Food & Beverage

  • April 16, 2025

    Koch, Chicken Buyers Spar Over $75M Deal Challenge

    Restaurants challenging $75 million in settlements inked in the broiler chicken price-fixing litigation with Koch Foods Inc. and House of Raeford Farms Inc. told the Seventh Circuit the appeal should succeed because it includes more detail than a recently rejected challenge of a smaller deal with Simmons Foods Inc.

  • April 16, 2025

    Workers Hit Fast-Food Co. With Nicotine Fee Suit

    The parent company of popular fast-food chains Arby's, Sonic and Dunkin' has been hit with a proposed class action from workers alleging that the company's fee on the health plans of employees who self-disclosed using nicotine violated federal benefits law.

  • April 16, 2025

    Papa Gino's Sued For Allegedly Underpaying Delivery Drivers

    New England pizza chain Papa Gino's pays delivery drivers a lower tipped minimum wage while hindering their ability to earn gratuities, according to a proposed class action filed in Massachusetts state court.

  • April 16, 2025

    California Challenges Trump's Economic Emergency Tariffs

    The California state government filed suit Wednesday challenging President Donald Trump's recent use of a law that has allowed him to unilaterally impose broad and aggressive tariffs on imports entering the U.S.

  • April 15, 2025

    PepsiCo Sued Over Workers' Unpaid COVID Screenings

    A former machine operator is suing PepsiCo Inc. in Illinois federal court for wage theft, claiming he and others were never paid for the time they spent going through the company's mandatory COVID-19 safety processing that was conducted before each shift.

  • April 15, 2025

    Food Service Co. Can't Escape Tobacco Surcharge Suit

    A food service company can't dodge a proposed class action alleging it unlawfully charges tobacco users an additional fee to obtain health insurance, an Illinois federal judge ruled Tuesday, rejecting the company's assertion that federal benefits law doesn't require retroactive reimbursement for completing a cessation program.

  • April 15, 2025

    Microsoft, Okta Say Their Password Products Don't Infringe IP

    Microsoft Corp. and information technology service management company Okta Inc. asked a California federal judge Monday for declarations that their password-generating products don't infringe a San Francisco company's patent covering a method for issuing time-based, one-time passwords.

  • April 15, 2025

    Dow Says NJ Pollution Suit 'Classic' Case For Federal Court

    Dow Chemical Co. told a Third Circuit panel on Tuesday that the New Jersey attorney general's suit accusing it and other companies of causing widespread groundwater pollution through a product containing a likely cancer-causing compound belongs in federal court, arguing the product was developed for the federal government.

  • April 15, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs $272M Verdict For Monster In Bang Ad Case

    The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday affirmed a $272 million verdict for Monster Energy Co. in a false advertising case against defunct Vital Pharmaceuticals Inc. and its former CEO, rejecting a series of challenges to rulings that narrowed the evidence at trial.

  • April 15, 2025

    Dunkin' Franchise Owners In Mass. Settle Wage, OT Claims

    The owners of more than 60 Dunkin' franchises across the Bay State and a group of current and former store managers are finalizing a settlement of claims that the coffee chain flouted wage laws, according to a filing in Massachusetts federal court.

  • April 15, 2025

    McDonald's, Dunkin' Franchisees Resolve Child Labor Claims

    The owners of Dunkin' and McDonald's franchises in Massachusetts have reached settlements over allegations they violated the state's child labor laws, while a Subway franchise operator has been fined, according to a Tuesday press release.

  • April 14, 2025

    Herbalife Wins $1.55M For Unauthorized $20M Computer Deal

    A California federal jury on Friday awarded Herbalife International of America Inc. $1.55 million in damages from Eastern Computer Exchange after finding the computer equipment reseller deceptively concealed an order for millions of dollars in Dell computers that the dietary supplement company claims it never ordered.

  • April 14, 2025

    Giant Eagle Agrees To Settle Ex-Worker's ERISA Suit

    Grocery store chain Giant Eagle Inc. has reached a settlement with a former employee resolving a proposed Employee Retirement Income Security Act class action accusing the company of wasting millions of dollars of retirement plan participants' funds, according to a notice filed Monday.

  • April 14, 2025

    Bipartisan Trio Urges DOJ To Keep Antitrust Offices Open

    Top members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are urging the U.S. Department of Justice to rethink its plan to close the Antitrust Division's field offices in Chicago and San Francisco because of their "vital" role in antitrust enforcement.

  • April 14, 2025

    Chiquita Wants New Trial In $38M Paramilitary Case

    Chiquita has told the Eleventh Circuit that the landmark $38 million verdict in a bellwether case in multidistrict litigation accusing the company of paying Colombian right-wing paramilitaries was the product of numerous errors by the district court, including an instruction that improperly gave jurors a "watered-down causation standard."

  • April 14, 2025

    Avocado Oil Co. Says Purity Test Doesn't Support Label Suit

    Food company Sovena USA Inc. is looking to end a proposed class action accusing it of falsely labeling as "100% pure" its avocado oil that it allegedly diluted with "cheaper" seed oils, telling a California federal judge the suit lacks evidence and is part of a "baseless" litigation campaign meant to undermine the industry.

  • April 14, 2025

    Ore. Ex-Official Alleges Improper Firing Over Whiskey Scandal

    The former deputy director of Oregon's liquor and cannabis regulator has alleged in a lawsuit recently removed to federal court that he was wrongfully terminated in connection with a scandal in which agency officials were accused of pocketing rare whiskeys.

  • April 14, 2025

    FTC Joins DOJ In Targeting Anticompetitive Regulations

    The Federal Trade Commission launched a public inquiry Monday to look into reducing regulations that are hindering competition, following a similar move by the U.S. Department of Justice last month.

  • April 14, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Won't Allow Beer Co.'s 'Chicken Scratch' TM

    The Federal Circuit declined to disturb the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's refusal to register the mark "chicken scratch" for beer, affirming a finding that the proposed mark has a "similar commercial impression" to another mark already registered for restaurant services.

  • April 14, 2025

    Kellanova Must Arbitrate Bakery Workers' Promotion Dispute

    A Michigan federal judge has ordered Kellanova to arbitrate a wage dispute with a Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers union local, ruling that the case hinges on the terms of an expired contract that calls for arbitration of unresolved grievances.

  • April 12, 2025

    Baking Chemicals Co. Wins $7.25M In Trade Secrets Trial

    A Pennsylvania jury on Friday awarded $7.25 million to a baking chemicals maker that claimed a former partner-turned-rival and two ex-employees stole trade secrets, following a weeklong trial in Pittsburgh's federal court.

  • April 11, 2025

    Patent Exec Hasn't Yet Proven Defamation In Baker Botts Case

    A Florida federal judge held Friday that it's too early to rule in favor of a patent licensing company executive accusing a Baker Botts LLP attorney of defamation, ruling that there are still "material facts in dispute."

  • April 11, 2025

    Trust Co. Can Email Docs In $149M Ukraine Award Dispute

    A Manhattan federal judge has granted Madison Pacific Trust Ltd.'s request to let it serve a petition for the enforcement of a $149 million arbitral award against the founders of a Ukrainian grain exporter via email, finding that their physical whereabouts are unknown.

  • April 11, 2025

    USDA, White Farmers Clash Over Disaster Aid Remedy

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture and a group of white Texas farmers are clashing over how the agency should remedy its allegedly unlawful prioritization of minority groups as a part of a distribution scheme for disaster assistance and pandemic relief programs.

  • April 11, 2025

    Software Co. Freshworks Scores Early Win In IPO Suit

    Software company Freshworks Inc. has gotten an early win on proposed investor class action claims that it failed to disclose decelerating revenue and billings growth as it went public in 2021.

Expert Analysis

  • When Innovation Overwhelms The Rule Of Law

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    In an era where technology is rapidly evolving and artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere, it’s worth asking if the law — both substantive precedent and procedural rules — can keep up with the light speed of innovation, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Imagine The Possibilities Of Openly Autistic Lawyering

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    Andi Mazingo at Lumen Law, who was diagnosed with autism about midway through her career, discusses how the legal profession can create inclusive workplaces that empower openly autistic lawyers and enhance innovation, and how neurodivergent attorneys can navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with disclosing one’s diagnosis.

  • Top 10 Healthcare And Life Sciences Issues To Watch In 2025

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    Under the new Trump administration, this coming year may benefit some healthcare and life sciences stakeholders, while creating new challenges for others amid an increasingly complex regulatory environment, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Why Trump's FTC May Not U-Turn On Robinson-Patman

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent revival of Robinson-Patman Act enforcement may well be here to stay under the Trump administration — albeit with some important caveats for businesses caught in the government's crosshairs, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Series

    Documentary Filmmaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Becoming a documentary filmmaker has allowed me to merge my legal expertise with my passion for storytelling, and has helped me to hone negotiation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are important to both endeavors, says Robert Darwell at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Litigation Funding Disclosure Debate: Strategy Considerations

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    In the ongoing debate over whether courts should require disclosure of litigation funding, funders and plaintiffs tend to argue against such mandates, but voluntarily disclosing limited details about a funding arrangement can actually confer certain benefits to plaintiffs in some scenarios, say Andrew Stulce and Marc Cavan at Longford Capital.

  • FDA's Red No. 3 Ban Reshapes Food Safety Legal Landscape

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent ban on Red No. 3 represents more than the end of a controversial dye — it signals a shift in regulatory priorities, consumer expectations, intellectual property strategy, compliance considerations and litigation risk, says Dino Haloulos at Foley Mansfield.

  • Scope And Nature Of Judicial Relief Will Affect Loper's Impact

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    The practical result of post-Loper Bright rulings against regulatory actions will depend on the relief courts grant — and there has been controversy in these types of cases over whether the ruling is applied just to the parties or nationwide, and whether the action can be left in place while it's corrected, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • Del. Dispatch: Lessons From Failed Albertsons-Kroger Merger

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    The allegations in Albertsons' lawsuit against Kroger following the grocery stores' blocked merger demonstrate how a target company can best ensure that a buyer timely and effectively complies with its obligations to pursue the necessary regulatory approvals for a deal, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Series

    Adventure Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Photographing nature everywhere from Siberia to Cuba and Iceland to Rwanda provides me with a constant reminder to refresh, refocus and rethink the legal issues that my clients face, says Richard Birmingham at Davis Wright.

  • What Vinyl Acetate's Prop 65 Listing Means For Cos.

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    California's recent move to add vinyl acetate to the Proposition 65 list of carcinogens, with enforcement starting later this year, will have sweeping compliance and risk implications for businesses in the retail, food and beverage, paint, adhesive, industrial manufacturing, and personal care product industries, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • 5 Ways To Create Effective Mock Assignments For Associates

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    In order to effectively develop associates’ critical thinking skills, firms should design mock assignments that contain a few key ingredients, from messy fact patterns to actionable feedback, says Abdi Shayesteh at AltaClaro.

  • More Environmental Claims, More Greenwashing Challenges

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    As companies prepare for the 2025 greenwashing landscape, they should take heed of a D.C. appellate decision that shows that environmental claims are increasingly subject to attack and provides plaintiffs with a playbook for challenging corporate claims of sustainability, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Recent Suits Show Antitrust Agencies' Focus On HSR Review

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's suit this month against KKR for inaccurate and incomplete premerger filings, along with other recent cases, highlights the agency's increasing scrutiny of Hart-Scott-Rodino Act compliance for private equity firms, say attorneys at Willkie.

  • Royal Canin Ruling Won't Transform Removal Jurisdiction

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Royal Canin USA v. Wullschleger means that federal district courts must now remand whenever an amended complaint excises grounds for federal jurisdiction — but given existing litigation strategy and case law trends, this may ultimately preserve, rather than alter, the status quo, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

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