A Fifth Circuit panel pressed the National Labor Relations Board to explain why Starbucks lacks the ability to fire a union organizer who used excessively colorful language in private messages to co-workers, saying Monday the language used would "make any of us blush."
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2026 Law360 iOS App Law360 Android App Follow Law360 on Facebook Follow Law360 on LinkedIn Follow Law360 on Twitter

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5th Circ. Panel Blushes At Starbucks Worker's Snapchat Notes

By Spencer Brewer

A Fifth Circuit panel pressed the National Labor Relations Board to explain why Starbucks lacks the ability to fire a union organizer who used excessively colorful language in private messages to co-workers, saying Monday the language used would "make any of us blush."

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Amazon Shoppers' Counsel Admit To AI Errors In Motion

By Emily Sawicki

Lawyers representing Amazon customers in a proposed class action over supplement labeling have apologized to a Seattle federal judge for artificial intelligence hallucinations included in a recent filing, acknowledging "certain miscitations and misquotations" resulted from a Just Food Law PLLC attorney's use of the nascent technology and a failure by Boies Schiller Flexner LLP co-counsel to catch the errors.

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Bikini Barista Boss Says Wash. AG Defamed Him In Wage Suit

By Rachel Riley

The owner of Seattle-area Paradise Espresso stands slammed the Washington State Office of the Attorney General on Monday for filing a wage theft and employment discrimination lawsuit "containing known falsehoods" and disparaging his bikini barista business in a related press release.

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Teamsters Look To Ax Kraft Heinz's Challenge To Grievance

By Emily Brill

Kraft Heinz shouldn't be allowed to scuttle a benefits fight by arguing that it should have been routed through the company healthcare plan's dispute resolution process, a Teamsters local told a Delaware federal judge, saying the dispute can be resolved through the grievance and arbitration process.

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Law360 Seeks Members For Its 2026 Editorial Boards

Law360 is looking for avid readers of our publications to serve as members of our 2026 editorial advisory boards.

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POLICY & REGULATION

Trump, Modi Say US-India Trade Deal Reached

By Dylan Moroses

President Donald Trump said Monday he reached a trade deal with India following a call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that includes lowering the tariff rate on Indian goods entering the U.S. from 50% to 18%.

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LITIGATION

Trump Admin's Bid To End Haitian Protections Paused

By Rae Ann Varona

A D.C. federal judge on Monday postponed the Trump administration's termination of temporary protected status for Haitians, saying five Haitian nationals who sued the administration are likely to succeed in showing that the termination is unlawful.

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BBQ Co. Execs, Argent Settle $99M ESOP Fight With DOL

By Kellie Mejdrich

Two executives for a New York barbecue chain and the company's employee stock ownership plan trustee have agreed to settle a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Labor alleging that a $99 million stock purchase violated federal benefits law, according to a joint stipulation from the parties.

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Modelo, Constellation Seek Permanent Ban On Fake Beers

By Ivan Moreno

Constellation Brands, the exclusive licensee of Modelo's beer brands in the U.S., has asked a Texas federal judge for a permanent injunction against a beer distributor accused of importing and selling counterfeit beers that use labels that copy major Mexican beer brands.

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Amazon Seeks Shoppers' Docs In COVID Price-Gouging Suit

By Ben Adlin

Shoppers behind a proposed class action accusing Amazon of inflating prices on crucial consumer goods and food during the COVID-19 pandemic failed to hand over records necessary for the retail giant to fight the allegations, the company said in a filing seeking to force the plaintiffs to produce the documents.

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Trade Court Remands Gum Duties Review Over Coal Definition

By Jack McLoone

The U.S. Court of International Trade remanded a U.S. Department of Commerce determination on the cost of energy used by Chinese exporters in a challenge to anti-dumping duties on a gum used as a food thickener, directing Commerce to consider an alternative definition for the type of coal used.

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Ill. Distributor Sues Over Axed THC Seltzer Contract

By Lauraann Wood

A Chicago area beer distributor has sued the company behind Wynk THC seltzers in Illinois federal court, claiming it should be made whole after the seltzer company abruptly terminated their exclusive distribution agreement without fairly paying for the distribution network that was essentially built from scratch.

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Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jeff Montgomery

A pair of new high-dollar suits in Delaware's Court of Chancery showed last week that post-deal stock appraisal suits still have legs, despite some efforts to reduce potential from deal-price gains challenges. The week ended with Delaware's justices nipping $100 million from the attorney fees owed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk from $176.2 million to roughly $70.9 million, rejecting part of a Court of Chancery fee calculation.

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DEALS

Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

By Matthew Perlman

U.S. enforcers reached three new merger settlements, while the Federal Trade Commission successfully blocked a $945 million heart valve deal and lodged an appeal for its case targeting Meta's past acquisitions.

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EXPERT ANALYSIS

FTC Focus: Testing Joint Enforcement Over Loyalty Programs

The Federal Trade Commission's case against Syngenta can be understood both as a canary for further scrutiny over loyalty-discount practices and a signal of the durability of joint federal-state antitrust enforcement, with key takeaways for practitioners and those subject to regulatory antitrust scrutiny alike, say attorneys at Proskauer.

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Series

The Biz Court Digest: Dispatches From Utah's Newest Court

While a robust body of law hasn't yet developed since the Utah Business and Chancery Court's founding in October 2024, the number of cases filed there has recently picked up, and its existence illustrates Utah's desire to be top of mind for businesses across the country, says Evan Strassberg at Michael Best.

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NYC Bar Opinion Warns Attys On Use Of AI Recording Tools

Attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools to record, transcribe and summarize conversations with clients should heed the New York City Bar Association’s recent opinion addressing the legal and ethical risks posed by such tools, and follow several best practices to avoid violating the Rules of Professional Conduct, say attorneys at Smith Gambrell.

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

Paul Weiss Chair's Emails To Epstein Include Apollo Info

By Aebra Coe

Files released by the Department of Justice over the weekend belonging to the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein show a yearslong relationship between Epstein and Paul Weiss chair Brad Karp, which included dinners, phone calls and meetings, as well as communication related to Paul Weiss client Apollo Global Management.

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Ex-Goldstein Employee Claims Accountants Made Mistakes

By Jared Foretek

Defense attorneys for SCOTUSblog founder Thomas Goldstein presented evidence Monday that his firm's tax accountants made serious mistakes in tax filings for Goldstein's wife, Amy Howe, in 2021.

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6th Circ. Clears Judge Boasberg In DOJ Ethics Complaint

By Courtney Bublé

The complaint the U.S. Department of Justice filed against Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the District of Columbia has been dismissed.

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Analysis

Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

By Jeff Overley

What happened to a GOP donor's $250,000 Swiss watch? Can cigarette warnings show jarring medical images? Will a circuit split of "far-reaching importance" for arbitration get even wider? That's a taste of the oral argument menu we'll help you digest in this preview of February's top appellate action.

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Fenwick Reaches Deal In FTX Crypto Scam Suit

By Madison Arnold

Fenwick & West LLP and victims of the infamous FTX Trading Ltd. cryptocurrency scam are working toward a settlement in a case over the firm's alleged role in the trading platform's collapse.

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Watchdog Renews Halligan Bar Complaint After Court Rulings

By Emily Sawicki

The nonprofit Campaign for Accountability on Monday once again launched a bar complaint against former interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan in Virginia, after the Virginia State Bar declined to pursue an ethics investigation against the attorney last year, calling it a matter for the courts to determine.

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Brief

Judiciary Open As Usual Until Thursday Despite Shutdown

By Courtney Bublé

The federal judiciary has enough funding to sustain normal operations until Thursday, following the partial government shutdown that started at midnight on Saturday.

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DOJ Defends NJ US Atty Office Funding Amid Scrutiny

By Matthew Santoni

Defending the three-person leadership structure of New Jersey's federal prosecution operations since the departure of Alina Habba, an administrator told a federal court that two of the attorneys running the office are paid through the office's budget and the third is funded through the U.S. Department of Justice.

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The Top In-House Hires Of January

By Sue Reisinger

Legal department hires over the first month of 2026 included high-profile appointments at SiriusXM, at a host of West Coast tech companies including Microsoft and Meta, and at Black & Decker. Law360 Pulse looks at some of the top in-house announcements from January.

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Promo that reads 2025 Practice Groups of the Year

COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Amazon.com Inc.

American Arbitration Association

American Bar Association

American Industrial Partners

American Lung Association

Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA/NV

Anywhere Real Estate Inc.

Apollo Global Management LLC

Apple Inc.

Aramark

Arctic Glacier Inc.

BBQ Holdings Inc.

BNSF Railway Co.

Binance Holdings Ltd.

BlackRock Inc.

BrightSpring Health Services

Brookfield Asset Management Ltd.

CITGO Petroleum Corp.

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Charter Communications Inc.

Citigroup Inc.

Coinbase Global Inc.

Columbus McKinnon Corporation

Comerica Inc.

Compass Inc.

Constellation Brands Inc.

Corteva Inc.

Cox Communications Inc.

Democracy Forward Foundation

Elliott Investment Management LP

Epic Games Inc.

FalconX Ltd.

FedEx Corp.

Fifth Third Bancorp

Flipkart Internet Pvt. Ltd.

Fort Point Capital

Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman

Google LLC

Grupo Modelo SAB de CV

HSBC Holdings PLC

Henkel Corp.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.

Home Box Office Inc.

Impossible Foods Inc.

Instagram Inc.

Intel Corp.

JELD-WEN Inc.

JM Family Enterprises

Janus Henderson Group PLC

Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jump Trading LLC

Juniper Networks Inc.

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

Kito Crosby

LS Power Development LLC

Lambda Legal Defense & Educational Fund

Liggett Group LLC

LinkedIn Corp.

Live Nation Entertainment Inc.

Louis Glunz Beer Inc.

Meta Platforms Inc.

Miami Heat

Microsoft Corp.

Moelis & Co.

NRG Energy Inc.

National Football Museum Inc.

National Treasury Employees Union

Neimenggu Fufeng Biotechnologies

Netflix Inc.

New York City Bar Association

Norfolk Southern Corp.

Qualia Labs Inc.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Inc.

Reddy Ice Holdings Inc.

Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co.

ServiceNow Inc.

Sevita

Sirius XM Radio Inc.

Skydance Media LLC

Snap Inc.

Spotify Technology SA

Stanford Health Care

Stanford University

Stanley Black & Decker Inc.

Starbucks Corp.

Suzano

Syngenta AG

Teck Resources Ltd.

Tesla Inc.

The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

The Kraft Heinz Co.

Tyson Foods Inc.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

U.S. News & World Report LP

Victory Park Capital Advisors LLC

Virginia State Bar

Walmart Inc.

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.

WeWork Inc.

Yahoo Inc.

Zuora Inc.

Zynga Inc.

LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Abato Rubenstein

Advisors LLC

Allen Hansen

Arnold & Porter

Audet & Partners

Baker Botts

Boies Schiller

Bryan Cave

Cleary Gottlieb

Cooley LLP

Crowell & Moring

Davis Wright Tremaine

Duane Morris

Fenwick & West

Friedman Kaplan

Gibson Dunn

Giskan Solotaroff

Goldstein & Russell

Groom Law Group

Grunfeld Desiderio

Gunster Yoakley

Gupta Wessler

Hagens Berman

Hayes Dolce

Irell & Manella

Jenner & Block

Jones Day

Just Food Law PLLC

Kennyhertz Perry

Kirkland & Ellis

Kobre & Kim

Kurzban Kurzban

Latham & Watkins

Leach & Walker

Lewis Brisbois

Littler Mendelson

MDK Law

Meritz Reddy

Michael Best & Friedrich

Michael S. Steinberg

Munger Tolles

O'Donoghue & O'Donoghue

Ogletree Deakins

Orrick Herrington

Paul Weiss

Perkins Coie

Proskauer Rose

Robbins LLP

Selendy Gay

Seyfarth Shaw

Smith Gambrell

Smith Katzenstein

Sullivan & Cromwell

Tucker Ellis

Wiley Rein

Williams & Connolly

WilmerHale

Ziegler Resnick

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade

Central Intelligence Agency

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Competition and Markets Authority

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Delaware Court of Chancery

Energy Information Administration

European Commission

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Federal Trade Commission

Florida Supreme Court

Food and Drug Administration

Internal Revenue Service

National Labor Relations Board

New York Attorney General's Office

New York State Public Service Commission

Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Surface Transportation Board

U.S. Attorney's Office

U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland

U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of Commerce

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. Department of Labor

U.S. Department of the Treasury

U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts of Southern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware

U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. General Services Administration

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court

Utah Legislature

Washington Attorney General's Office