seemed skeptical Thursday that a brief email acceptance and an unsigned agreement are enough to say Pilgrim's Pride had definitively settled chicken and other protein price-fixing claims with Sysco before a Burford Capital LLC unit picked them up to continue litigating.

  • November 13, 2025

    'Gray Market' Indian Snack Imports Get Temporarily Banned

    Indian snack food maker Haldiram's won a federal court order temporarily banning a food supplier in Washington state from importing or distributing its branded products over claims that the supplier repackaged and sold food not meant for sale in the U.S.

  • November 13, 2025

    Texas Coke Bottler Defeats Suit Over 401(k) Management

    A Dallas Coca-Cola bottler escaped a proposed class action claiming it saddled its 401(k) plan with subpar investment options and misused forfeited retirement plan funds, with a Texas federal judge saying Thursday the workers' allegations were too flimsy to stay in court.

  • November 13, 2025

    Hemp Policy At Crossroads After Government Reopening Bill

    Hemp industry advocates are pledging to use the one-year gap between enactment and implementation of the government funding agreement, which effectively recriminalized most hemp-derived THC products, to craft new regulatory legislation that stops short of a full ban.

  • November 13, 2025

    Latin American Trade Deals With US Include Zero Tariff Rates

    Latin American countries including El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador and Argentina committed to nontariff reductions for U.S. producers in exchange for a zero tariff rate on many imports not readily available in the U.S., under details of framework trade agreements the White House unveiled Thursday.

  • November 13, 2025

    Tribe Scores Early Win Against Michigan Fruit Processor

    A Michigan federal judge has ruled that a fruit-processing company illegally discharged millions of gallons of untreated wastewater into wetlands that feed Michigan's Grand Traverse Bay, granting an early win to a Native American tribe and two local environmental nonprofit groups.

  • November 13, 2025

    Judge Rejects NY Tribe's Bid To Revive Eel-Fishing Rights

    A New York federal judge won't reconsider a decision determining that members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation don't have aboriginal eel-fishing rights off Long Island free of state regulatory fees, saying their arguments lack merit and they can't point to any decisions or data that the court overlooked.

  • November 13, 2025

    Calif. Sheriff's Atty Sanctioned Over Discovery In Hemp Suit

    A California federal judge has sanctioned an attorney for a California county and its sheriff's office over bad faith conduct during discovery in a suit over 500 acres of bulldozed hemp crop, saying the attorney's arguments against the sanction show a fundamental misunderstanding of his obligations.

Expert Analysis

  • What Greenwashing Looks Like, And How To Navigate Claims

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    Recent cases show that consumers seeking to challenge sustainability claims as greenwashing face significant legal hurdles, and that companies can avoid liability by emphasizing context, says Felicia Boyd at Norton Rose.

  • AI Use In Class Actions Comes With Risks And Rewards

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    The use of artificial intelligence in class actions holds promise for helping to analyze complex evidence, but attorneys and experts must understand how to use it correctly, and how to explain it clearly, say Simone Jones and Eric Mattson at Sidley and Anna Shakotko at Cornerstone Research.

  • 10 Soft Skills Every GC Should Master

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    As businesses face shifting regulatory and technological uncertainty, general counsel will need to strengthen certain soft skills to succeed, from admitting when they make a mistake to maintaining a healthy dose of dispassion, says Douglas Brown at Manatt.

  • 6 Criteria Can Help Assess Executive Branch Actions

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    With new executive policy changes announced seemingly every day, several questions can help courts, policymakers and businesses determine whether such actions are proper, effective and in keeping with our democratic norms, say Marc Levin and Khalil Cumberbatch at the Council on Criminal Justice.

  • An Unrestrained, Bright-Eyed View Of Legal AI's Future

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    Todd Itami at Covington offers a bright-eyed, laughing-all-the-way, skydive look at what the legal industry could look like after an artificial intelligence revolution, which he believes may happen much sooner and more dramatically than we expect.

  • Tracking The Evolution In Litigation Finance

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    Despite continued innovation, litigation finance remains an immature market with borrowers recieving significantly different terms as lenders learn to value cases, which firms need a strong handle on to ensure lending terms do not overwhelm collateral value, says Robert Wilkins at Lightfoot Franklin.

  • Series

    Volunteer Firefighting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While practicing corporate law and firefighting may appear incongruous, the latter benefits my legal career by reminding me of the importance of humility, perspective and education, says Nicholas Passaro at Ford.

  • Influencer Campaign Lawsuits Signal New Endorsement Risks

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    Recent class actions allege that companies' influencer campaigns violate the Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides and various state laws, but it's not clear whether the failure to comply can sustain these lawsuits, or whether the plaintiffs' creative theory of damages will hold up to scrutiny, says Gonzalo Mon at Kelley Drye.

  • Digesting A 2nd Circ. Ruling On Food Delivery App Arbitration

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    The Second Circuit recently rejected Grubhub's attempt to arbitrate price-fixing claims, while allowing Uber Eats to do so, reinforcing that even broad arbitration clauses must connect to the underlying dispute and suggesting that terms of service litigation may center on websites' design and content, say attorneys at Greenspoon Marder.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: The Perils Of Digital Data Protocols

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    Though stipulated protocols governing the treatment of electronically stored information in litigation are meant to streamline discovery, recent disputes demonstrate that certain missteps in the process can lead to significant inefficiencies, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Defense Strategies After Justices' Personal Injury RICO Ruling

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    In Medical Marijuana v. Horn, the U.S. Supreme Court recently held that the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act can be invoked by some plaintiffs with claims arising from personal injuries — but defense counsel can use the limitations on civil RICO claims to seek early dismissal in such cases, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Preparing For Corporate Work

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    Law school often doesn't cover the business strategy, financial fluency and negotiation skills needed for a successful corporate or transactional law practice, but there are practical ways to gain relevant experience and achieve the mindset shifts critical to a thriving career in this space, says Dakota Forsyth at Olshan Frome.

  • How Cos. Can Mitigate Increasing Microplastics Liability Risk

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    Amid rising scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe of microplastics' impact on health and the growing threat of litigation against consumer product and food and beverage manufacturers, companies can limit liability through compliance with labeling laws, careful contract management and other practices, say attorneys at Rogers Joseph.

  • A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process

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    The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.

  • Series

    Improv Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Improv keeps me grounded and connected to what matters most, including in my legal career where it has helped me to maintain a balance between being analytical, precise and professional, and creative, authentic and open-minded, says Justine Gottshall at InfoLawGroup.

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