High Court To Mull Home Distilling Ban Following Circuit Split

By Spencer Brewer

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up a case on the federal tax code's ban on distilling whiskey at home after the Fifth Circuit found the ban unconstitutional but the Sixth Circuit upheld the ban.

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Tyson Must Face Turkey Buyers' Claims In Price-Fixing Suit

By Bonnie Eslinger

An Illinois federal judge on Monday issued a sweeping summary judgment order in antitrust litigation over price-fixing allegations against turkey producers and a data collection company, ruling that direct-action plaintiffs can take some claims against Tyson and another company to trial while granting summary judgment to other defendants.

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Olive Garden Workers Get Conditional Opt-In Nationwide Cert.

By Lauren Berg

Olive Garden cannot trim a collective action that accuses it of tipped wage violations and underpaying employees, a Massachusetts federal judge has ruled, while preliminarily approving an opt-in class of the pasta chain's servers and bartenders.

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Hain Celestial Faces Bid To Revive Baby Food Labeling Case

By Bonnie Eslinger

California parents urged a Ninth Circuit panel on Monday to revive unfair competition claims against Hain Celestial, saying its baby and toddler food products violate an FDA rule by posting nutrient labels on food intended for children under the age of two, thereby causing consumers to overpay for the products.

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Ex-Josh Cellars Prez Can Keep Litigation Funding Out Of Trial

By Hailey Konnath

A Connecticut judge on Monday refused to allow companies behind the Josh Cellars wine brand to introduce an ex-president's alleged litigation funding deals during an upcoming trademark royalties trial, finding that the agreements aren't relevant to his $4 million contract and fiduciary duty claims against his former employers.

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Amazon Security Ruling Applies To Conn. Servers, Judge Told

By Brian Steele

Steakhouse servers should benefit from a decision issued by the Connecticut Supreme Court, and then adopted by the Second Circuit, that held Amazon must pay its warehouse workers for time spent going through security screenings, a state court judge heard Monday.

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Abbott Wins Bid To Move Ex-Worker's Bias Suit To Illinois

By Susan Smiley

Abbott Laboratories has convinced a Michigan federal judge that a former employee's sex discrimination and retaliation lawsuit belongs in Illinois. 

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Food Service Co. Faulted For Improper Tobacco Surcharge

By Grace Elletson

A Missouri federal judge handed a win to a class of workers who claimed food service company Compass Group USA hit them with an illegal extra health plan fee if they used tobacco, finding the company didn't properly refund the surcharge as required under federal benefits law.

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2nd Circ. Eases Employer Defense Of Dress Code Rules

The Second Circuit recently sided with Starbucks in a ruling that makes it easier for companies to defend dress code policies against unfair labor practice challenges, but employers shouldn't read it as a license to ban union insignia, say attorneys at Shipman & Goodwin.

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Where DOJ's Fraud Directive May Actually Affect Enforcement

The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent directive outlining corporate fraud enforcement priorities is mostly a management document instead of a policy, but one part may actually undermine the directive's goals by leading to worse outcomes for organizational defendants and less corporate self-disclosure, says Zachary Warren at Williams & Connolly.

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Kagan: High Court 'Blinded Itself' To Election Ruling Effects

By Katie Buehler

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan criticized her conservative colleagues' approach to deciding election law cases Tuesday, saying they often rule without considering the real-world consequences of their decisions. 

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Retired Judges Say DOJ's Ethics Complaint Is Meritless

By Courtney Bublé

A coalition of 61 retired federal judges has admonished the U.S. Department of Justice for filing a complaint against federal judges in Minnesota for speaking to a newspaper about the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in their state.

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Polsinelli Seeks Sanctions For 'Knowingly False' IP Suit

By Elliot Weld

Law firm Polsinelli PC has asked a Tennessee federal judge to sanction a medical device company for advancing what it says were "knowingly false and materially incomplete" positions in a suit accusing the firm of pursuing bad faith patent infringement claims on behalf of a client.

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'Petulant' Attorney Behavior Requires New Trial, 5th Circ. Says

By Cara Salvatore

The Fifth Circuit ordered a new trial Friday for a woman who was halted while speaking at a Louisiana local council meeting, saying defense lawyers for two council members threw "a skunk into the jury box" with a bevy of improper maneuvers.

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Feds Offer Up-Front Payments For Fraud Whistleblower Tips

By Lauren Berg

The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday announced the creation of a whistleblower incentive program offering up-front monetary awards for tips that lead to criminal fraud charges.

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Atty Used Legal Cred To Prop Up Ponzi Schemes, DOJ Says

By David Aaro

A Florida attorney was arrested Tuesday on charges of using his legal bona fides to help run two Ponzi schemes that swindled investors out of nearly $2 million, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Ex-NOLA Injury Atty Gets 32 Months For Staging Crashes

By Christine DeRosa

A former New Orleans personal injury attorney has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for his role in a scheme to fake vehicle accidents with tractor trailers and other commercial vehicles so he could pursue lawsuits and extract settlements.

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