Unions, Nonprofits Get USDA Reorganization Plan Blocked

By Rae Ann Varona

A California federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Agriculture from closing offices and reshuffling staff, saying the department's planned reorganization likely amounted to "reprogramming" prohibited by statutory spending restrictions.

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Perrigo To Pay $10M To End Consumer Gerber Antitrust Suit

By Hailey Konnath

Perrigo will pay $10 million to consumers accusing the company of cutting an anticompetitive agreement with Gerber to maintain a monopoly in the store-brand infant formula market, according to a motion filed in New York federal court Tuesday.

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4 Questions After US, China Announce Tariff Shield

By Dylan Moroses

The U.S. and China's recent announcement that they will shield a subset of goods from tariff actions and extend a trade truce is welcome by importers and advisers, though those stakeholders recognize more substantive policy outcomes between the world's two largest economies continue to face obstacles. Here, Law360 looks at four questions on the subject.

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US Backs Alaska In High Court Fight Over Plane Forfeiture

By Linda Chiem

The federal government has told the U.S. Supreme Court that Alaska is well within its right to confiscate "instrumentalities of crime" and the state's attempted forfeiture of an 83-year-old bush pilot's $95,000 plane for transporting a six-pack of beer to a dry village wasn't excessive.

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Smithfield Settles EEOC Suit Over Pregnant Worker's Firing

By Grace Elletson

A Smithfield Foods subsidiary reached a deal to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming it placed a pregnant employee on unpaid leave and then fired her when she asked for lighter work and occasional breaks, according to a North Carolina federal court filing.

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Germany Floats Tax On Sugary Drinks To Curb Health Costs

By Kevin Pinner

Germany wants to tax sugary drinks starting next year in an effort to cut sugar consumption and reduce public healthcare costs, according to a proposal approved Wednesday by the Federal Cabinet.

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Kroger's 'Zero Sugar' Syrup Draws Allulose Labeling Suit

By Celeste Bott

Kroger was hit with a proposed class action in Illinois federal court Wednesday alleging its maple syrup's "Zero Sugar" label misleads shoppers because it contains allulose, joining a growing number of suits following a Seventh Circuit ruling that the sweetener qualifies as sugar under federal labeling rules.

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Utz Sued Again Over Avocado Oil Potato Chip Labeling

By Gina Kim

Utz was sued again Wednesday by customers who alleged in California federal court that they were misled into thinking its Boulder Canyon potato chips are cooked only with avocado oil, despite a recent UC Davis study that suggests the chips aren't consistent with a product containing only avocado oil.

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Fed. Circ. Won't Revive UPL Patent, But Rejects Sanctions

By Adam Lidgett

The Federal Circuit on Wednesday refused to bring back an agricultural fungicide patent owned by UPL Ltd. that was invalidated at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, but also shot down a bid to sanction the Indian agrochemicals company.

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Texas Court Wipes Out $8.9M Verdict In Shopper Assault Suit

By Y. Peter Kang

A Texas appellate court has overturned an $8.9 million verdict in favor of a grocery store customer who was assaulted by another shopper and suffered severe injuries, saying a certain negligence claim was improperly submitted to the jury.

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Couple Says Target Can't Escape Tainted Baby Formula Suit

By Mike Curley

Two parents are urging a Washington federal court not to throw out their claims against Target Corp. in a suit alleging their baby contracted infant botulism from tainted baby formula sold at the store, saying their complaint sufficiently pleads that Target had a duty of reasonable care and should have looked into its sources.

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Colo. Judge Mulls Coors' Bid To Stop Suppliers' Contract Exits

By Rachel Konieczny

Coors Distributing Co. LLC urged a Colorado state judge Wednesday to block a beer brand supplier from terminating its decades-long contract with the beer wholesaler until arbitration occurs, arguing that the supplier's contract exit presents a "real risk" that other suppliers will end their agreements with the wholesaler.

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Boies Schiller Adds Ex-DOJ Civil Division Leader In NY, DC

By Hailey Konnath

Boies Schiller Flexner LLP has added a former deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Division to its global investigations and white collar teams in New York and Washington, D.C., according to an announcement made Wednesday.

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What Lawyers Should Know Before Accepting Crypto Payment

As clients increasingly request to pay legal fees, retainers and escrow funds using cryptocurrency, lawyers should consider how only a handful of state bar authorities have addressed the issue with varying ethics opinions, as well as the related questions that no authority has yet answered, says attorney Felix Shipkevich.

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Watchdog Wants Probe Of Trump Press Secretary's Atty Claim

By Jack Karp

A nonprofit government watchdog on Wednesday asked the State Bar of California to investigate whether the new White House press secretary has claimed to be an attorney without being licensed to practice law.

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Ex-BigLaw Atty Wants Firm Docs For Insider Trading Defense

By Carolyn Muyskens

A former BigLaw associate accused of insider trading is seeking records from ex-employers Sidley Austin LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP and Goodwin Procter LLP to help fight charges that he tipped others about nonpublic deals the firms were working on.

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Quinn Emanuel Seeks Arbitration Of $1.7M Fee Dispute

By Caroline Simson

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP is urging a California federal court to order an entrepreneur to arbitrate malpractice claims stemming from the firm's representation of her in a sexual harassment claim against a technology investor as it seeks to collect more than $1.7 million in unpaid fees.

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Baker Botts Atty Seeks $3.4M In Fees After Defamation Suit

By Madison Arnold

A Baker Botts LLP patent attorney has moved for almost $3.4 million in attorney fees and expenses in a defamation suit an inventor brought against her that was dismissed.

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Fox Rothschild Beats Daycare's Malicious Prosecution Suit

By George Woolston

A New Jersey state court dismissed an adult daycare company's suit against Fox Rothschild LLP and one of its attorneys related to their prosecution of a fraudulent loan lawsuit that led to a $65,000 sanction against the firm, according to a court order.

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DLA Piper Accused Of Malpractice In Investor's Soccer Deals

By Bonnie Eslinger

American businessman John Textor has filed a legal malpractice suit in Florida against DLA Piper over the firm's representation in connection with an investment vehicle he created to acquire soccer clubs in the United Kingdom and other countries, claiming his damages could exceed hundreds of millions of dollars.

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