Food & Beverage

  • June 30, 2026

    Conn. Servers Seek Quick Win On Minimal Duties Claims

    Restaurant servers have asked a Connecticut state court to throw out a steakhouse's argument that some of their unpaid work was too small to matter, saying a recent state high court ruling makes clear that no amount of work can go uncompensated under state law.

  • June 30, 2026

    Egg Producers Settle Collusion Claims From DOJ, States

    State and federal enforcers have reached settlements with Cal-Maine, Versova and Hickman's Egg Ranch over claims that the egg producers inflated prices by colluding to manipulate benchmarking rates.

  • June 30, 2026

    Justices Skip Pork Case Over Alito, Kavanaugh Objections

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday it will not review a challenge to a Massachusetts law restricting the sale of pork produced in tightly confined spaces, though Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito were in favor of hearing the case.

  • June 30, 2026

    Income Taxes Drive Slight Boost In Asia-Pacific Tax Ratio

    Increases in income tax collection in the Asia-Pacific region helped drive a modest increase in the region's average ratio of tax to gross domestic product in 2024, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Tuesday, though it still sits well below the OECD average.

  • June 29, 2026

    Amazon Buy Might Tie Instant Pot Maker To Burn Suit In Wash.

    The Chinese manufacturer of Instant Pot can't escape claims that one of its pressure cookers malfunctioned and ejected scalding food on two people, a Washington state judge ruled, giving the plaintiffs a chance to show the company's relationship with Seattle-based online retailer Amazon is enough to establish jurisdiction.

  • June 29, 2026

    Justices Look To Shed Light On Jury Role In Pepsi TM Battle

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to hear a trademark fight over PepsiCo's "Mtn Dew Rise Energy" drink gives the justices a chance to clarify when juries, rather than judges, should decide whether a mark is inherently strong — a narrow question that attorneys say could affect how often infringement cases survive summary judgment.

  • June 29, 2026

    Walmart Chia Seeds Have 8 Times Mold Limit, Fla. Buyer Says

    Organic chia seeds Walmart sells through its private label are contaminated with "exceedingly high levels of mold and yeast," according to a lawsuit filed in Florida federal court, which claims the product is "in no way safe for human use" and "entirely worthless."

  • June 29, 2026

    Wayne-Sanderson Says Wage Claims Blocked By $70M Deal

    Wayne-Sanderson urged a Maryland federal court to enforce nearly $70 million in settlements the poultry processor reached with workers and to block dozens of individuals who are suing or threatening to sue in Alabama state court alleging wage suppression.

  • June 29, 2026

    7-Eleven, Video Game Cos. Accused Of Infringing Comms IP

    A nonpracticing entity from New Mexico has accused 7-Eleven Inc. and various other companies of infringing its communications patent in the Eastern District of Texas.

  • June 29, 2026

    High Court Takes Up Coffee Drink Co.'s TM Fight With Pepsi

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a trademark dispute between PepsiCo and the maker of Rise nitro cold-brew coffee drinks, teeing up a case over whether judges or juries should decide a mark's inherent strength when assessing whether consumers are likely to be confused.

  • June 26, 2026

    Chilean Court Nixes $217M Salmon Farm Award

    A Chilean appeals court has vacated a $217 million arbitral award issued to Chinese agribusiness Joyvio Group Co. Ltd. following a dispute over its nearly $1 billion purchase of a Chilean salmon farming business, ruling by majority that the arbitrators awarded relief that had not been sought.

  • June 26, 2026

    PACER Fees Will Rise To Fund Cyber Defense Upgrades

    The federal judiciary announced Friday it will temporarily increase the fees for electronic access to court records to pay for a potential $800 million upgrade that will modernize and strengthen court records systems PACER and CM/ECF, an upgrade it previously said is needed to respond to escalating cyberattacks.

  • June 26, 2026

    Messner Reeves Says $8.3M Fraud Suit Repeats Utah Case

    Colorado law firm Messner Reeves LLP has claimed in federal court that a lawsuit accusing it of stealing more than $8 million as part of a fraudulent loan scheme should be dismissed because the plaintiffs' Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act claims were dismissed by another court with prejudice.

  • June 26, 2026

    DEA Will Back Cannabis' Medical Utility In Historic Hearing

    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will kick off three weeks of hearings Monday on a proposal to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, by presenting testimony asserting that the drug has a valid, currently accepted medical use.

  • June 26, 2026

    Kratom Interests Urge Court, Again, To Halt Utah Law

    It is impossible to manufacture kratom beverages under Utah's new kratom law, according to a dietary supplement maker that urged a federal court to block enforcement after its effort to make a new statute-compliant kratom beverage was thwarted by the law's ban on a naturally occurring compound.

  • June 26, 2026

    5 ERISA Cases To Keep An Eye On In The Second Half Of 2026

    A U.S. Supreme Court challenge to Intel Corp.'s 401(k) investment lineup tops the list of cases benefits attorneys will be watching this summer and fall, though appeals involving health plan tobacco fees, plan forfeiture spending and a potential Eleventh Circuit precedent shift are also top of mind. Here, Law360 looks at five ERISA cases that attorneys should have on their radar as 2026 rolls on.

  • June 26, 2026

    Red Bull Not Covered In Promotion Injury Suit, Court Told

    Red Bull isn't entitled to coverage for fraud claims brought by a Pittsburgh TV reporter who was injured while participating in a promotional event staged by the energy drink company, a capital provider for a Lloyd's of London underwriter told a Pennsylvania federal court.

  • June 26, 2026

    Blue-White Stripes Common Frozen-Treat Decor, TTAB Says

    Ralph's Famous Italian Ices Franchise Corp. cannot register as a trademark the blue-and-white vertical stripe pattern used on its shops, packaging and marketing materials, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ruled in a precedential opinion that found the pattern too common in the frozen-dessert, beverage and restaurant fields.

  • June 26, 2026

    Disposables Co. Says Ore. Recycling Law Is Unconstitutional

    A supplier of disposable food service supplies has told an Oregon federal court the state's recycling modernization law has deprived the company of its constitutional due process rights by enlisting a private entity to set fees, classify materials and conduct other regulatory actions.

  • June 25, 2026

    Brad Pitt Gets OK To Sue Oligarch In Calif. Over Winery Sale

    A California appellate court has vacated a lower court's jurisdictional ruling, holding that Brad Pitt could indeed sue the new part-owner of the French winery he once owned with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie in California court because the owner has sufficient ties to the Golden State.

  • June 25, 2026

    Wash. Justices Back Climate Act Farm Fuel Exemption Regs

    The Washington Supreme Court unanimously rejected the Washington Farm Bureau's challenge to regulations surrounding a farm fuel exemption in a landmark 2021 law establishing the state's cap-and-invest program, finding Thursday the rule aligns with lawmakers' ultimate goal of curbing top greenhouse gas emitters.

  • June 25, 2026

    Detroit Club Hit With Nearly $6.3M In Race Retaliation Verdict

    Former Detroit Club server Miya Shani Hooks audibly sobbed Thursday as a federal jury found the club and its owner liable for retaliating against three former employees who said they had spoken out against racist treatment of Black guests and staff. 

  • June 25, 2026

    11th Circ. Judges Question Coke's View Of IRS As Arbitrary

    Judges for the Eleventh Circuit probed attorneys for Coca-Cola and the government Thursday about whether the IRS was arbitrary in abandoning its position in a closing agreement the beverage company had relied on for decades to calculate its transfer prices with related foreign suppliers.

  • June 25, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Farmworkers' Attys Deserve Higher Fee

    The Ninth Circuit has ordered a Washington federal court to increase an attorney fee award for farmworkers who successfully challenged the federal government's agricultural wage survey methodology, finding the lower court's explanation for slashing the award by 75% was insufficient.

  • June 25, 2026

    5th Circ. Backs FDA's Block On Vape Marketing

    The Fifth Circuit affirmed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's decision to block two vape companies from marketing their menthol-flavored e-cigarette products after finding the benefits to adult smokers didn't outweigh the risk to minors.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Improving Well-Being In Law, 10 Years After Landmark Study

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    An important 2016 study revealed significant substance abuse and mental health issues among lawyers, and while the findings helped normalize the conversation around these topics, a decade later, structural change is still needed, says Denise Robinson at PLI.

  • How To Gear Up For Trump's Pharma Tariffs

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    President Donald Trump's proclamation establishing tariffs on certain pharmaceutical products holds a few areas of ambiguity that companies should review and prepare for before the tariffs come into effect later this year, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • How Food, Beverage Claims May Preview Cosmetic Litigation

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    Class action litigation targeting cosmetics and personal care products is accelerating, with a playbook that comes from the food and beverage industry — and the defenses that succeeded, and failed, in past class actions offer a critical road map for beauty and personal care brands, say attorneys at Crowell.

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