Woman Says Starbucks' Coffee, Flimsy Cup Caused Burns

By Mike Curley

A woman on Wednesday sued Starbucks Corp. in California state court, alleging she suffered severe and permanent burns when she spilled "scalding" coffee onto her lap because of a structurally defective cup.

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5th Circ. Sides With Starbucks On Union Backer's Firing

By Tim Ryan

The Fifth Circuit has reversed a National Labor Relations Board decision finding that Starbucks unlawfully fired a worker for supporting a unionization effort at the store, saying the decision rested on insufficient evidence that the coffee giant acted out of anti-union animus.

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Impossible X Urges Calif. Judge To Preserve $3.25M Verdict

By Adam Lidgett

Lifestyle brand Impossible X is arguing against a new trial in California federal court after it won a $3.25 million verdict against Impossible Foods in a trademark dispute, saying the plant-based burger maker is trying to relitigate issues and improperly "smuggle" other matters into its challenge to the verdict.

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Costco Hid Heart Risks Of Grain-Free Dog Food, Suit Says

By Rachel Riley

Costco deceptively advertises its Nature's Domain grain-free dog food as a healthy and safe option despite a growing body of research showing that grain-free diets heighten the risk of canine heart disease, a California consumer alleged in a new proposed class action filed in Seattle federal court Tuesday.

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Waffle House Tobacco Fees Violate Benefits Law, Worker Says

By MJ Koo

Waffle House was sued by a former server who alleges the restaurant chain collected an unlawful tobacco surcharge from employees enrolled in its health plan without offering a compliant wellness program or properly notifying workers of how to avoid the fee.

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Mich. Wineries Say Peninsula Ally Joining Suit Too Late

By Susan Smiley

A group of northern Michigan wineries is calling "suspect" a citizen advocacy group's motion to intervene in the wineries' suit against Peninsula Township, saying it was filed too late and urged a federal judge to deny the group's request or severely limit the scope of its intervention.

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Ex-Detroit Club Workers Cry As Jury Gets Race Bias Case

By Melanie Dorsey

A former server and a former bartender at The Detroit Club broke down in tears in a Michigan federal courtroom Wednesday as their attorney emotionally urged jurors to hold the club and its owner liable for allegedly retaliating against them after they complained about what they believed was racist treatment of Black guests. 

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Venue Operator Can't Avoid Fair Dealings Claims In Chancery

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court on Wednesday largely refused to dismiss a contract dispute between concessions provider Facilities Holdings LLC and venue operator ASM Global Parent LLC, finding it reasonably conceivable ASM Global secretly worked to derail contract extensions after being acquired.

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Gatorade Suit Offers Lessons On Product Performance Claims

A proposed class action in New York federal court disputing PepsiCo's claim that Gatorade "hydrates better than water" presents a broad challenge to the way food and beverage companies communicate product benefits — and the risks that arise when marketing claims outpace the evidence supporting them, says Pejman Javaheri at Juris Law Group.

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Why Highly Specialized Experts May Risk Exclusion At Trial

Expert witnesses with highly specific areas of focus may be vulnerable to exclusion in court, making it important for attorneys to check how potential witnesses' qualifications can be bolstered by their publications and other professional activities, say Evan Weisberg and Christopher Cunio at Hunton, and Kevin Cahill at FTI Consulting.

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Groombridge Wu Tops Milbank Pay Scale For Associates

By Kevin Penton

Groombridge Wu Baughman & Stone LLP is the latest firm to top the pay scale for associates announced earlier this month by Milbank LLP, with attorneys set to earn as much as $470,000.

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Senate Confirming Judges Faster Than In Trump's 1st Term

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate has confirmed 45 judges in the second Trump term, outpacing the rate of his first administration, Senate Republicans announced on Thursday.

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Attys Urged To Challenge Clients Who Demand AI Research

By Aaron Keller

A Connecticut federal judge urged attorneys during a Thursday sanctions hearing to push back against clients who demand lawyers use generative artificial intelligence tools to conduct legal research, saying the technology is no substitute for professional judgment and discretion because it "aims to please" and can misstate the law.

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Lack Of Evidence Sinks Insurance Fraud Case, Atty Says

By Emily Sawicki

A Louisiana law firm and lawyer found guilty of criminal conspiracy and wire fraud for staging vehicle crashes as part of a scheme to defraud insurance carriers and trucking companies are seeking acquittal or a new trial, arguing that federal prosecutors failed to support their claims with evidence.

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SCOTUSblog Founder Goldstein Blasts 'Inflated' DOJ Tax Math

By Jared Foretek

Convicted SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein and federal prosecutors are clashing again over their dramatically divergent sentencing recommendations, with the defense accusing the government of presenting a "one-dimensional caricature" of the famed lawyer in seeking an eight-year sentence, and prosecutors accusing him of potentially deleting "secret chats" with his gambling backers.

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Feds Say Would-Be Kavanaugh Assassin Was Let Off Easy

By Nadia Dreid

Both federal prosecutors and a Stephen Miller-founded public interest group believe that a Maryland federal judge let a woman accused of trying to kill U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh off too easy because of her gender identity and want the Fourth Circuit to order resentencing.

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Quinn Emanuel Says 3M Fee Proposal Undervalues Its Work

By Carolina Bolado

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP has objected to a special master's recommendation on the allocation of common benefit fees in the $6 billion settlement that ended multidistrict litigation against 3M over allegedly faulty combat earplugs, saying the amount doesn't value the "length, extent and impact" of the firm's work.

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