A North Carolina federal judge rejected a proposed $225,000 settlement that would resolve delivery drivers' wage claims against a Papa John's franchisee, finding the deal was a "collusive fiction" that benefited the company and class counsel rather than the drivers, who would likely receive no more than $35,000.
Law360
Food & Beverage
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2026 Law360 iOS App Law360 Android App Follow Law360 on Facebook Follow Law360 on LinkedIn Follow Law360 on Twitter

TOP NEWS

Papa John's Wage Deal Is 'Collusive Fiction,' Judge Says

By MJ Koo

A North Carolina federal judge rejected a proposed $225,000 settlement that would resolve delivery drivers' wage claims against a Papa John's franchisee, finding the deal was a "collusive fiction" that benefited the company and class counsel rather than the drivers, who would likely receive no more than $35,000.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Uber, DoorDash Lose Most Of NYC Tip Prompt Suit

By Benjamin Morse

A New York federal judge kept alive DoorDash and Uber's compelled-speech challenge to New York City laws requiring delivery platforms to display a tipping prompt at or before checkout that includes an option of at least 10%, but tossed their remaining five claims.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Butterball Signs $34M Price-Fixing Deal With Turkey Buyers

By Hailey Konnath

Butterball LLC has agreed to shell out $34 million to put to rest turkey buyers' claims in sprawling price-fixing litigation, according to a motion filed Friday in Illinois federal court, bringing the long-running battle to an end ahead of a scheduled trial.

Memorandum attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

US-Canada Trade Talks Crater Ahead Of 50% Tariffs

By Dylan Moroses

Canada will place tariffs on American goods in response to 50% U.S. tariffs that took effect Saturday on goods arriving from across the Northern border after talks to strike a broader economic deal fell apart.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trump Says He Reached Deal For Tariff-Free Ground Beef

By Jack McLoone

President Donald Trump said Friday he has cut a deal to allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be imported into the U.S. without an added tariff in exchange for lower prices for consumers.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

POLICY & REGULATION

DC Circ. Voids Block On OMB Funding Freeze

By Jared Foretek

The D.C. Circuit on Friday vacated a district judge's block on the Trump administration's pause on a wide array of federal grants, loans and financial assistance, ruling that the Office of Management and Budget's rescission of the memorandum rendered the lawsuit moot.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NJ Medicaid Fee Law Barred By ERISA, Trade Groups Argue

By Patrick Hoff

A coalition of restaurant, retail and hotel industry groups has urged a New Jersey federal court to strike down a state law requiring businesses to pay a fine when their employees are enrolled in the state Medicaid program, arguing the statute conflicts with federal benefits law.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Texas Hemp Cos. Bring New Challenge To Delta-8 Rules

By Spencer Brewer

A group of companies in the hemp industry asked a Texas state court to pare back Department of State Health Services actions that curb delta-8 in hemp, taking another swing at agency rules after the Texas Supreme Court rejected a similar case.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

ENFORCEMENT

Albertsons Twists Record In Opioid Trial Motion, Wash. Says

By Rachel Riley

Washington state is urging a Seattle judge to reject Albertsons' latest dismissal bid in a suit accusing the grocery giant of fueling the state's opioid epidemic, arguing the motion rehashes failed arguments and distorts evidence presented over the past five weeks in an ongoing bench trial.

Response attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

LITIGATION

Natural Fish Co.'s Sardines Contain Arsenic, Says Suit

By Emily Field

Natural canned seafood company Wild Planet Foods Inc. was hit with a proposed class action in California federal court alleging that its sardines contain dangerous levels of arsenic above the state's Proposition 65 threshold and exceeding the levels found in competitors' products.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

9th Circ. Rules Workers' Vaccine Bias Suit Must Go To Trial

By Dorothy Atkins

The Ninth Circuit ruled Friday that a jury must decide workers' religious-discrimination claims against the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, finding the lower court erred in concluding the agency accommodated the workers' religious-exemption requests from a COVID-19 vaccine mandate by offering them limited reassignment options.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

LEGAL INDUSTRY

AGs Want Meta's Privilege Claims Reviewed In Bellwether Trial

By Dorothy Atkins

During a break in a jury trial Monday over states' claims Meta hid social media's harm, states' counsel urged a California federal judge to require Meta to re-review all of its attorney-client privilege designations, arguing that "it seems actually logically impossible" that Meta described the wrong standard in only a single document.  

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Legal Center Says DOJ Is Stonewalling Fund Records Request

By Jared Foretek

A voting rights nonprofit is accusing the U.S. Department of Justice of stonewalling a request for records on the Trump administration's attempted "anti-weaponization fund," claiming that the agency has spent the summer unlawfully ducking a Freedom of Information Act submission.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Galindo Law Files For Ch. 11 After Camp Lejeune Fee Fight

By Ben Zigterman

A Houston-based personal injury law firm sought bankruptcy relief on Monday with more than $50 million in liabilities after a mass tort litigation marketing company sued for over $9 million in fees related to finding potential victims of water contamination at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

Petition attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Attys Ask Court To Toss Suit Alleging They Stole 1,000 Cases

By Spencer Brewer

Multiple attorneys asked a Texas federal court to toss claims that they conspired to hijack 1,000 cases filed by hurricane survivors who had hired and built cases with a different firm, claiming the firm that brought the suit failed to plead a viable RICO claim.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jarek Rutz

The Delaware Chancery Court last week saw a wave of lawsuits involving corporate oversight, take-private deals, financing transactions, bankruptcy fallout, stockholder voting rights and disputes over control.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Slate blue promo that reads Law360 Pulse Pro Bono Leaders dark blue promo that reads 2026 Rising Stars

COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

Agri Stats Inc.

Albertsons Cos. Inc.

American Hotel & Lodging Association

Apple Inc.

B. Riley Financial Inc.

Butterball LLC

Campaign Legal Center

Capital One Financial Corp.

Costco Wholesale Corp.

Deer Finance LLC

Democracy Forward Foundation

Discover Financial Services Inc.

DoorDash Inc.

Enviva LP

Fort Point Capital

Foster Farms

Gemspring Capital

Getty Images Holdings Inc.

Greer's

Hormel Foods Corp.

House of Raeford Farms Inc.

Instagram Inc.

International Franchise Association

Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jennie-O Turkey Store LLC

Meta Platforms Inc.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association

National Council of Nonprofits

National Retail Federation Inc.

Papa John's International Inc.

Prestage Farms Inc.

RWE AG

Restaurant Law Center

Rite Aid Corp.

Safeway Inc.

The District of Columbia Bar

The Kroger Co.

Trump Organization Inc.

Uber Technologies Inc.

LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Advisors LLC

Andrus Boudreaux

Arnold Jacobowitz

Baron & Budd

Covington & Burling

Cromer Babb

Dykema Gossett

Fisher & Phillips

Forester Haynie

Gibson Dunn

Greenberg Traurig

Groom Law Group

Hagens Berman

Hecker Fink

Jason J. Joy & Associates

Jordan Lynch & Cancienne

Levin Papantonio

Lockridge Grindal

McHugh Fuller

Ogden Murphy

Pacifica Law Group

Powell & Majestro

Proskauer Rose

Thompson Coe

Western Washington Law Group

Wilkinson Stekloff

Williams & Connolly

Willkie Farr

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

California Department of Justice

City of New York

Delaware Court of Chancery

Executive Office of the President

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Internal Revenue Service

Ohio Supreme Court

Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Texas Legislature

Texas Supreme Court

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of Justice

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

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

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

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

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

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

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration

U.S. Supreme Court

US Office of Management and Budget

Washington Attorney General's Office