Food & Beverage

  • February 04, 2026

    Restaurant Can't Include Morning Staff In Tip Pool, Court Says

    A steakhouse chain violated tip credit rules by including morning-shift employees in its tip pool even though they worked primarily while the restaurant was closed to guests, a Colorado federal judge has ruled, finding those workers were not "customarily and regularly tipped" because their customer interaction was minimal.

  • February 03, 2026

    Wash. Justices To Review Restaurant's $1M COVID Penalty

    The Washington State Supreme Court has decided to take up a restaurant's appeal of nearly $1 million in fines that regulators imposed against the eatery for offering indoor dining services during the COVID-19 pandemic, in violation of the governor's emergency proclamation.

  • February 03, 2026

    5-Hour Energy Maker Tells 9th Circ. Not To Revive Pricing Suit

    The maker of 5-Hour Energy has urged the Ninth Circuit not to revisit a lower court ruling tossing claims from family-owned wholesalers that the energy drink company violated price discrimination law by providing Costco with disproportionate promotional support.

  • February 03, 2026

    AI Robot Co.'s Microsoft Ties Were Overblown, Investor Says

    The developer of a purported artificial intelligence-powered bartender robot faces a proposed class action accusing it of misleading investors about Microsoft's involvement in its project, causing the company's share price to sink after the truth was revealed but not before the developer locked in a $38.7 million private placement deal.

  • February 03, 2026

    Sealed Letter Halts Sentencing Of 50 Cent's Ex-Associate

    The sentencing of a former executive at rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson's liquor brand came to an 11th-hour halt Tuesday following the prosecution's letter suggesting he violated his agreement in which he pled guilty to fraud.

  • February 03, 2026

    Marzetti To Acquire Japanese BBQ Sauce Brand In $400M Deal

    Specialty food product manufacturer The Marzetti Company, advised by King & Spalding LLP, on Tuesday unveiled plans to acquire Japanese Barbecue Sauce brand Bachan's Inc., led by Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, in a $400 million deal.

  • February 03, 2026

    SNAP Case 'Tip Of The Iceberg' In Anti-Fraud Effort, Feds Say

    Four Massachusetts defendants were charged Tuesday with collecting more than $1 million in fraudulent food and unemployment benefits in what the state's top federal prosecutor called part of a broader U.S. Department of Justice initiative to root out fraud in government benefit programs.

  • February 03, 2026

    Ill. Judge OKs $3.3M Deal In Mariano's Managers' OT Suit

    An Illinois federal judge has approved a $3.3 million settlement resolving a lawsuit by current and former supermarket meat, bakery and deli managers who alleged Kroger subsidiary Mariano's falsely claimed they were exempt from overtime pay.

  • February 03, 2026

    Calif. Justices Rule Loose Pot Is Not 'Open Container'

    The California Supreme Court has ruled that the mere presence of loose cannabis in a vehicle doesn't trigger the state's "open container" law, but instead it must be in a usable quantity and readily accessible to the driver to create probable cause that justifies a search.

  • February 03, 2026

    NYC Delivery Laws Will Stay In Place During Instacart Appeal

    Instacart won't be able to block New York City's laws for app-based delivery workers instituting a new minimum wage, tipping options and disclosure requirements while it challenges a federal court's order, a New York federal judge ruled.

  • February 03, 2026

    Kan. Bill Would Allow Liquor Tax Hike For Property Reduction

    Kansas would allow localities to increase their liquor tax rates if approved by voters in order to offset revenue losses from lowering property tax rates in the area under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.

  • February 02, 2026

    Trump Admin's Bid To End Haitian Protections Paused

    A D.C. federal judge on Monday postponed the Trump administration's termination of temporary protected status for Haitians, saying five Haitian nationals who sued the administration are likely to succeed in showing that the termination is unlawful.

  • February 02, 2026

    Amazon Seeks Shoppers' Docs In COVID Price-Gouging Suit

    Shoppers behind a proposed class action accusing Amazon of inflating prices on crucial consumer goods and food during the COVID-19 pandemic failed to hand over records necessary for the retail giant to fight the allegations, the company said in a filing seeking to force the plaintiffs to produce the documents.

  • February 02, 2026

    5th Circ. Panel Blushes At Starbucks Worker's Snapchat Notes

    A Fifth Circuit panel pressed the National Labor Relations Board to explain why Starbucks lacks the ability to fire a union organizer who used excessively colorful language in private messages to co-workers, saying Monday the language used would "make any of us blush."

  • February 02, 2026

    Bikini Barista Boss Says Wash. AG Defamed Him In Wage Suit

    The owner of Seattle-area Paradise Espresso stands slammed the Washington State Office of the Attorney General on Monday for filing a wage theft and employment discrimination lawsuit "containing known falsehoods" and disparaging his bikini barista business in a related press release.

  • February 02, 2026

    Ill. Distributor Sues Over Axed THC Seltzer Contract

    A Chicago area beer distributor has sued the company behind Wynk THC seltzers in Illinois federal court, claiming it should be made whole after the seltzer company abruptly terminated their exclusive distribution agreement without fairly paying for the distribution network that was essentially built from scratch.

  • February 02, 2026

    Modelo, Constellation Seek Permanent Ban On Fake Beers

    Constellation Brands, the exclusive licensee of Modelo's beer brands in the U.S., has asked a Texas federal judge for a permanent injunction against a beer distributor accused of importing and selling counterfeit beers that use labels that copy major Mexican beer brands.

  • February 02, 2026

    Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

    U.S. enforcers reached three new merger settlements, while the Federal Trade Commission successfully blocked a $945 million heart valve deal and lodged an appeal for its case targeting Meta's past acquisitions.

  • February 02, 2026

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    A pair of new high-dollar suits in Delaware's Court of Chancery showed last week that post-deal stock appraisal suits still have legs, despite some efforts to reduce potential from deal-price gains challenges. The week ended with Delaware's justices nipping $100 million from the attorney fees owed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk from $176.2 million to roughly $70.9 million, rejecting part of a Court of Chancery fee calculation.

  • February 02, 2026

    Teamsters Look To Ax Kraft Heinz's Challenge To Grievance

    Kraft Heinz shouldn't be allowed to scuttle a benefits fight by arguing that it should have been routed through the company healthcare plan's dispute resolution process, a Teamsters local told a Delaware federal judge, saying the dispute can be resolved through the grievance and arbitration process.

  • February 02, 2026

    Trump, Modi Say US-India Trade Deal Reached

    President Donald Trump said Monday he reached a trade deal with India following a call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that includes lowering the tariff rate on Indian goods entering the U.S. from 50% to 18%.

  • February 02, 2026

    Trade Court Remands Gum Duties Review Over Coal Definition

    The U.S. Court of International Trade remanded a U.S. Department of Commerce determination on the cost of energy used by Chinese exporters in a challenge to anti-dumping duties on a gum used as a food thickener, directing Commerce to consider an alternative definition for the type of coal used.

  • February 02, 2026

    BBQ Co. Execs, Argent Settle $99M ESOP Fight With DOL

    Two executives for a New York barbecue chain and the company's employee stock ownership plan trustee have agreed to settle a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Labor alleging that a $99 million stock purchase violated federal benefits law, according to a joint stipulation from the parties.

  • February 02, 2026

    Amazon Shoppers' Counsel Admit To AI Errors In Motion

    Lawyers representing Amazon customers in a proposed class action over supplement labeling have apologized to a Seattle federal judge for artificial intelligence hallucinations included in a recent filing, acknowledging "certain miscitations and misquotations" resulted from a Just Food Law PLLC attorney's use of the nascent technology and a failure by Boies Schiller Flexner LLP co-counsel to catch the errors.

  • January 30, 2026

    11th Circ. Urged To Undo $38M Chiquita Verdict, $229K Fee

    The Eleventh Circuit heard arguments Friday in two cases stemming from claims that Chiquita funded a right-wing paramilitary group, with Chiquita urging the court to vacate a $38 million verdict finding it caused eight deaths, while an attorney for the plaintiffs asked to reverse a firm's $229,000 fee award.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Playing Baseball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing baseball in college, and now Wiffle ball in a local league, has taught me that teamwork, mental endurance and emotional intelligence are not only important to success in the sport, but also to success as a trial attorney, says Kevan Dorsey at Swift Currie.

  • What Cos. Must Note From EU's Delivery Hero-Glovo Ruling

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    The European Commission’s recent landmark decision in Delivery Hero-Glovo, sanctioning companies for the first time over a stand-alone no-poach cartel agreement, underscores the potential antitrust risks of horizontal cross-ownership between competitors, say lawyers at McDermott.

  • Ultra-Processed Food Claims Rely On Unproven Science

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    Plaintiffs' arguments that ultra-processed foods are responsible for the nationwide increase in certain chronic illnesses, though a novel approach to food-based personal injury claims, depend on theories that are still being tested, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Skillful Persuasion

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    In many ways, law school teaches us how to argue, but when the ultimate goal is to get your client what they want, being persuasive through preparation and humility is the more likely key to success, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.

  • A Look At Trump 2.0 Antitrust Enforcement So Far

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    The first six months of President Donald Trump's second administration were marked by aggressive antitrust enforcement tempered by traditional structural remedies for mergers, but other unprecedented actions, like the firing of Federal Trade Commission Democrats, will likely stoke heated discussion ahead, says Richard Dagen at Axinn.

  • Litigation Inspiration: How To Respond After A Loss

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    Every litigator loses a case now and then, and the sting of that loss can become a medicine that strengthens or a poison that corrodes, depending on how the attorney responds, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Tips For Cos. From California Climate Reporting FAQ

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    New guidance from the California Air Resources Board on how businesses must implement the state's sweeping climate reporting requirements should help companies assess their exposure, understand their disclosure obligations and begin documenting good-faith compliance efforts, says Thierry Montoya at Frost Brown.

  • FDA's Hasty Policymaking Approach Faces APA Challenges

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    Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has abandoned its usual notice-and-comment process for implementing new regulatory initiatives, two recent district court decisions make clear that these programs are still susceptible to Administrative Procedure Act challenges, says Rachel Turow at Skadden.

  • The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

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    The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • What 9th Circ. Cracker Barrel Ruling Means For FLSA Cert.

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    The Ninth Circuit's decision in Harrington v. Cracker Barrel suggests a settling of two procedural trends in Fair Labor Standards Act jurisprudence — when to issue notice and where nationwide collectives can be filed — rather than deepening circuit splits, says Rebecca Ojserkis at Cohen Milstein.

  • Defense Lessons From Freshworks' Win In Post-IPO Case

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    A California federal court’s recent decision to grant Freshworks’ summary judgment bid in a proposed investor class action helpfully clarifies two important points for defendants facing postoffering securities claims under Section 11 of the Securities Act, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.

  • Series

    Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator

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    Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Navigating Client Trauma

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    Law schools don't train students to handle repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences, but for litigators practicing in areas like civil rights and personal injury, success depends on the ability to view cases clinically and to recognize when you may need to seek help, says Katie Bennett at Robins Kaplan.

  • Challenging A Class Representative's Adequacy And Typicality

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    Recent cases highlight that a named plaintiff cannot certify a putative class action unless they can meet all the applicable requirements of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, so defendants should consider challenging a plaintiff's ability to meet typicality and adequacy requirements early and often, say attorneys at Womble Bond.

  • Opinion

    4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding

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    As courts increasingly confront cases involving hidden litigation finance contracts, the jurisprudence of four former U.S. Supreme Court justices establishes a constitutional framework that risks erosion by undisclosed financial interests, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

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