Food & Beverage

  • May 05, 2025

    Supreme Court Won't Review Mass. Wind Farm Permits

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the federal government's approval of a large offshore wind energy project in the waters off the Massachusetts coast, rejecting allegations that the go-ahead ignored the risks the project poses to the commercial fishing industry.

  • May 02, 2025

    Abbott Beats Bellwether In Formula MDL Ahead Of Trial

    An Illinois federal judge Friday held that Abbott Laboratories isn't liable for the death of a baby who consumed its Similac baby formula, entering judgment in favor of Abbott in a bellwether case in multidistrict litigation that was set to head to trial in a little over a week.

  • May 02, 2025

    Feds Expand Hunting, Fishing Access In 16 Wildlife Refuges

    The federal government is proposing to expand hunting and fishing access on more than 87,000 acres within the 11 states in national wildlife and fish hatchery systems, saying on Friday the move would more than triple the number of opportunities for outdoor recreation.

  • May 02, 2025

    Cannabis Drink Co. Accuses Stoel Rives Attorneys Of Fraud

    A startup that develops nonalcoholic cannabis beers has claimed in a California state court action that attorneys from Stoel Rives LLP and others conspired on a scheme to defraud the company out of millions by allegedly trying to sell an unlicensed marijuana business.

  • May 02, 2025

    3 Argument Sessions Benefits Attys Should Watch In May

    The Eleventh Circuit will hear arguments from former seafood company workers who say they were overcharged when they purchased their employer’s stock, while the Sixth Circuit tackles appeals from Kellogg and FedEx retirees who say they were shorted on benefits because of outdated mortality data. Here’s three arguments to keep an eye on in May.

  • May 02, 2025

    Trade Court Grants Disputed Fish Oil Duty-Free Treatment

    The U.S. Court of International Trade on Friday sided with chemical giant BASF in a customs classification case, agreeing that the government should have deemed the company's imports of fish oil as fish extracts, which are entitled to duty-free treatment.

  • May 02, 2025

    Conn. Burrito Joints Settle Trademark, Cash Raid Suit

    Two Connecticut restaurants with similar names, operated by onetime romantic partners, have settled a federal trademark and trade secrets suit accusing the allegedly infringing business of improperly using cash and ideas from the original.

  • May 01, 2025

    McDonald's Agrees To Drop Price-Fixing Suit Against Cargill

    McDonald's Corp. has agreed to drop its claims against Cargill Inc. in litigation accusing major meat processing and packing companies of conspiring to fix beef prices, according to a joint announcement made by the companies.

  • May 01, 2025

    PepsiCo Owes $2.1M In Tax Penalties, Illinois Panel Affirms

    PepsiCo was correctly assessed $2.1 million in penalties for categorizing Frito-Lay expatriates' compensation as foreign payroll that would allow the company's profits to be excluded from state income tax calculations, according to an Illinois Appellate Court panel.

  • May 01, 2025

    3rd Circ. Backs Charter School In Black Worker's Bias Suit

    The Third Circuit upheld the dismissal of a Black cafeteria manager's suit claiming she was fired for complaining that her bosses at a charter school system mistreated her due to her race, ruling the suit falls flat because she was employed by an outside food service company.

  • May 01, 2025

    Publix Can't Slip 'Zero-Market Share' Opioid Claims

    Publix Super Markets Inc. can't slip opioid-related claims from nine municipalities in which the supermarket chain alleges it has no pharmacies, an Ohio federal judge overseeing sprawling national opioid litigation ruled.

  • May 01, 2025

    Photo Agency, Country Club Settle Suit Over Prime Rib Picture

    A photo licensing company has settled its copyright lawsuit that alleged a Maryland golf and country club used a picture of a prime rib roast in its promotional materials without permission.

  • May 01, 2025

    Conagra Sued Over Orville Redenbacher 'Naturals' Popcorn

    Conagra Brands Inc. tries to profit off health-conscious consumers who prefer natural products by falsely labeling its Orville Redenbacher brand of "Naturals" popcorn as containing only real ingredients, despite containing a synthetic preservative, according to a proposed class action filed Thursday in New York federal court. 

  • May 01, 2025

    NC Chef Says Restaurant Canned Him For Being Trans

    The former executive sous chef at a resort restaurant in Flat Rock, North Carolina, claims in a lawsuit that he was terminated for having gender dysphoria and for requesting time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act to recover from gender reassignment surgery.

  • May 01, 2025

    PE-Backed Hometown Food Nabs Chef Boyardee For $600M

    Hometown Food Co., a portfolio company of Holland & Knight LLP-advised private equity shop Brynwood Partners, on Thursday announced plans to acquire the iconic Chef Boyardee brand from Mayer Brown LLP-led Conagra Brands Inc. in a $600 million deal.

  • May 01, 2025

    Baking Co. Burned For Revealing Recipe After IP Trial Loss

    A Pennsylvania federal judge had strong words of warning Wednesday for Bundy Baking Solutions, a baking products company that lost a jury trial over a rival's trade secrets and responded to a motion for a permanent ban by allegedly disclosing some of those same secrets on a public docket.

  • May 01, 2025

    Sony Eyes $49B Semiconductor Unit Sale, Plus More Rumors

    Sony could sell its semiconductor unit for $49 billion, while proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis is considering ending its practice of advising shareholder votes on politically charged topics, and AI startup Nscale plans to raise $2.7 billion in private capital to support the construction of data centers around the world.

  • April 30, 2025

    VSL Probiotic Buyers Win Class Cert. In RICO Case

    A Maryland federal judge has certified 10 classes of customers who bought a knockoff version of a proprietary probiotic formula developed by a professor to treat gastrointestinal ailments, saying in an order unsealed Wednesday the customers all suffered the same alleged injury from buying a product that wasn't the one they expected. 

  • April 30, 2025

    Heir Urges 11th Circ. To Revive Beef Over Boar's Head Shares

    The grandson of a Boar's Head Provision Company founder urged the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday to reverse a ruling that barred his counterclaim challenging transfers of shares to a relative, saying the lower court still needed to determine whether the transaction complied with restrictions.

  • April 30, 2025

    Colo. Chicken Co. On Hook For $3M Supply Chain Settlement

    A Washington federal judge has ordered a Colorado-based poultry processor to reimburse a grocery distributor's $3 million settlement with an ex-Trader Joe's vendor that sued over a bony batch of meat, adding to more than $13.5 million the chicken producer owes following a December trial.  

  • April 30, 2025

    SuperValu Fights New Trial Bid In Whistleblower Drug Case

    SuperValu urged an Illinois federal judge Tuesday not to overturn its defense win on whistleblower claims of systematic prescription overbilling, saying the whistleblowers are now making "kitchen sink arguments" with little basis.

  • April 30, 2025

    Joe Rogan-Backed 'Alpha Brain' False Ad Suit Dropped In NY

    A consumer is asking a New York federal judge to dismiss his proposed class action accusing Onnit Labs Inc. of falsely advertising its "Alpha Brain" cognitive supplement, which were previously promoted by podcaster Joe Rogan, as clinically proven to boost memory.

  • April 30, 2025

    Anheuser-Busch Must Face Trial In $90M SpikedSeltzer Case

    Anheuser-Busch must face a jury in a multimillion-dollar contract claim surrounding its 2016 buyout of a hard seltzer product line from its inventors and their investors, a Connecticut trial court judge ruled Wednesday, partially declining the beverage giant's bid for a quick win.

  • April 30, 2025

    Agri Stats Gets Say In DOJ's Poultry Worker Wage-Fixing Case

    A Maryland federal court allowed Agri Stats Inc. to intervene Wednesday in the U.S. Department of Justice's case accusing Wayne-Sanderson Farms and George's Inc. of suppressing wages, after the government said the poultry companies need to stop using the agricultural data firm.

  • April 30, 2025

    Steakhouse Fired Ga. Worker For Reporting Bias, Suit Says

    The Brazilian steakhouse chain Fogo De Chão has been sued in Georgia federal court by a former employee who said she was fired after complaining about discrimination she and other Black workers experienced at the chain's Dunwoody, Georgia, location.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • What To Expect From 'Make America Healthy Again' Actions

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    The Make America Healthy Again Commission recently established by President Donald Trump and chaired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will potentially bring energy and attention to important public health topics, and stakeholders should be aware of pathways for sharing their input and proactively informing proceedings, says Nicholas Manetto at Faegre Drinker.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

  • Opinion

    Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence

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    Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Reading The Tea Leaves On Mexico, Canada And China Tariffs

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    It's still unclear whether the delay in the imposition of U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports will result in negotiated resolutions or a full-on trade war, but the outcome may hinge on continuing negotiations and the Trump administration's possible plans for tariff revenues, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Find Purpose In Work

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    Lawyers everywhere are feeling overwhelmed amid mass government layoffs, increasing political instability and a justice system stretched to its limits — but a design-thinking framework can help attorneys navigate this uncertainty and find meaning in their work, say law professors at the University of Michigan.

  • Series

    Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.

  • NC COVID Ruling May Have Greater Coverage Implications

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    While the North Carolina Supreme Court's recent finding in favor of policyholders in a suit for business interruption coverage due to COVID-19 comes too late for most insureds to benefit, it should nonetheless have coverage implications far beyond COVID-19 claims, say attorneys at Robinson Bradshaw.

  • Opinion

    DOJ's Visa Suit Shows Pitfalls Of Regulating Innovative Tech

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    A policy of allowing free-market mechanisms to operate without undue interference remains the most effective way to foster innovation, and the U.S. Department of Justice's 2024 case against Visa illustrates the drawbacks of regulating innovative technology, says attorney Thomas Willcox.

  • Nippon Order Tests Gov't Control Over Foreign Investments

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    The U.S. government is primarily interested in restraining foreign transactions involving countries of concern, but former President Joe Biden’s January order blocking the merger of Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel shows that all foreign direct investments are under the federal government’s microscope, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

  • Opinion

    Inconsistent Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice

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    A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.

  • In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege

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    Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.

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