Food & Beverage

  • September 30, 2026

    Dropbox Fights Sanctions Bid After Being Cleared In IP Case

    Dropbox is arguing that a licensing company is asking for "completely unprecedented" sanctions over claims that Dropbox submitted new, undisclosed expert opinions at a 2023 trial where a jury cleared the online file-sharing company of infringement allegations.

  • September 30, 2026

    Hemp Interests Say Texas THC Rule Defies Federal Law

    A trio of hemp interests challenging a Texas policy redesignating intoxicating hemp products as Schedule I substances have urged a federal judge to declare that the policy is both preempted by federal law and inconsistent with Texas state law.

  • September 30, 2026

    Icee Scores $23M In Slush Puppie Frozen Drink TM Fight

    Frozen drink company Icee was awarded $23 million in damages against rival Slush Puppie Ltd. by an Ohio federal judge who found that Slush Puppie had tried to divert customers to a product called Slushy Jack's and capitalize on Slush Puppie's brand recognition after selling the trademark rights to it.

  • September 30, 2026

    Smithfield Foods Can't Escape EEOC Age Bias Suit

    Meat processor Smithfield Foods must face a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit alleging it fired a senior sales employee because she was approaching 60, after a Georgia federal judge concluded that a jury should sort out the company's shifting explanations for letting her go.

  • September 30, 2026

    Water Co. Escapes Consumer Protection Claim In PFAS Case

    A proposed class of Connecticut Water Co. customers who allege their drinking water was contaminated with toxic forever chemicals cannot bring a claim for unfair trade practices because they are already suing under an exclusive product liability law, a state court judge has ruled.

  • September 30, 2026

    Berkshire Units Face Claims Of Bad Faith Over $36M Verdict

    A pair of Berkshire Hathaway insurers acted in bad faith by refusing to settle a personal injury suit within $3 million limits before a jury trial ended in a $36 million verdict against a property owner and its grocery store tenant, the owner told a New York federal court.

  • September 30, 2026

    Hormel Inks $1B Brakebush Deal In Long-Term Chicken Play

    Hormel Foods said Wednesday it has agreed to purchase a Wisconsin supplier of processed chicken to food-service establishments for more than $1 billion, with Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP advising Hormel and Michael Best & Friedrich LLP representing the seller.

  • September 30, 2026

    'Bikini Barista' Owner Asks Judge To Trim $1.8M Award

    The owner of Beehive Espresso, which operates Seattle-area kiosks known as bikini barista coffee stands, asked a state judge to rethink a $1.86 million judgment for baristas, arguing that the court imposed uniform assumptions about unpaid work and employee cash contributions without showing those figures reliably applied across the class.

  • September 29, 2026

    Commodities Firm Looks To Nix $22M Soybean Award Suits

    A Swiss commodities firm has asked a Florida federal court to toss litigation filed by a U.S. logistics company to enforce a $22 million arbitral award stemming from a soybean meal purchase dispute, calling the suit improper in light of ongoing litigation in England.

  • September 29, 2026

    Monsanto Starts First Roundup Trial Since High Court Ruling

    A Missouri jury heard opening arguments Tuesday in the first Roundup cancer trial since the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in on the matter, with a lawyer for three plaintiffs saying Monsanto minimized decades of ominous testing, ghostwrote scientific papers and engineered a dubious EPA approval.

  • September 29, 2026

    Groups Say Calif. Biogas Credits Incentivize More Methane

    Four environmental groups accused California regulators of violating state law by allowing factory farm biogas producers to receive carbon credits — a practice they said is notionally aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions but in reality incentivizes more methane production.

  • September 29, 2026

    EB-5 Visa Fees More Than Double For Individual Investors

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced increased filing fees Tuesday for the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program — more than double for individual investors — saying the higher price tag is needed to close a $48.4 million annual funding gap.

  • September 29, 2026

    Cove Soda Can't Nix Suit Over 'No Artificial Sweeteners' Label

    Zero-sugar probiotic soda brand Cove Drinks Inc. can not escape claims it misled consumers into thinking its products contained only natural sweeteners, a California federal judge has ruled, saying it's too early in the litigation to determine if the ingredient at issue is indeed artificial.

  • September 29, 2026

    Aldi Sued Over Online Order Delivery Fees By SNAP Users

    Aldi illegally charges ancillary, nonfood-related delivery, expedited fulfillment and convenience fees to customers who use SNAP-EBT benefits to buy grocery items online through Instacart or Aldi Express, alleges a proposed consumer protection class action filed Monday in California state court. 

  • September 29, 2026

    DEA Judge Pauses Marijuana Rescheduling Over GAO Report

    A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration administrative law judge on Tuesday paused consideration of a pending proposal to reclassify marijuana after opponents of cannabis reform said a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report found that regulators did not articulate the reasoning behind their recommendation to loosen restrictions on marijuana.

  • September 29, 2026

    Worker Says Pilgrim's Pride Should Face 401(k) Fund Suit

    A Pilgrim's Pride Corp. employee has told a Colorado federal judge that the comparators used to allege the company kept a riskier and worse performing contract within its retirement savings plan are sufficient to survive the company's dismissal bid, according to a response brief.

  • September 29, 2026

    Cleaning Cos. Urge Colo. Judge To Toss EEOC's Bias Suit

    Two commercial cleaning providers accused by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of illegally favoring Latin American applicants urged a Colorado federal judge to toss the agency's lawsuit, contending the commission failed to show the companies refused to hire non-Hispanic workers.

  • September 29, 2026

    Ex-Worker Urges 4th Circ. To Revive Wage, Retaliation Claims

    A former worker at a sports bar in North Carolina urged the Fourth Circuit to revive her wage, retaliation and emotional distress claims, saying that a lower court improperly kept surviving claims from a jury and dismissed another on a ground that she did not have a chance to address.

  • September 29, 2026

    Baker Botts Atty Disputes Inventor's Claim Of Defamation Deal

    A Baker Botts LLP patent attorney is pushing back on an inventor's claim that they reached a settlement agreement in the inventor's defamation suit in Florida federal court.

  • September 29, 2026

    Feds Say Pot Co. CEO Lied About Business To Get PPP Loans

    The federal government is urging a California federal judge not to throw out its suit seeking to recoup $2.5 million in PPP loans from the CEO of a group of cannabis companies, saying she hasn't denied that she sought the loans despite knowing her business was federally illegal.

  • September 29, 2026

    CBP Bars Indonesian Palm Oil With Possible Illicit Labor Ties

    Imported palm oil products from two Indonesian companies will be barred from entering the U.S. because of suspected ties to forced labor, Customs and Border Protection announced Tuesday.

  • September 28, 2026

    6th Circ. Narrows Scope Of Injunction On Ohio Hemp Law

    Ohio officials can enforce much of a state law that reclassified hemp products as marijuana, the Sixth Circuit has ruled, only prohibiting state officials from enforcing on certain companies the parts that put geographical limitations on where cannabis products can be sourced.

  • September 28, 2026

    Mom Blames McDonald's, Franchisee For Shooting Death

    McDonald's and a franchisee's negligence led to the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old worker at one of the fast-food chain's Georgia restaurants, the youth's mother claimed in a lawsuit filed in Gwinnett County State Court.

  • September 28, 2026

    Trader Joe's Ordered To Pay $1.2M Over 401(k) Fees

    Trader Joe's failed to keep its employer-sponsored retirement plan fees in check, a Massachusetts federal judge ruled Monday, ordering the company to pay $1.2 million.

  • September 28, 2026

    Coors Urges Colo. Judge To Stop Suppliers' Contract Exits

    Coors Distributing Co. LLC has fired back amid a recent wave of beer brand owners ending contracts with the beer wholesaler, alleging in Colorado state court that two companies violated the state's arbitration laws by terminating their decades-long distribution agreements with the wholesaler without cause.

Expert Analysis

  • What To Know As Legal Duty To Consider AI Takes Shape

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    While the U.K. Jurisdiction Taskforce’s recent statement on liability for artificial intelligence harms is nonbinding for both U.K. and U.S. lawyers, it highlights the importance of being able to distinguish between the availability of a tool and a professional obligation to use it, say Jonny Frank and Michael Costa at StoneTurn.

  • Costco Chicken Case Highlights Food Labeling Lessons

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    Recent litigation over allegedly deceptive food labels, including the ongoing proposed class action in a California federal court over Costco's rotisserie chicken, shows that plaintiffs rarely focus on single label statements in isolation — so product claims that comply with regulations could still incur litigation risk, says Brandy Alonzo-Mayland at Michelman & Robinson.

  • Monitor Exposure, Stay Flexible Amid Tariff Uncertainty

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    To navigate an unstable trade environment, businesses must evaluate their exposure to new tariffs invoked under a patchwork of statutory authorities and be prepared to adapt to further changes that may be on the horizon, says Bhargav Prajapati at Capital Trade.

  • Series

    Being In A Band Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing shows in storied New York City venues and rehearsing with my bandmates in poorly ventilated rooms helped develop the professional qualities I rely on as a litigator, including an ability to collaborate with strong-minded equals and the determination to treat each client with singular focus, says Eliad Shapiro at Herrick Feinstein.

  • 10th Circ. Ruling Undermines False Ad 'Two Clicks' Rule

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    The Tenth Circuit’s recent ruling in KetoNatural Pet Foods v. Hill's Pet Nutrition substantially challenges a long-standing assumption that a company can avoid responsibility for promotional claims simply because the consumer encountered them by clicking a hyperlink to a third-party website, say attorneys at Venable.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Surviving A Long Trial

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    Most of law school trial advocacy is geared toward the sprint of trying a short case, but beyond managing a cross-examination or closing argument, effectively handling the marathon of a lengthy trial requires the ability to maintain composure, organization and credibility with the jury, says Mihir Elchuri at Hirschler.

  • Whiskey Business: Parsing The 9th Circ. Jack Daniel's IP Toss

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent ruling in VIP Products v. Jack Daniel's, holding a toy did not tarnish the whiskey maker's trademarks, gives fact-finders great latitude by showing that there may exist no categories of per se tarnishing content, says attorney Sara Gold.

  • Series

    Going To Hardcore Shows Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While government contracts law and the hardcore scene may seem entirely unrelated, in my experience, both are about community, focus, being prepared for the unexpected and managing chaos, says Isaac Natter at Fluet.

  • Fla. Justices Give Trial Judges More Dismissal Discretion

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    The Florida Supreme Court's recent decision in Publix Supermarkets Inc. v. Goga confirmed that appellate courts should not apply a heightened standard when reviewing severe sanctions for fraud on the court, granting greater deference to trial courts, says Brent Hartman at RumbergerKirk.

  • Lessons From 5 Months Of DOJ Corporate Policy Deals

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    Recent declinations and prosecution agreements between the U.S. Department of Justice and corporations since the March unveiling of the corporate enforcement and voluntary disclosure policy provide takeaways for management considering how to respond to corporate misconduct, says Brendan Quigley at Baker Botts.

  • Opinion

    After Monsanto, Defense Bar Must Build Case Against Lohr

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Monsanto v. Durnell has helped to demolish the foundation for its problematic 1996 ruling in Medtronic v. Lohr — so now defense counsel should lay the groundwork for the high court to overturn Lohr, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

  • FTC-Deere Deal Tells Cautionary Tale On Repair Access Limits

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    A recent proposed Federal Trade Commission antitrust settlement in Illinois federal court requires Deere & Co. to provide access to repair services previously available only to authorized dealers, and companies that limit access to aftermarket resources should ensure they can substantiate the reasoning behind any restrictions, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • What Cos. Must Know About EPA Water Monitoring Proposal

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's newly proposed rule that would require public water systems to monitor for 30 unregulated drinking water contaminants does not impose new obligations on companies, but the data collected could affect future policy, investigations and litigation, says Ayodeji Ayolola at Gordon Rees.

  • Series

    Being A Sommelier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Being a sommelier has quietly shaped how I practice law by changing the way I think, communicate and connect with people, and offers a constant reminder that expertise is about making your knowledge useful and accessible to others, says Kara Du at Sheppard.

  • 3 Private Suits Test Influencer Ads As FTC Stays On Sidelines

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    Three lawsuits filed so far this year illustrate how influencer campaigns are facing growing scrutiny from private plaintiffs, despite the Federal Trade Commission not bringing an influencer marketing enforcement action since revising its endorsement guides to address the topic in 2023, but brands can take concrete steps to reduce the risks, says Gonzalo Mon at Kelley Drye.

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