Food & Beverage

  • June 04, 2026

    Jacksons Food Stores Hit With Wash. Wage Class Action

    Jacksons Food Stores Inc. pushed workers in Washington state to delay their legally mandated meal and rest breaks, cut them short or skip them entirely in order to complete their assigned job duties, a former employee has claimed in a proposed class action targeting the convenience store chain.

  • June 04, 2026

    Safeway Sues To Undo Teamsters Local's Driver Mileage Win

    Safeway Inc. has urged a Washington federal court to vacate an arbitration award finding the grocery store chain violated its collective bargaining agreement with a Teamsters local by unilaterally changing its method for calculating how much its delivery drivers are paid, arguing that the award "fails to draw its essence" from the agreement.

  • June 04, 2026

    Worker Accuses Hormel Of Discriminatory, Retaliatory Firing

    A Black payroll specialist at a Hormel Foods Corp. plant in Georgia has accused the food company of firing her two days before Christmas because of her race and age, and in retaliation for raising concerns about improper wage recordkeeping, according to a complaint filed in federal court.

  • June 04, 2026

    Total Wine Operator Says Pay Transparency Class Is 'Ruinous'

    A Total Wine & More operator urged a Washington federal judge Thursday to deny class certification in a pay transparency suit, warning that certifying a class of up to 20,000 job applicants would be "ruinous" for the employer.

  • June 04, 2026

    Legislative Update: Cannabis And Psychedelics Bill Roundup

    New York lawmakers gave final approval to legislation designed to curb the flow of illicit product into the state's cannabis market; Iowa's governor signed into law a bill to double the number of licensed medical cannabis dispensaries; and Louisiana legislation allowing terminally ill patients to access medical marijuana became law. Here are the major moves in cannabis and psychedelics legislation from the past week.

  • June 04, 2026

    Anthropic, DeepSeek Pivot To New Financing, More Rumors

    Anthropic and China's DeepSeek are among a growing group of AI firms turning to new financing structures to meet surging demand for compute power. Reports indicate that private equity giants are assembling a $36 billion private credit vehicle to help fund Anthropic access to certain Google chips, while DeepSeek has reportedly broken from its earlier strategy by arranging more than $7 billion in outside funding.

  • June 04, 2026

    Judge Questions Fees In Abbott Investors' $40M Formula Deal

    An Illinois federal judge on Thursday granted final approval to most of Abbott Laboratories' $40 million deal to resolve shareholder claims over its management of a 2022 infant formula crisis, but questioned whether the settlement's corporate reforms justify a $15 million fee award for the investors' attorneys.

  • June 04, 2026

    Colorado Enacts PPE, Meat Plant Worker Protections

    Colorado workers will no longer have to foot the bill for their own personal protective equipment under a new state law that also guarantees restroom breaks for meat processing workers.

  • June 04, 2026

    CBD Oil Co., Hemp Farm Spar Over $1.7M Contract Suit

    A Washington hemp farm is suing CBD oil processor AgroRefiner LLC, alleging it breached a contract to buy 2.5 million pounds of biomass and owes $14.7 million, while AgroRefiner has filed counterclaims alleging that the biomass didn't meet the standards of the agreement.

  • June 04, 2026

    Buyers Say Cove Probiotic Sodas Have Artificial Sweetener

    A proposed class of California consumers is suing Cove Drinks Inc. in federal court, alleging that its probiotic sodas contain an artificial sweetener despite advertising claiming that they do not.

  • June 03, 2026

    Campbell Soup Sued Over 'Worm-Like' Critters In SpaghettiOs

    Florida parents and their minor child have lodged a negligence suit against Campbell Soup Co. in federal court, alleging that the child and her mother discovered "worm-like organisms" moving in SpaghettiOs they ate and suffered parasitic infections as a result.

  • June 03, 2026

    Bojangles Workers Didn't Plead Data Hack Harm, Court Told

    Counsel for national fried chicken fast food chain Bojangles told a North Carolina Business Court Wednesday that a putative data breach class action against it can't survive, as a group of employees didn't allege how the cyber-theft caused them harm.

  • June 03, 2026

    The Plaintiffs Atty Now 5-0 At High Court With No Dissents

    It's true that Jennifer Bennett is undefeated at the U.S. Supreme Court, but it's also an understatement. Bennett's five wins, including two recent ones, were all unanimous decisions. They showed that the plaintiffs bar can still persuade a conservative supermajority. And they turned the tide after a spree of decisions keeping workers and consumers out of court.

  • June 03, 2026

    Insurer Says E-Cig Co.'s Lies Bar Warehouse Fire Coverage

    An insurer said it shouldn't have to pay out an electronic cigarette product wholesaler's $5 million claim for a warehouse fire, telling an Illinois federal court that the company misrepresented important facts about its business in its application for coverage that warrant rescission of the policy.

  • June 03, 2026

    Sysco Reveals Deal Probe, Promises 'Gov't Will See Benefits'

    Sysco's CEO has disclosed that U.S. antitrust enforcers launched an in-depth probe into the wholesale restaurant food distributor's plan to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot at a total enterprise value of approximately $29.1 billion, while expressing confidence that officials will find no issues with the transaction.

  • June 03, 2026

    AGs Defend $10M Fee Bid In Kroger-Albertsons Merger Case

    Attorneys general from Illinois, California, the District of Columbia and six other states have pushed back on Kroger and Albertsons' challenge to them receiving nearly $10 million in attorney fees for a "minimal role" in blocking the grocery giants' proposed $24.6 billion merger, arguing that while the states may have worked in the background, they achieved "a tremendous result."

  • June 03, 2026

    6th Circ. Probes $450K Award In Farmworker Trafficking Case

    A Sixth Circuit panel on Wednesday examined whether a $450,000 punitive damages award in a farmworker trafficking case can stand when the jury awarded only economic damages, and whether a trial judge properly handled an unusual incident involving a spectator whose presence allegedly affected a plaintiff's testimony.

  • June 03, 2026

    USTR Floats Double-Digit Tariffs On Basis Of Forced Labor

    Sixty economies are facing added tariffs of either 10% or 12.5% on their exports to the U.S. following investigations by the U.S. Trade Representative's Office into countries' protections against the importing of goods produced with forced labor.

  • June 02, 2026

    Costco Wants Sanctions Over Missing Devices In Pixel Suit

    Costco has asked a federal judge in Seattle to sanction a group of customers leading a proposed class action that accuses it of disclosing their personal health information by installing Meta Pixel and other Facebook web analytics tools on its pharmacy website.

  • June 02, 2026

    Publix Says Snack Co.'s Insurers Owe Slip-Fall Coverage

    Publix has urged a Florida federal judge to find that insurers for salty snack food maker Snyder's-Lance Inc. should have covered the supermarket chain's defense in a $3 million slip-and-fall case under an agreement to indemnify the retailer for injuries involving the snack maker's agents.

  • June 02, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Won't Save Farm Patents, But Reopens Fee Issue

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday revived a company's bid for attorney fees after defeating an infringement case by AGI Suretrack over agricultural data patents, saying a lower court correctly deemed those patents invalid, but failed to explain why it didn't find the case exceptional for fee purposes.

  • June 02, 2026

    FTC Sues Supplement Co. Over Mental Health, Income Claims

    The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday sued dietary supplement brand Amare Global Holdings Inc. in California federal court, alleging it misleads buyers by falsely claiming its products can treat mental health issues, while also misleading prospective "brand partners" about how much they are likely to make under Amare's program.

  • June 02, 2026

    ITC To Review Drink Sellers' Imports After Monster Claims

    The U.S. International Trade Commission said Tuesday it would review imports from 13 companies for potential violations after energy drink giant Monster Energy Co. claimed they were importing versions of its products that were intended to be sold abroad only.

  • June 02, 2026

    Texas AG Investigates Bayer, PepsiCo For Glyphosate Residue

    The Texas attorney general on Tuesday announced an investigation into glyphosate residue in food from major pesticide and food companies such as Bayer and PepsiCo, claiming some are sourcing food from foreign countries that may be contaminated with the substance.

  • June 02, 2026

    11th Circ. May Lower Bar For Getting ERISA Claims To Court

    Several Eleventh Circuit judges voiced support during en banc arguments Tuesday for overturning precedent backing the appellate court's exhaustion requirement for federal benefits claims, signaling the potential reinstatement of a proposed class action alleging mismanagement of a seafood company's employee stock ownership plan.

Expert Analysis

  • What New PFAS Rule Means For Tracking And Disclosure

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    In the wake of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's publication of its rule adding PFHxS-Na to the Toxics Release Inventory, companies should identify this substance in their facilities and supply chains, and prepare for disclosures to both regulators and the public, says Ayodeji Ayolola at Gordon Rees.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Courts Can Survive The Tech Revolution

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    Colorado Supreme Court Justice Maria Berkenkotter and Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Lino Lipinsky de Orlov discuss how artificial intelligence has already fundamentally altered the legal system and offer tips for courts navigating deepfakes, hallucinations and a gap in access to AI tools.

  • Food Kiosk Merger Offers FTC Insights For Dealmakers

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent approval of 365 Retail Markets' merger with fellow food-kiosk provider Cantaloupe balances structural divestiture with behavioral provisions, emphasizing the role of early engagement by the parties and the importance of tailored remedies in concentrated markets, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • 3 AI Adoption Mistakes GCs Should Avoid

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    The pressure in-house legal teams face to quickly adopt artificial intelligence tools, combined with budget constraints and the need to evaluate a crowded market of options, sets the stage for implementation mistakes that are often difficult to undo, says former 23andMe general counsel Guy Chayoun.

  • Series

    Playing Basketball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My grandfather used to say "I wear your jersey" as shorthand for wholly committing to support someone with loyalty and integrity — ideals that have shaped my life on the basketball court and in legal practice, says Tracy Schimelfenig at Schimelfenig Legal.

  • AG Watch: Reconciling 2 Maryland Data Privacy Statutes

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    In-house counsel should map the interplay between the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act's strictly necessary standard to deliver a requested service, and the Protection From Predatory Pricing Act's exemption of consent-based pricing within loyalty programs, before the state attorney general begins enforcement on the latter in October, says Erek Barron at Mintz.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Georgia Court Has Business On Its Mind

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    Thanks to recent legislation, the Georgia State-wide Business Court will soon offer business litigants greater access to the court than ever before, further enhancing the court's emphasis on efficiency, predictability and accessibility for sophisticated commercial disputes, says former GSBC judge Walt Davis at Jones Day.

  • 4 Emerging Approaches To AI Protective Order Language

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    Over the last year, at least five federal district courts have issued or analyzed specific protective order provisions restricting the use of generative artificial intelligence platforms with protected materials, establishing that proactive AI-specific provisions are now standard practice and demonstrating that no single model works for every case, says Joel Bush at Kilpatrick.

  • 1st Surveillance Pricing Law In Md. Reflects Broader Scrutiny

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    A new law will make Maryland the first state to target data-driven or surveillance-based price manipulation, highlighting increased scrutiny from federal and state enforcement agencies and policymakers as they consider whether new laws are required to regulate dynamic pricing, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Heppner Ruling Left AI Privilege Risk For Lawyers Unresolved

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    While a New York federal judge’s recent ruling in U.S. v. Heppner resolved a privilege question surrounding client-side artificial intelligence use, it did not address how to mitigate the risks that can arise when confidential information enters the operative context of an AI system used by an attorney, says Jianfei Chen at Quarles & Brady​​​​​​​.

  • The Ethics And Practicalities Of Representing AI Agents

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    With autonomous artificial intelligence agents now able to take action without explicit instructions from — or the awareness of — their human owners, the bar must confront whether existing frameworks like informed consent and client privilege will be sufficient on the day an AI agent calls seeking counsel, say attorneys at Morrison Cohen.

  • Safeguarding RWI Coverage As Materiality Focus Persists

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    As first-quarter broker claims reports reveal that materiality disputes remain a key driver of representations and warranties insurance claims, the scarce case law in this area indicates that including a materiality scrape provision in an RWI policy may aid policyholders with recovery, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Series

    Speed Jigsaw Puzzling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My passion for speed puzzling — I can complete a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle in under 50 minutes — has sharpened my legal skills in more ways than one, with both disciplines requiring patience, precision and the ability to keep the bigger picture in mind while working through the details, says Tazia Statucki at Proskauer.

  • 2 AI Snafus Show Why Attys Can't Outsource Judgment

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    The recent incident involving Sullivan & Cromwell where citations in a filed motion were fabricated by artificial intelligence, as well as a punitive ruling from the Sixth Circuit in U.S. v. Farris, demonstrate that the obligation to supervise AI has belonged and always will belong to lawyers, says John Powell at the Kentucky School Boards Association.

  • Series

    Playing Magic: The Gathering Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The competitive card game Magic: The Gathering offers me a training ground for the strategic thinking skills crucial to litigation, challenging me to adapt to oft-updated rules, analyze text as complicated as any statute and anticipate my opponent’s next moves, says Christopher Smith at Lash Goldberg.

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