Food & Beverage

April 28, 2025
Estate Sues Insurer Over 'Paltry' Offer In DUI Death Case

The estate of a motorcyclist killed by a driver allegedly overserved at a Washington bar has sued to force the bar's specialty insurance company to cover a partial settlement in an underlying wrongful death suit.
April 28, 2025
EPA Touts Intention To Act On PFAS Contamination

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday said it's planning a series of actions to address pollution from forever chemicals, including the designation of a leader for PFAS regulation and issues at the EPA.
April 28, 2025
China Doesn't Need US Grains, Seed Oils, State Planner Says

China doesn't need to import grains and seed oils from the U.S. because it can source them domestically or internationally, an official from the country's state planning commission said Monday about the most valuable category of U.S. exports to China.
April 28, 2025
High Court Passes On Coke Sweetener Patent Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a Texas chemical company's challenge to a Federal Circuit decision scratching claims in a patent on the process to create the artificial sweetener used in Coke Zero, in a case that addressed whether the secret usage of that process could preclude its patent eligibility.
April 25, 2025
Baby Food Maker Keeps Win In Suit Saying It Concealed Toxins

The Ninth Circuit on Friday affirmed a summary judgment win for California-based Plum Organics, saying in an unpublished opinion that parents who accused the baby food maker of failing to disclose potential toxins in its baby food products didn't sufficiently prove that Plum's products pose an unreasonable safety hazard.
April 25, 2025
Texas High Court Keeps Alive REIT's 'Short And Distort' Suit

The Texas Supreme Court found that a farmland-centered real estate investment trust's suit against a Dallas-based hedge fund could continue, but in a Friday opinion it also said a bid to dismiss the suit under the state's anti-SLAPP law could proceed on the merits.
April 25, 2025
Trimmed Challenge To Fla. Lab-Grown Meat Ban Moves Ahead

A Florida federal judge Friday largely disposed of a food technology company's lawsuit challenging the state's law that bans cultivated, or lab-grown, meat products but kept alive a claim that the law is unconstitutional because it violates the company's right to sell its products through interstate commerce.
April 25, 2025
Calif. Justices Say Sauce Cos. Can't Cap Willful Injury Liability

The California Supreme Court held Thursday that New England Country Foods can seek unlimited damages against a competitor for allegedly stealing its barbecue sauce recipe, answering a certified question from the Ninth Circuit that a contract provision between the companies restricting liability for willful injury is unenforceable.
April 25, 2025
Mondelez Says Ghost Can't Use Sour Patch, Other Snack TMs

Two Mondelez International subsidiaries have filed suit in Illinois to halt Ghost LLC's marketing of energy products that feature Sour Patch Kids, Oreo and certain other iconic snack brand trademarks, claiming Ghost's license to do so ended when Keurig Dr. Pepper began controlling the company.
April 25, 2025
Tort Report: Texas Justices Set Dram Shop Standard

The Texas Supreme Court's clarification of a bar's liability in a suit over the alleged overserving of alcohol and a suit over a Boeing whistleblower's suicide lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.
April 25, 2025
US Trustee Says Benson Hill Can't Seal Exec Bonus Info

The U.S. Trustee's Office on Friday asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to reject bankrupt soybean company Benson Hill's request to seal the names of executives it wants to pay bonuses to, along with the amounts it wants to pay.
April 25, 2025
Font Size Error Dooms USDA Contract Bid

An information technology services company lost out on a U.S. Department of Agriculture contract for using the wrong font size in its quotation, after the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that it failed to follow the USDA's formatting guidelines.
April 25, 2025
DoorDash Woos Deliveroo With $3.6B Acquisition Bid

Deliveroo's board confirmed Friday that it received an indicative proposal from DoorDash Inc. for a potential cash offer to acquire the business at a price of 180 pence per share, while indicating that its board could recommend a deal to shareholders.
April 25, 2025
Bertucci's Says Uncertain Economy Sparked Latest Ch. 11

Italian food chain Bertucci's filed for bankruptcy protection for the third time since 2018, telling a Florida bankruptcy court it is over $32 million in debt and dealing with industry headwinds and the "unanticipated deterioration" of the U.S. economy.
April 24, 2025
Circuit-By-Circuit Guide As Justices Confront Class Cert. Split

The U.S. Supreme Court is set for climactic arguments over class certification standards that have cleaved circuits from coast to coast for much of the past two decades, teeing up a make-or-break ruling for many class actions and a transformative event for legal practice in the swelling litigation realm.
April 24, 2025
Target Hit With False Ad Suit Over Citric Acid In Pasta Sauce

Target falsely marketed its store brand pasta sauces as having no "artificial" preservatives despite containing synthetic manufactured citric acid, according to a proposed class action removed to California federal court Wednesday.
April 24, 2025
Starbucks Sued Over Human Rights Abuses On Coffee Farms

The supply chain for Starbucks' Brazilian coffee is rife with slavery-like conditions and child labor, coffee plantation workers have said in a lawsuit, alleging they were forced to work for suppliers of the global coffee chain under "debt bondage" and threats of violence.
April 24, 2025
EPA Faces Diverging Input On How To Modify WOTUS Rule

The Trump administration is being pulled in opposite directions by a wide variety of industry groups that are urging it to take a very narrow view of the Clean Water Act's jurisdiction, and environmental organizations and others who say the law should cover the most waterways possible.
April 24, 2025
2 SPACs Join Recovering Market With $461M In New Capital

Two special purpose acquisition companies raised $461 million combined through initial public offerings in the past two days in order to pursue mergers targeting several industries, represented by three law firms, extending an uptick in SPAC offerings despite broader market volatility.
April 23, 2025
Fla. AG Tells Cops TRO Blocking Migrant Law Is Unlawful

Florida's Attorney General on Wednesday informed law enforcement agencies of a federal judge's extension of a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of a law criminalizing the entry of unauthorized migrants but told them he could not stop them from enforcing the law because "no lawful, legitimate order" prevents them from doing so.
April 23, 2025
Citron Research Founder Can't Escape SEC Fraud Suit

The founder of trading advice website Citron Research and his investment advisory firm cannot escape the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's suit alleging they raked in $20 million by manipulating trading prices, a California federal judge ruled Tuesday, saying the complaint adequately alleges fraud.
April 23, 2025
Fed. Circ. Won't Revive Minority Farmer COVID Debt Relief Suit

The Federal Circuit declined to revive claims by socially disadvantaged farmers who said the government owes them millions of dollars after repealing a coronavirus pandemic-era debt relief program, ruling Tuesday the farmers failed to show the government had a mutual intent to enter a binding contract.
April 23, 2025
GoodRx Beats Investor Suit Over Kroger-Linked Biz

GoodRx Holdings Inc. has escaped a proposed shareholder class action alleging it concealed from investors the indispensability of its relationship with Kroger, according to an order signed by a California federal judge who said the suit does not show GoodRx knew Kroger had plans to renegotiate its contracts.
April 23, 2025
Severance Deal Bars 401(K) Suit, Whataburger Tells 5th Circ.

Whataburger asked the Fifth Circuit on Wednesday to uphold the dismissal of an ex-worker's suit claiming the company failed to trim underperforming investment funds from its $215 million retirement plan, stating the lower court correctly found a release he signed doomed his case.
April 23, 2025
Costco Hit With Suit Over iPhone Warranty Omissions

Costco is the target of a proposed class action claiming the big box retailer sold iPhones without disclosures required under Washington state consumer protection laws, including omitting the terms of warranties and how much it costs for repairs.

Expert Analysis

The Most Important Schedule I Drug Regulatory Shifts Of 2024

In 2024, psychedelics and cannabis emerged as focal points in medical research, marking a pivotal year in their legal and regulatory journey, but these developments presented both opportunities and challenges within this evolving field, say Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell and Stephen Kim at Avicanna.
UPS Penalty Demonstrates Goodwill Impairment Red Flags

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent $45 million penalty against UPS for withholding reports of goodwill impairment should warn investors to watch for the telltale signs of companies inflating their worth by delaying tests that would reveal similar declines in the value of intangible assets, say attorneys at Labaton Keller.
Series

Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.
7 Employment Contracts Issues Facing DOL Scrutiny

A growing trend of U.S. Department of Labor enforcement against employment practices that limit workers' rights and avoid legal responsibility shines a light on seven unique contractual provisions that violate federal labor laws, and face agressive litigation from the labor solicitor, says Thomas Starks at Freeman Mathis.
5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
The Fed. Circ. In 2024: 5 Major Rulings To Know

In 2024, the Federal Circuit provided a number of important clarifications to distinct areas of patent law – including design patent obviousness, expert testimony admissions and patent term adjustments – all of which are poised to have an influence going forward, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.
Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.
How DOGE's Bite Can Live Up To Its Bark

All signs suggest that the Department of Government Efficiency will be an important part of the new Trump administration, with ample tools at its disposal to effectuate change, particularly with an attentive Republican-controlled Congress, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
Series

Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.
Looking Back At 2024's Noteworthy State AG Litigation

State attorneys general across the U.S. took bold steps in 2024 to address unlawful activities by corporations in several areas, including privacy and data security, financial transparency, children's internet safety, and other overall consumer protection claims, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
Opinion

No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.
5 Advertising Law Trends To Watch In 2025

Although advertisers are encouraged by the incoming Trump administration's focus on deregulation, this year could feel like wading through uncharted waters, and decreased federal government regulation may mean increased state regulation, say attorneys at Reed Smith.
5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.
NY Plastic Pollution Verdict May Not Bode Well For Other Suits

The dismissal of New York state's public nuisance complaint against PepsiCo over pollution of the Buffalo River with the company's single use plastic bottles may not augur well for similar lawsuits filed by Baltimore and Los Angeles County, although tort law varies from state to state, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.
2024 Was A Banner Year For Shareholder Activism

Shareholder activism campaigns in 2024 continued at an elevated pace globally, with activist investors exploiting valuation gaps and pushing aggressively for corporate governance reforms, including the ouster of many companies' chief executives, a trend that could continue once President-elect Donald Trump takes office, say attorneys at Sidley.