Food & Beverage

  • February 22, 2024

    Almond Grower's Early Ch. 11 Motions Get Wary OK

    A California bankruptcy judge gave cautious approval to a series of first day motions in the Chapter 11 case of almond grower Trinitas Farming LLC Thursday, saying he was wary of green lighting an interim debtor-in-possession order before a final credit agreement or a committee of unsecured creditors is in place.

  • February 22, 2024

    Biz Group Urges OECD Candidates To Back Digital Duties Ban

    The U.S. Council for International Business laid out its priorities for countries vying to be members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, looking to garner support for a global moratorium on digital tariffs that is set to expire in a week.

  • February 22, 2024

    Wash. AG Can't Go It Alone Against Kroger Merger, Cos. Say

    Kroger and Albertsons have urged a judge to toss Washington state's "go-it-alone" bid to block their $24.6 billion merger deal, arguing the anti-competitive concerns raised by the state's attorney general are not a nationwide antitrust issue.

  • February 22, 2024

    Instant Brands Ch. 11 Plan Gets OK After Win In Supplier Row

    A Texas bankruptcy judge on Thursday gave tentative approval to home-appliance maker Instant Brands' reorganization plan after finding that recent briefings from the company and a supplier supported his preliminary decision last week to preserve the debtor's indemnification rights.

  • February 22, 2024

    SD Winery Gets New Go At Hiring Foreign Kitchen Staff

    A U.S. Department of Labor appeals board on Wednesday revived a South Dakota winery's quest to temporarily hire foreign kitchen staff for its tourist season, faulting a certifying officer for giving the winery only one way to fix a hiring date discrepancy.

  • February 22, 2024

    Convicted Chicago Pol Seeks Acquittal Or New Trial

    One of Chicago's longest serving and most powerful local politicians asked an Illinois federal judge Wednesday to set aside a jury's December verdict convicting him of using his official position to steer tax business to his personal law firm, saying no rational jury could have convicted him based on the evidence presented at trial.

  • February 22, 2024

    NY Judge Halts State Ag Law's Anti-Union Speech Restriction

    A New York federal judge paused enforcement of a section of a state agricultural labor law that would make it an unfair labor practice to discourage unionization, saying claims from a farming group that the provision violates the First Amendment have a chance of success.

  • February 22, 2024

    B. Riley Stands By Franchise Group Deal After Internal Review

    B. Riley Financial reaffirmed its commitment to the $2.6 billion take-private deal for Franchise Group Inc. despite the misconduct of former Franchise Group CEO Brian Kahn, saying on Thursday that its audit committee determined through a nine-week internal review that B. Riley had no knowledge of or involvement in the misconduct.

  • February 22, 2024

    Deals Rumor Mill: Occidental, Kroger-Albertsons, BuzzFeed

    Occidental explores a $20 billion sale of Western Midstream, the FTC and some states could sue to block the $24.6 billion Kroger-Albertsons deal, and The Independent is taking over BuzzFeed's U.K. and Irish operations. Here, Law360 breaks down the notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • February 21, 2024

    Restaurant Software Co.'s $9M Investor Deal Gets 1st OK

    Shareholders in restaurant digital commerce software company Olo Inc. have received an initial green light for a $9 million deal to settle class action claims the company touted a soon-to-end partnership with fast-food chain Subway as an example of its success.

  • February 21, 2024

    Tribes, Mich., Feds Refute Great Lakes Fishing Challenge

    Several Native American tribes, the state of Michigan and the federal government have urged the Sixth Circuit to reject a sport fishing group's attempt to sink a tribal fishing pact for parts of lakes Huron, Michigan and Superior, arguing it strikes an appropriate balance between respecting tribal fishing rights and protecting the Great Lakes fisheries.

  • February 21, 2024

    Irish Pub Chain's Ex-CFO Gets 1.5 Years For $1M Tax Fraud

    The former chief financial officer of a pub chain with more than a dozen Irish-themed restaurants was sentenced to one and a half years in prison Wednesday by an Ohio federal court for his role in a bookkeeping scheme that defrauded eight states of $1 million in sales taxes.

  • February 21, 2024

    Chipotle Swaps Gift Cards For 'Worthless' Vouchers, Suit Says

    A Chipotle customer hit the fast-food chain with a proposed class action in California federal court Tuesday, alleging the company is unjustly making hundreds of thousands of dollars by refusing to refund orders made with gift cards and instead offering disgruntled customers vouchers so limited that they're effectively "worthless."

  • February 21, 2024

    Calif. AG Settles With DoorDash Over Marketing Data Sale

    DoorDash will pay $375,000 to resolve the California attorney general's claims that the food delivery service violated the state's landmark consumer privacy law by failing to clearly inform users of their ability to opt out of the sale of their personal information to a marketing vendor, the agency announced Wednesday.

  • February 21, 2024

    SPAC To Delist After Failing To Close Merger With Food Biz

    Blank-check company Bite Acquisition Corp. on Wednesday revealed that it received a letter from the New York Stock Exchange saying that it has determined to begin proceedings to delist the company's common stock because it failed to complete a business merger within the specified time frame.

  • February 20, 2024

    FinCEN Details Owner Data Access Rules For Small Banks

    The U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network on Tuesday released a compliance guide for small financial firms on accessing and safeguarding company ownership information that their customers are required to report under recently implemented rules.

  • February 20, 2024

    Farms Say Workers Haven't Tied Them To Abusive Tactics

    Two agricultural companies look to escape claims that they trafficked a group of migrant workers, telling a Michigan federal court that the workers hadn't shown how they could have known that a recruiter used abusive tactics to obtain their labor.

  • February 20, 2024

    7th Circ. Backs McDonald's Win Over 'Bad Faith' Hot Tea Suit

    The Seventh Circuit on Tuesday ruled that a lower court correctly tossed a man's $13 million "bad faith" lawsuit alleging he was burned by a McDonald's worker in Illinois who threw hot tea at him.

  • February 20, 2024

    Tenn. Jury Sides With Cops Over Raids On Legal CBD Shops

    A Tennessee federal jury rejected claims that a county and local law enforcement engaged in a conspiracy to violate a CBD shop owner's civil rights by raiding and shuttering his and others' stores, despite allegedly knowing that the products he sold were legal under both state and federal law.

  • February 20, 2024

    WTO Says Revised Duties On Spanish Olives Still Out Of Line

    The World Trade Organization called on the U.S. to fix revised countervailing duties on Spanish olives, ruling Tuesday that the duties are still not in compliance with its 2021 decision rejecting the investigation that resulted in the tariffs.

  • February 20, 2024

    Fluoride Trial Judge Mulls 'Mixed' IQ Evidence In Closings

    A California federal judge questioned the EPA and environmental groups on studies linking fluoride exposure to lower IQs during bench trial closing arguments Tuesday, observing that there's a clear dose-response relationship at high levels of fluoride exposure, but at low levels, "the evidence is mixed — we've got evidence going both ways."

  • February 20, 2024

    Ill. Judge Scolds Defense Attys On Discovery: 'This Is Insanity'

    A Cook County judge trimmed a lawsuit Tuesday brought by investors alleging financial mismanagement of the firm behind celebrated Chicago restaurant Maple & Ash, but lambasted defense counsel for dragging out discovery, saying she was "flabbergasted" that they left out information in discovery responses that she ordered them to include late last year.

  • February 20, 2024

    Casinos Say 'Unique' Policy Should Cover $130M COVID Loss

    A casino operator with properties on the Las Vegas Strip and beyond told a Nevada federal court that its "unique" all-risk insurance is the broadest available coverage and should pay for $130 million in business interruption losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • February 20, 2024

    Eateries' Virus Losses Not Covered, Insurer Tells NC Justices

    Cincinnati Insurance Co. urged the North Carolina Supreme Court to affirm its win in a dispute with more than a dozen eateries over coverage for pandemic-related losses, saying government shutdown orders do not constitute direct physical loss or damage required to trigger coverage.

  • February 20, 2024

    Cool-Cheese Pizzeria Got Cold Feet Over $2.1M Sale, Suit Says

    A Pittsburgh pizzeria known for its unusual practice of putting cold cheese on its pies backed out of a $2.1 million sale just before a potential buyer came to visit, according to a lawsuit a real estate agent filed in Pennsylvania state court.

Expert Analysis

  • Assessing D&O Coverage Amid Challenges To DEI Policies

    Author Photo

    As the recent backlash against corporate diversity, equity and inclusion policies leads to shareholder litigation and other legal challenges, companies bolstering their DEI efforts should ensure that their directors and officers and employment practices' liability insurance policies provide sufficient coverage for potential claims, say Peter Gillon and Patrick Blood at Pillsbury.

  • How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies

    Author Photo

    Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.

  • Navigating Over-The-Counter Product Ads After FTC Warning

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Hunton examine advertising substantiation requirements under both the Federal Trade Commission Act and Lanham Act, following recent FTC letters informing hundreds of companies that over-the-counter product marketing claims must be corroborated by scientific evidence.

  • AGs' Distaste For Food Bill May Signal Other State Issues

    Author Photo

    States' recent opposition to a proposed federal law that would block them from regulating out-of-state agricultural production could affect issues beyond this narrow debate, such as the balance of state and federal regulatory power, reproductive rights post-Dobbs, and energy production and water use, say Christopher Allen and Stephen Cobb at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial

    Author Photo

    Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.

  • Cases Linking Baby Food, Autism Pose Causation Challenges

    Author Photo

    Major baby food producers are now in the crosshairs of regulators, consumer advocates and plaintiffs attorneys over allegations their products contain heavy metals that harm children's development — but it will be difficult for plaintiffs to establish causation, as shown by the lengthy court battles over tobacco and talc, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.

  • What Marijuana Status Change Would Mean For Industry

    Author Photo

    If the Drug Enforcement Administration accepts the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recent recommendation to change marijuana’s classification under federal law, it would be a significant regulatory shift that could foster many industry benefits — but questions, risks and uncertainties at both the state and federal levels would remain, say attorneys at Neal Gerber.

  • 6 Lessons From Direct Selling Industry's Win Over FTC

    Author Photo

    A Texas federal court’s recent decision in favor of a direct selling company in Federal Trade Commission v. Neora offers long-awaited clarity on what constitutes a pyramid scheme, and lessons for companies seeking to prove their sales are consistent with genuine demand, say Monica Zhong and Branko Jovanovic at Edgeworth.

  • Calif. Climate Disclosure Bills Promise Challenges For Cos.

    Author Photo

    Two novel climate disclosure bills recently passed by the California Legislature will pose challenges for many businesses — especially private companies that are less familiar with climate-related reporting obligations — and will require investments of significant time and effort in processes, procedures and personnel, say John Rousakis and Chris Bowman at O'Melveny.

  • Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times

    Author Photo

    As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • Tips For Student Visa Applicants Mired In Processing Delays

    Author Photo

    Notwithstanding procedural changes at the U.S. Department of State that provided hope for more timely and predictable visa processing outcomes, international student applications continue to risk becoming bogged down in administrative processing, but certain steps may improve the situation, say Carl Risch and Lauren Epstein at Mayer Brown.

  • Do Website Accessibility Suits Violate Hobbs Act, RICO?

    Author Photo

    As more website accessibility lawsuits are filed on behalf of people with visual impairments, attorneys' settlement demands may be extortionate under the Hobbs Act, and may also constitute an act of racketeering, giving rise to civil causes of action, say Nika Aldrich and Amanda Kohls at Schwabe Williamson.

  • 5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices

    Author Photo

    The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.

  • Pesticide Labeling Bill, 9th Circ. Case Could Cut Prop 65 Suits

    Author Photo

    Both a pending bill in the U.S. House of Representatives and a case currently on appeal before the Ninth Circuit could constrain California's ability to require Proposition 65 warnings on pesticide products — thus potentially preventing numerous lawsuits and bringing relief to businesses across the country, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    ESG Around The World: European Union

    Author Photo

    As the EU makes ESG regulation a priority, companies — both those based in the EU and others just doing business there — need to keep abreast of myriad new legislation that has either already taken effect or will in the near future, as noncompliance could result in fines, damages and director liability, say attorneys at Steptoe & Johnson.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Food & Beverage archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!