Food & Beverage

  • May 21, 2025

    Calif. Justices Weigh Strict Arbitration Fee Law's Validity

    Counsel for a food supply company urged the California Supreme Court on Wednesday to find the Federal Arbitration Act preempts a state statute automatically waiving arbitration rights for a party that doesn't timely pay arbitration fees, saying the law is so draconian that even an earthquake wouldn't excuse late payment.

  • May 21, 2025

    SC Judge Restores Frozen Federal Grant Funding

    A South Carolina federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore 32 grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act after the government said it wasn't contesting the merits of the grant recipients' claims.

  • May 21, 2025

    'Tough Luck' Case Law Cited In Refusal To Stop Summons

    An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday grudgingly declined to issue an injunction to stop an arbitrator from dragging insurance broker Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. into arbitration stemming from the bankruptcy of Cooks Venture, a startup that specialized in the production and processing of pasture-raised, slow-growth chickens.

  • May 21, 2025

    Insurer Demands Shipper Pay $480K For Spoiled Crabmeat

    An insurer asked a New York federal court on Wednesday to force a Taiwanese shipper to pay over $480,000 for crabmeat that the carrier alleged was spoiled en route from the Philippines to Norfolk, Virginia.

  • May 21, 2025

    Handel's Accused Of Hiding Dyes In Its 'Homemade' Ice Cream

    A Handel's customer filed a false advertising proposed class action in California federal court Wednesday alleging the ice cream retailer claims that its frozen treats are "homemade" using the best quality ingredients with a recipe dating back to 1945, while hiding they contain artificial food dyes and propylene glycol. 

  • May 21, 2025

    Vegan Restaurant Chain Planta To Tap $1.75M In DIP Funding

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge Wednesday agreed to approve bankrupt vegan restaurant chain Planta's bid to access $1.75 million of its $3.5 million debtor-in-possession financing package, saying it needs funding to continue its efforts toward a sale.

  • May 21, 2025

    Monster Beverage Fails In Bid To Nix Workers' 401(k) Fee Suit

    Monster Beverage can't escape a proposed class action alleging it allowed its employee 401(k) plan to be saddled with unreasonable recordkeeping costs and took excessive amounts from the plan to pad an Employee Retirement Income Security Act benefit account to treat it as a slush fund, a California federal judge has ruled. 

  • May 21, 2025

    Montana Reduces Taxes On Residential, Commercial Property

    Montana will lower taxes on residential and commercial property, provide property tax rebates to homeowners and implement other changes to the state's property tax regime under legislation signed by the governor.

  • May 21, 2025

    Mich. Justices Won't Hear Hotels' Water Rate Appeal

    The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to review a Michigan town's water and sewer rates, rejecting an appeal from a group of hotels and restaurants that alleged a rate hike was an unconstitutional tax.

  • May 21, 2025

    Kraft Heinz Signals M&A Ambitions Amid Berkshire Board Exit

    Kraft Heinz Co. is evaluating potential "strategic transactions" amid a board shakeup, as the food giant lays the groundwork for potential changes to its portfolio.

  • May 21, 2025

    Distiller Says Ex-Partner, Attys Used RICO Suit To Ruin Him

    A Pennsylvania distiller claims his erstwhile partner in Pittsburgh's Kingfly Spirits launched years of litigation against him designed to ruin his reputation and career, saying in a complaint of his own that the ex-collaborator texted him "game on" before beginning his abusive legal campaign.

  • May 21, 2025

    Distributor Can't Duck Revised Crab Price-Fixing Suit

    A California federal magistrate judge added Ocean King Fish Inc. to a list of more than a dozen distributors that must face a proposed class action from crabbers alleging a conspiracy to cap prices paid to fishermen for Dungeness crab in the Pacific Northwest.

  • May 20, 2025

    4th Circ. Says Suit Over Copter Pilot's Death Must Go To Jury

    The Fourth Circuit has reinstated a lawsuit by the widow of a crop-dusting pilot who crashed after his helicopter became tangled in a steel cable stretched over the property, ruling in a published opinion issued Monday that a jury must be the one to decide whether the landlord should have known that the wire posed a danger to the pilot.

  • May 20, 2025

    Keurig Says Google Ruling Doesn't Back Antitrust Claims

    Keurig coffee pod buyers who have accused the company of anticompetitive behavior mischaracterized a recent court ruling in an antitrust case against Google to make their own case look better, the company has told the New York federal court overseeing the long-running litigation.

  • May 20, 2025

    Ga. Craft Brewery Hit With Unpaid Wages Suit

    A Georgia craft brewery and its owner have been sued in federal court by three current employees who allege that they have not been paid proper minimum wages over the last three years.

  • May 20, 2025

    Carnegie Hall Group Targets Hospitality Biz In TM Suit

    The nonprofit behind New York City's famous Carnegie Hall accused a hospitality company in a federal lawsuit Tuesday of infringing the concert venue's trademarks by using them for the company's diners and cafés.

  • May 20, 2025

    Investor Seeks Final OK For $41.5M Pilgrim's Pride Settlement

    A proposed class of investors asked a Colorado federal judge for a final sign-off on a $41.5 million settlement with Pilgrim's Pride Corp. to resolve claims they artificially inflated stock prices with a price-fixing scheme targeted at the broiler chicken market, with $13.7 million of the deal going to attorney fees.

  • May 20, 2025

    China Opposes Canada's Push To Speed Up WTO Food Fight

    China is pushing back against Canada's efforts to expedite its case against Beijing's new agricultural tariffs, according to a World Trade Organization document circulated Tuesday, rejecting claims that the case must be handled urgently simply because it involves food products.

  • May 20, 2025

    Indirect Chicken Buyers' Attys Seek Additional $12M In Fees

    Attorneys for commercial and institutional indirect purchaser plaintiffs in sprawling antitrust litigation against the nation's top poultry producers asked an Illinois federal judge Monday to approve roughly $12 million in additional attorney fees after they secured more than $41 million in additional deals since a prior fee motion.

  • May 20, 2025

    2 More Countries Sign WTO Fishing Trade Pact

    Two more countries, Georgia and Lesotho, have signed on to a World Trade Organization agreement to improve regulations around fishing industry subsidies. 

  • May 19, 2025

    Liberty Mutual Unit Can't Dodge Spoiled Wine Coverage Suit

    A Liberty Mutual unit can't escape a vineyard's suit seeking indemnification for a settlement reached with another winery over 320,000 damaged cases of wine, a Washington federal court ruled Monday, saying none of the exclusions cited by the insurer clearly apply.

  • May 19, 2025

    Spirits Maker Haunted By Inventory Woes, Investor Suit Says

    The top brass of alcoholic beverage company MGP Ingredients Inc. has been hit with a shareholder derivative suit alleging they misled investors about how well the company was managing its inventory levels, only to reveal that excess inventory following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting the business. 

  • May 19, 2025

    Cheesesteak Shop Owner's Sentence For Tax Scheme Vacated

    A Philadelphia cheesesteak shop owner sentenced to almost two years in prison for a conspiracy to pay employees under the table could get a lighter sentence after the Third Circuit ruled he was wrongly given extra time for swaying workers who were actually in on the tax scheme.

  • May 19, 2025

    Insurer Says Pizza Chain Only Gets $250K For Cyberattack

    A cyber insurer for Cicis Pizza told a Texas federal court that it's already paid the full amount of coverage the restaurant chain is owed for a May 2022 ransomware incident, arguing that only a $250,000 sublimit under a ransomware endorsement applies.

  • May 19, 2025

    Tyson Says Feed Ingredient Co.'s Suppliers Chose It Fairly

    Tyson Foods asked a Georgia federal judge to nix a poultry rendering company's antitrust lawsuit, arguing the evidence shows that contracts it inked with the company's raw materials suppliers were won out of competition, not conspiracy to force the rendering firm into an underpriced $865.8 million buyout.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Series

    Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.

  • The 6 Most Significant FCRA Litigation Developments Of 2024

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    From a key sovereign immunity decision at the U.S. Supreme Court to a ruling on creditworthiness out of the Seventh Circuit, several important Fair Credit Reporting Act cases wound their way through the courts in 2024, each offering takeaways for both plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Shipkevich.

  • An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

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    As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.

  • Series

    Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • 2024's Most Notable FTC Actions Against Dark Patterns And AI

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    In 2024 the Federal Trade Commission ramped up enforcement actions related to dark patterns, loudly signaling its concern that advertisers will use AI to manipulate consumer habits and its intention to curb businesses' use and marketing of AI to prevent alleged consumer deception, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

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    In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.

  • When US Privilege Law Applies To Docs Made Outside The US

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    As globalization manifests itself in disputes over foreign-created documents, a California federal court’s recent trademark decision illustrates nuances of both U.S. privilege frameworks and foreign evidentiary protections that attorneys must increasingly bear in mind, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Notable 2024 Trademark Cases And What To Watch In 2025

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    Emerging disputes between established tech giants and smaller trademark holders promise to test the boundaries of trademark protection in 2025, following a 2024 marked with disputes in areas ranging from cybersquatting to geographic marks, says Danner Kline at Bradley Arant.

  • Green Projects Face States' Foreign Land Ownership Limits

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    As states impose restrictions and disclosure requirements around foreign investment in agricultural land — in some cases piggybacking on existing federal rules — renewable energy developers and investors must pay close attention to how the rules vary, says Daniel Fanning at Husch Blackwell.

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