Hospitality

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.
April 30, 2025
6th Circ. Skeptical Of Chili's 'Culture' Rationale For Firing

The Sixth Circuit appeared inclined Wednesday to revive an age discrimination case by a former Chili's restaurant manager, indicating that the restaurant's definition of "culture" — the reason given for his firing — has been hard to pin down.
April 30, 2025
McDonald's Operator Loses Assault Suit Coverage Appeal

Two insurers were correct to deny coverage for a former Pittsburgh-area McDonald's franchisee in a lawsuit accusing it of failing to stop a supervisor from sexually harassing and assaulting underage employees, since the litigation that sent it into bankruptcy fell under exceptions to the insurance policies, a Third Circuit panel ruled Wednesday.
April 30, 2025
Wine Tasting Death Suit Revived After Judge Rethinks Order

The estate of a woman killed in a drunk driving crash after an allegedly mandatory wine tasting event at the Connecticut restaurant where she worked can pursue claims against a server and his employer, who were originally brought into the case as apportionment defendants, a state court judge has ruled after rethinking a prior decision.
April 30, 2025
IHOP Franchisee Dodges Most Of Fired Server's Bias Suit

A North Carolina federal judge let an IHOP franchisee escape the bulk of a fired waitress's suit claiming she was propositioned for sex by a male manager and fired for complaining about it, ruling she had failed to put forward any corroboration about the alleged harassment to keep her claims in court.
April 30, 2025
Unaccepted Offer Can't End Server's Tip Credit Suit

A Texas federal court ruled that it still had jurisdiction over a server's proposed collective action accusing a Houston-area restaurant of violating tip credit requirements, saying the worker has not accepted a $1,000 offer to end her case.
April 29, 2025
Pork Producers Want Ruling Tossed Over Clerk's Conduct

Pork producers and Agri Stats Inc., which are defending themselves against a major price-fixing suit, are calling on the Minnesota federal judge overseeing the case to recuse himself and vacate his recent rulings, accusing one of his clerks of having inappropriate relationships with plaintiffs' attorneys in a new filing this week.
April 29, 2025
Koi Nation Can't Intervene In Casino Row, Court Told

The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria is fighting a bid by a fellow California tribe at the crux of a dispute over the Interior Department's decision to take 70 acres into trust for the construction of a proposed hotel and casino project, arguing it lacks any justification to do so.
April 29, 2025
DoorDash, Grubhub Settle Fee Cap Fight With NYC

DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats have reached a settlement in a case accusing New York City officials of passing legislation that unconstitutionally capped fees the delivery apps could charge restaurants, prompting a federal judge to sign off on a joint stipulation and order Monday that stayed the matter pending final resolution.
April 29, 2025
Chicken Joint Sticky's Gets $2M Sale After Turnaround Woes

Chicken restaurant Sticky's won a Delaware bankruptcy judge's tentative permission Tuesday to sign a contract to sell its assets to an investment fund for $2 million after surging poultry prices and New York City's congestion pricing program imperiled the company's Chapter 11 turnaround plan.
April 28, 2025
Ex-Disney Worker Gets 3 Years For Profanity-Laced Menus

A former Walt Disney World employee was sentenced to three years behind bars after he pled guilty in Florida federal court to hacking into a program used to create menus for the theme park's restaurants, adding profanities, changing prices and altering allergen information that could have put patrons at risk.
April 28, 2025
Dallas Strip Clubs' Args Give Fed. Judge 'Déjà Vu All Over Again'

A Texas federal judge told a group of Dallas adult entertainment businesses they were retreading old ground in a bid to get a city ordinance forcing them to close during early morning hours thrown out, saying during a Monday hearing that the Fifth Circuit already rejected their arguments.
April 28, 2025
Estate Sues Insurer Over 'Paltry' Offer In DUI Death Case

The estate of a motorcyclist killed by a driver allegedly overserved at a Washington bar has sued to force the bar's specialty insurance company to cover a partial settlement in an underlying wrongful death suit.
April 28, 2025
GE, Haier Owe Nearly $3M For Motel Fire, Insurer Says

An insurer is seeking about $3 million from GE and Haier in connection to a Super 8 motel fire it claims was started by a faulty heating and cooling unit, according to a lawsuit removed to a Texas federal court.
April 28, 2025
PE Giant TPG Snags Sabre's Hospitality Biz For $1.1B

Travel industry-focused technology provider Sabre Corp., advised by Haynes Boone, on Monday announced plans to sell its Hospitality Solutions business to Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP-led private equity shop TPG in a $1.1 billion cash deal.
April 28, 2025
Prior Suit Dooms Guest's Suit Over Toss From Hotel Over Pot

A Texas federal court has thrown out a man's lawsuit alleging he was illegally thrown out of a hotel for using cannabis, saying he can't take "another bite of the apple" after losing an identical case in state court.
April 28, 2025
High Court Won't Hear Michigan Tribe's Land Trust Dispute

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a Michigan tribe's arguments that the federal government must take 73 acres into trust for a casino venture outside Detroit, after it told the justices that without the decision its ability to achieve economic self-sufficiency would be forever impaired.
April 25, 2025
US Tourism Dips Amid ICE Confinement Of Foreign Travelers

Stories of foreign travelers getting stuck in prolonged immigration detention while trying to enter the U.S. has other potential visitors spooked, leading to a predicted downturn for the hospitality industry and an economic hit for local businesses that rely on tourists.
April 25, 2025
Live Nation Investors Get 1st OK For $20M Eras Tour-Tied Deal

Event ticketing giant Live Nation and its shareholders on Friday secured a California federal judge's initial green light for their proposed $20 million deal to end proposed class action claims alleging the company misled shareholders in the face of anticompetitive allegations involving its Ticketmaster subsidiary following its missteps selling tickets for pop star Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.
April 25, 2025
Tort Report: Texas Justices Set Dram Shop Standard

The Texas Supreme Court's clarification of a bar's liability in a suit over the alleged overserving of alcohol and a suit over a Boeing whistleblower's suicide lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.
April 25, 2025
Off The Bench: NIL Deal Drama, Oakley v. MSG, Transfer Rules

In this week's Off The Bench, the landmark $2.78 billion settlement to compensate college athletes hits a snag, a former New York Knick's assault case against Madison Square Garden may be on shaky ground, and Vanderbilt University's quarterback fights to protect his successful challenge against the NCAA's eligibility rules.
April 25, 2025
Bertucci's Says Uncertain Economy Sparked Latest Ch. 11

Italian food chain Bertucci's filed for bankruptcy protection for the third time since 2018, telling a Florida bankruptcy court it is over $32 million in debt and dealing with industry headwinds and the "unanticipated deterioration" of the U.S. economy.
April 24, 2025
11th Circ. Considers Sackett's Impact In Clean Water Suit

Green groups and citizens who alleged Georgia's Sea Island resort misled the Army Corps of Engineers about a wetlands filling project urged the Eleventh Circuit to revive their suit Thursday, with the groups and resort arguing the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Sackett v. EPA worked in their favor.
April 24, 2025
Starbucks Sued Over Human Rights Abuses On Coffee Farms

The supply chain for Starbucks' Brazilian coffee is rife with slavery-like conditions and child labor, coffee plantation workers have said in a lawsuit, alleging they were forced to work for suppliers of the global coffee chain under "debt bondage" and threats of violence.
April 23, 2025
Gaming Site Says Consumer's Suit Must Be Arbitrated

The Cypriot operator of online "social gaming platform" Stake.us is urging a California federal court to order a consumer to arbitrate his lawsuit looking to shut down the website on allegations it offers illegal gambling, saying the validity of an underlying contract should be left to an arbitrator.

Editor's Picks

Foley Reps Hospitality REIT In $260M Buy Of Texas Property

Foley & Lardner LLP said it has represented real estate investment trust Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc. in its $260 million acquisition of the Block 21 mixed-use development complex that occupies an entire city block in downtown Austin, Texas.

Expert Analysis

Series

Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Enviro To Mid-Law

Practitioners leaving a longtime government role for private practice — as when I departed the U.S. Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement division — should prioritize finding a firm that shares their principles, values their experience and will invest in their transition, says John Cruden at Beveridge & Diamond.
Legal Ethics Considerations For Law Firm Pro Bono Deals

If a law firm enters into a pro bono deal with the Trump administration in exchange for avoiding or removing an executive order, it has an ethical obligation to create a written settlement agreement with specific terms, which would mitigate some potential conflict of interest problems, says Andrew Altschul at Buchanan Angeli.
Series

Playing Football Made Me A Better Lawyer

While my football career ended over 15 years ago, the lessons the sport taught me about grit, accountability and resilience have stayed with me and will continue to help me succeed as an attorney, says Bert McBride at Trenam.
10 Arbitrations And A 5th Circ. Ruling Flag Arb. Clause Risks

The ongoing arbitral saga of Sullivan v. Feldman, which has engendered proceedings before 10 different arbitrators in Texas and Louisiana along with last month's Fifth Circuit opinion, showcases both the risks and limitations of arbitration clauses in retainer agreements for resolving attorney-client disputes, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.
Ch. 11 Free-And-Clear Sale Ruling Takes Pragmatic Approach

A recent ruling from a New York bankruptcy court in which the debtors were allowed to sell interests free and clear regardless of a lienholder's objection signals a practical approach and a recalibration of the balance between debtor flexibility and creditor protections, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.
Perspectives

The Benefits Of Aligning States On Legal Paraprofessionals

Texas' proposal to become the latest state to license paraprofessional providers of limited legal services could help firms expand their reach and improve access to justice, but consumers, attorneys and allied legal professionals would benefit even more if similar programs across the country become more uniform, says Michael Houlberg at the University of Denver.
10 Soft Skills Every GC Should Master

As businesses face shifting regulatory and technological uncertainty, general counsel will need to strengthen certain soft skills to succeed, from admitting when they make a mistake to maintaining a healthy dose of dispassion, says Douglas Brown at Manatt.
An Unrestrained, Bright-Eyed View Of Legal AI's Future

Todd Itami at Covington offers a bright-eyed, laughing-all-the-way, skydive look at what the legal industry could look like after an artificial intelligence revolution, which he believes may happen much sooner and more dramatically than we expect.
Tracking The Evolution In Litigation Finance

Despite continued innovation, litigation finance remains an immature market with borrowers recieving significantly different terms as lenders learn to value cases, which firms need a strong handle on to ensure lending terms do not overwhelm collateral value, says Robert Wilkins at Lightfoot Franklin.
Addressing Antitrust Scrutiny Over AI-Powered Pricing Tools

Amid multiple recent civil complaints alleging antitrust violations by providers and users of algorithmic pricing tools, such as RealPage and Yardi, digital-era measures should feature prominently in corporate compliance programs, including documentation of pro-competitive benefits and when to use disclosures, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
Series

Volunteer Firefighting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While practicing corporate law and firefighting may appear incongruous, the latter benefits my legal career by reminding me of the importance of humility, perspective and education, says Nicholas Passaro at Ford.
Digesting A 2nd Circ. Ruling On Food Delivery App Arbitration

The Second Circuit recently rejected Grubhub's attempt to arbitrate price-fixing claims, while allowing Uber Eats to do so, reinforcing that even broad arbitration clauses must connect to the underlying dispute and suggesting that terms of service litigation may center on websites' design and content, say attorneys at Greenspoon Marder.
E-Discovery Quarterly: The Perils Of Digital Data Protocols

Though stipulated protocols governing the treatment of electronically stored information in litigation are meant to streamline discovery, recent disputes demonstrate that certain missteps in the process can lead to significant inefficiencies, say attorneys at Sidley.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Preparing For Corporate Work

Law school often doesn't cover the business strategy, financial fluency and negotiation skills needed for a successful corporate or transactional law practice, but there are practical ways to gain relevant experience and achieve the mindset shifts critical to a thriving career in this space, says Dakota Forsyth at Olshan Frome.
A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process

The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.