Food & Beverage

  • February 27, 2024

    Judge Says Coffee Co.'s IP Claims Need More Time To Brew

    A Colorado federal judge on Tuesday rejected competing efforts to avoid trial in a cold brew equipment maker's infringement suit against an insulated mug company, with the judge finding it's too soon for her to rule on the merits of the case.

  • February 27, 2024

    3rd Circ. Won't Reconsider Coverage Ruling For Deli Stabbing

    The Third Circuit declined to review its decision that an insurer for a Philadelphia deli does not owe coverage for a $900,000 settlement reached with a man stabbed on the premises.

  • February 27, 2024

    Food Co. Gets Inflated ESOP Deal Suit Kicked To Arbitration

    An Illinois federal judge said a worker must arbitrate her suit claiming a food manufacturer sold inflated company shares to its employee stock ownership plan, finding the plan's arbitration agreement allows the business to sidestep an exception blocking some federal benefit law claims from out-of-court resolutions.

  • February 26, 2024

    Altria Unit Drops Suit Against Dozens Of Vape Makers

    Altria Group Inc. subsidiary NJOY has quietly dropped a California federal lawsuit accusing more than 30 vape product makers of breaking state and federal laws by selling flavored tobacco products that are forbidden in the Golden State.

  • February 26, 2024

    EPA Must Act On Failed Skagit River Temps Plan, Tribe Says

    The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community said it plans to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Endangered Species Act violations unless it revisits a failed Washington state plan to address high water temperatures in the Lower Skagit River Basin that are harming protected salmon species.

  • February 26, 2024

    Family Dollar OKs Record $41.7M Deal With DOJ Over Rodents

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday announced that Family Dollar Stores LLC will pay $41.7 million after pleading guilty to storing food and drugs in unsanitary conditions at a rodent-infested warehouse, in what federal prosecutors called the largest monetary penalty in a food safety case.

  • February 26, 2024

    Nestle Fights Class Cert. In Child Labor Labeling Suit

    Nestle USA Inc. urged a California federal judge on Friday to reject a shopper's bid to certify multiple classes of Golden State consumers challenging the company's "sustainably sourced" chocolate labels, arguing that the proposed classes can't "lump together" nearly 60 different labels on different products.

  • February 26, 2024

    Disney Sued Over Woman's Death From Allergen-Filled Meal

    A New York man whose wife died of an allergic reaction after eating at an Irish restaurant at Walt Disney World is suing both the restaurant and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for negligence, asserting they were repeatedly assured that the food they were served was free of allergens.

  • February 26, 2024

    Hydroelectric Co. Asks For Pause On Puyallup Dam Order

    A hydroelectric company appealing to the Ninth Circuit is asking a Washington federal judge to stay an order that directed it to remove part of a temporary rock dam on the Puyallup River, saying the order would require it to make changes that are likely to damage its facility.

  • February 26, 2024

    Chancery Says 'Game Over' On Fee Windfalls For Easy Cases

    A Delaware vice chancellor has publicly slammed stockholder attorneys who sought an $850,000 fee for "minuscule" hours spent on a corporate benefit case after a recent string of suits filed to police stockholder rights to separate class votes on company transactions.

  • February 26, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Delaware's Court of Chancery dropped two potentially far-reaching decisions last week: one about founder control at Moelis & Co. and another about TripAdvisor's planned move to Nevada. On top of that, there were new cases involving Citrix Systems, Alcoa Corp., BGC Partners Inc. and Cantor Fitzgerald LP.

  • February 26, 2024

    Burford, Sysco Object To Nixed Swap In Price-Fixing Suits

    Restaurant food distributor Sysco and a Burford Capital affiliate both objected to a federal magistrate judge's decision not to allow the affiliate to replace Sysco in sprawling price-fixing lawsuits against pork and beef producers, asserting that the denial contravenes civil procedure rules and public policy.

  • February 26, 2024

    FTC Challenges Kroger's $25B Albertsons Buy

    The Federal Trade Commission announced a new, national front Monday against Kroger's heavily criticized $24.6 billion purchase of fellow grocery store giant Albertsons, challenging a deal it said threatens both shoppers and workers and cannot be saved by the planned divestiture of a "hodgepodge" of hundreds of stores.

  • February 26, 2024

    Paul Hastings Adds FDA Practice Chair From King & Spalding

    Paul Hastings LLP announced Monday that a King & Spalding partner specializing in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and life sciences has joined the firm as chair of its new FDA practice in Washington, D.C.

  • February 23, 2024

    Russia Assets Seen As Key To Tipping The Scales For Ukraine

    The 500-plus sanctions the U.S. added against Russia and its enablers Friday will continue to make the Kremlin's war more costly, but experts say the key to a real sea change in Ukraine is giving it Russia's seized assets abroad.

  • February 23, 2024

    Grocery Delivery Co. Weee Escapes Data Breach Suit

    A New York federal judge has tossed a proposed class action against online grocery-delivery company Weee Inc. over a data breach without leave to amend, saying the plaintiffs failed to show a risk of injury since the leak only concerned low-risk data and not information such as payment records or passwords.

  • February 23, 2024

    Hershey Wants Suit Over Metals In Chocolate Axed For Good

    The Hershey Co. urged a California federal judge on Thursday to toss a proposed class action alleging some of the candy maker's dark chocolate products contain dangerous levels of lead and cadmium for good, saying the small amount of heavy metals in the chocolate are naturally occurring and not dangerous.

  • February 23, 2024

    Wildlife, Paddling Groups Want To Join Clean Water Act Fight

    The National Wildlife Federation and American Whitewater are asking a Louisiana federal judge to let them join litigation over an updated Clean Water Act rule that expanded states' and tribes' ability to block projects such as pipelines and dams over water quality concerns, to ensure their interests are considered.

  • February 23, 2024

    Restaurants Blast 'Fatal Flaws' In Chicken Price-Fix Deal

    Boston Market and other restaurants objecting to Simmons Foods' $8 million chicken price-fixing settlement with direct purchasers say the Seventh Circuit should unwind the deal because it improperly releases bid-rigging claims for no consideration and turns the massive two-track case on its head.

  • February 23, 2024

    Monster Energy Ends Trade Dress Suit Against Beast Cookie

    Monster Energy dropped its trademark and trade dress infringement action alleging Beast Cookie used confusingly similar branding to advertise its caffeinated cookies, including a green color scheme and the phrase "untamed energy," according to an order signed by a California federal judge granting the parties' stipulation to end their dispute.

  • February 23, 2024

    1st Circ. Told Wind Farm's Approval Should've Been A Breeze

    A wind farm developer has asked the First Circuit to reject fishing groups' challenge to the U.S. Department of the Interior's approval of a proposed project off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, saying the effort to sink the plan can't survive because the agency did things by the book.

  • February 23, 2024

    Nonprofit Fights To Keep Child Forced Labor Cocoa Suit Alive

    A nonprofit on Friday challenged U.S. Customs and Border Protection's bid to dismiss allegations the agency ignored a four-year petition to ban major chocolate companies from importing cocoa allegedly harvested by children, saying the delay harmed it by impairing its mission.

  • February 23, 2024

    Judge Nixes Walmart 'Raw Honey' False Ad Class Action

    A Chicago federal judge granted dismissal of a proposed class action against Walmart alleging its "raw honey" and "organic raw honey" were falsely branded, saying there were no allegations about what the lead plaintiff believed when he bought the products, or what a reasonable consumer would believe.

  • February 23, 2024

    9th Circ. Upholds NLRB's Refusal To Bargain Order

    A Los Angeles restaurant illegally refused to bargain with a UNITE HERE local, the Ninth Circuit ruled, supporting the National Labor Relations Board's determination that the company couldn't avoid liability for a federal labor law violation by raising the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse.

  • February 23, 2024

    Trade Group Tells NC Justices COVID-19 Losses Not Covered

    A dozen North Carolina eateries are not owed coverage for pandemic-related losses, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association told the state's highest court, saying the policies at issue were never intended to cover economic damages "untethered" to physical loss or damage.

Expert Analysis

  • In-House At A Food Company: Tackling Generative AI

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    Generative artificial intelligence is challenging the status quo of in-house legal teams, bringing both opportunities and challenges in areas such as intellectual property and cybersecurity, and highlighting the need for experimentation and exposure, says Lisa Mather at Mars Wrigley.

  • Blunders That Made 'Bakked' Cannabis TM Go Up In Smoke

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    The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s recent denial of National Concessions Group’s application to register the mark “BAKKED” illustrates mistakes that cannabis companies must be wary of in pursuing federal registration as examiners may look beyond the four corners of an application, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Level Up Lawyers' Business Development With Gamification

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    With employee engagement at a 10-year low in the U.S., there are several gamification techniques marketing and business development teams at law firms can use to make generating new clients and matters more appealing to lawyers, says Heather McCullough at Society 54.

  • Mallory Ruling Leaves Personal Jurisdiction Deeply Unsettled

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    In Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway, a closely divided U.S. Supreme Court recently rolled back key aspects of its 2017 opinion in Daimler AG v. Bauman that limited personal jurisdiction, leaving as many questions for businesses as it answers, say John Cerreta and James Rotondo at Day Pitney.

  • 5 Ways Firms Can Rethink Office Design In A Hybrid World

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    As workplaces across the country adapt to flexible work, law firms must prioritize individuality, amenities and technology in office design, says Kristin Cerutti at Nelson Worldwide.

  • False Ad Snapshot Shows Risks Of Geographic Origin Claims

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    A look at recent and historical cases involving deceptive use of geographic origin descriptors show that companies proclaiming they are American, but that sell products originating from outside the U.S., could be at risk under unfair competition laws or Federal Trade Commission enforcement, say attorneys at Carlson Gaskey.

  • Opinion

    Bar Score Is Best Hiring Metric Post-Affirmative Action

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling striking down affirmative action admissions policies, law firms looking to foster diversity in hiring should view an applicant's Multistate Bar Examination score as the best metric of legal ability — over law school name or GPA, says attorney Alice Griffin.

  • FDA Trends Show Compliance Priorities For Supplement Cos.

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    Several recent developments at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration affecting dietary supplements provide practical insight into why companies should focus their compliance and risk management operations on the fundamentals, says Nicholas Diamond at Jackson Walker.

  • How End Of Forced Arb. Is Affecting Sex Harassment Cases

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    A little over a year after the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault Act became effective, we have started seeing substantive interpretation of the EFAA, almost exclusively from the U.S. district courts in New York, and there are two key takeaways for employers, says Lisa Haldar at Lawrence & Bundy.

  • An Evil Bear May Provide High Court TM Ruling Clarification

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Jack Daniel's v. VIP Products leaves unanswered questions about the intersection of the First Amendment and trademark rights, which may be answered by the reconsideration of a dismissed case involving Disney and Lotso the bear from “Toy Story 3," say attorneys at Bracewell.

  • Ghosting In BigLaw: How To Come Back From Lack Of Feedback

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    Junior associates can feel powerless when senior colleagues cut off contact instead of providing useful feedback, but young attorneys can get back on track by focusing on practical professional development and reexamining their career priorities, says Rachel Patterson at Orrick.

  • Mitigating Risks Of Developing Drugs And Devices With AI

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    As the use of artificial intelligence in drug and medical device development advances, companies should implement five key steps to identify and mitigate areas of potential risk before regulatory frameworks catch up, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Nonprofit ESG Collabs Should Beware Antitrust Risks

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    With state and federal agencies increasingly bringing costly and distracting antitrust investigations against environmental, social and governance alliances, nonprofits that plan to collaborate on ESG efforts should follow four high-level guidelines for mitigating their risk, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Steps To Success For Senior Associates

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Adriana Paris at Rissman Barrett discusses the increased responsibilities and opportunities that becoming a senior associate brings and what attorneys in this role should prioritize to flourish in this stressful but rewarding next level in their careers.

  • How To Avoid A Zombie Office Building Apocalypse

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    With national office vacancy rates approaching 20%, policymakers, investors and developers will need to come together in order to prevent this troubling trend from sucking the life out of business districts or contaminating the broader real estate market, say Ryan Sommers and Robyn Minter Smyers at Thompson Hine.

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