Food & Beverage

  • January 28, 2026

    Krispy Kreme Reaches $1.6M Deal Over Employee Data Breach

    Krispy Kreme has agreed to a $1.6 million settlement to resolve a consolidated proposed class action that accused the doughnut chain of failing to protect current and former employees' personal information from a November 2024 data breach, according to a filing in North Carolina federal court.

  • January 28, 2026

    Fairlife Founders Freed From Calif. Cow Treatment Suit

    The founders of Fairlife brand milk can't be held liable in a California proposed class action accusing the company of making false claims about humane cow treatment, a federal judge ruled, saying the suit failed to point to any examples of intentional acts they made directed to the state.

  • January 28, 2026

    'Danke' And 'Merci' Chocolates Not Confusing, TTAB Rules

    A trademark tribunal made precedential a ruling that a chocolate maker's application for "Danke" can proceed because it's not confusingly similar to a confectioner's registration for "Merci," even though both mean "thank you" in different languages.

  • January 27, 2026

    Starbucks VP Says She Was Fired For Flagging 'Siren' System

    A former Starbucks vice president who oversaw new equipment testing claims the company terminated her for raising concerns about the debut of the "Siren" drink-making system, including that maggots spawned in the machine without proper cleaning, according to a lawsuit launched Monday in Washington state court.

  • February 06, 2026

    Law360 Seeks Members For Its 2026 Editorial Boards

    Law360 is looking for avid readers of our publications to serve as members of our 2026 editorial advisory boards.

  • January 27, 2026

    Squires Cements Deshpande's Role As Top PTAB Judge

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has named Kalyan Deshpande to serve as the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's chief judge.

  • January 27, 2026

    EPA Seeks Public Input On Fluoride Health Effects

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday that it is seeking the public's input on the health effects from fluoride in water, which it could use to develop changes to the standards for safe levels.

  • January 27, 2026

    Tyson Worker Fights To Keep Bulk Of OT Suit Alive

    Tyson Foods Inc. shouldn't dodge a proposed class action accusing the company of flouting meal and rest break requirements and not paying workers correctly, a worker told a Washington federal court Monday, arguing that she supported her claims well enough at this stage of the litigation.

  • January 27, 2026

    Butterball Worker Wants Full 4th Circ. To Rehear Wage Case

    Fourth Circuit precedent establishes that state wage and hour laws are not preempted by federal law, a Butterball turkey catcher argued, urging the full appeals court to revisit a panel's decision denying his bid to revive his wage suit.

  • January 27, 2026

    Full 11th Circ. Will Rehear Seafood Co. Workers' ESOP Suit

    The full Eleventh Circuit will rehear a proposed class of seafood company workers' bid to revive mismanagement allegations against their employer and an employee stock ownership plan trustee, the court said Tuesday, after a three-judge panel affirmed dismissal of the case in October.

  • January 27, 2026

    6th Circ. Frees Kellanova From Arbitrating Promotion Fight

    Snack-maker Kellanova doesn't have to arbitrate a promotion dispute with a Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers union local, the Sixth Circuit ruled, finding the dispute isn't arbitrable under an expired collective bargaining agreement.

  • January 27, 2026

    EU, India Reach Major Free Trade Agreement

    The European Union and India have struck a deal on a free trade agreement including major tariff removals and reductions, culminating decades' worth of negotiations between the second- and fourth-largest economies in the world, the governments announced Tuesday.

  • January 27, 2026

    Kratom Buyers Call Co.'s Products Addictive, Dangerous

    A group of kratom product buyers is suing 7Tabz Retail LLC in California federal court, launching the latest suit alleging kratom companies are pushing an addictive drug without warning buyers about the danger.

  • January 27, 2026

    Fatburger Owner FAT Brands Hits Ch. 11 With $1.5B Debt

    FAT Brands Inc., the owner of Fatburger and Johnny Rockets, and its affiliates have filed for Chapter 11 protection in a Texas bankruptcy court with $1.45 billion in funded debt, felled by an unsustainable debt load and flagging liquidity. 

  • January 26, 2026

    Jocko Fuel Sued In NY Over Cadmium In Protein Shakes

    Jocko Fuel misleads consumers into thinking its chocolate protein shakes are made with "just premium protein and functional ingredients" that are tested for safety, despite the fact that the shakes are at risk of containing unsafe levels of cadmium, according to a proposed class action filed Monday in New York federal court.

  • January 26, 2026

    Newman's Own Cookie Deal Crumbled, $2M Suit Alleges

    Avatar Foods sued Newman's Own in Connecticut federal court Monday over a co-packing agreement to produce cream-filled sandwich cookies, which collapsed due to the defendant's alleged large-scale production failures that left Avatar "holding the bag," with over $1 million in outstanding invoices and 19,954 cases of cookies it can't resell.

  • January 26, 2026

    Whole Foods $2M ERISA Deal OK'd, Class Counsel Get $666K

    A Texas federal judge signed off on a $2 million settlement between Austin-based Whole Foods and its employees, resolving a class action in which the company was accused of mismanaging employee 401(k) accounts by failing to negotiate for lower administrative fees.

  • January 26, 2026

    Amazon Accused Of Ignoring Nitrous Oxide Health Hazards

    Amazon and nitrous oxide manufacturer Miami Magic took advantage of a "legal loophole" by selling flavored laughing gas products they claimed were for culinary use rather than recreational inhalation, according to a Seattle federal lawsuit from a Georgia man who alleged that his daily use of nitrous oxide caused him serious harm.

  • January 26, 2026

    Denver Faces Lawsuit Over Flavored Tobacco Ban

    A trade group representing 125 small business owners and manufacturers in Colorado's vaping industry has told a Colorado state court that an ordinance passed by the city banning the sale of flavored tobacco products is unconstitutional.

  • January 26, 2026

    Southern Glazer's Wants To Compare FTC Case To Kroger

    Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits LLC urged a California federal judge Friday to give it key material from the Federal Trade Commission's successful challenge to the Kroger-Albertsons merger, sparring with the FTC on arguments that the agency is contradicting itself in a price discrimination lawsuit.

  • January 26, 2026

    H-2A Truck Drivers Seek Collective Certification In OT Suit

    A Colorado company subjects all its tractor-trailer drivers to the same illegal policy of considering them overtime-exempt under federal law, a group of migrant workers said, urging a Colorado federal court to greenlight a collective.

  • January 26, 2026

    Ill. Judge Trims False Ad Suit Over Abbott Formula

    An Illinois federal judge Friday dismissed several claims in a putative class action alleging Abbott Laboratories falsely advertised its toddler drinks sold under the Similac brand as nutritionally proper for children ages 12 months to 36 months, but largely allowed the parents' complaint to move forward.

  • January 26, 2026

    US Hits Chinese, Vietnamese Green Packaging With Duties

    The U.S. Department of Commerce on Monday levied triple-digit antidumping and countervailing duties against imported biodegradable plates and food packaging from China and Vietnam after the U.S. International Trade Commission found the dumped and subsidized imports were causing material injury to domestic industry.

  • January 26, 2026

    Beyond Meat's $77M Write-Down 'Shocked' Market, Suit Says

    Meat-substitute maker Beyond Meat Inc. is facing a proposed investor class action alleging it concealed its struggles to turn a profit, hurting investors as it eventually acknowledged quarterly losses that included a $77 million write-down.

  • January 26, 2026

    4th Circ. Preview: NCAA Eligibility And E-Cigarette Law

    Notwithstanding the winter storm that slammed several states over the weekend, litigators will clash at the Fourth Circuit this week on whether NCAA eligibility rules violate antitrust law, or federal law preempts North Carolina's ability to regulate e-cigarette sales.

Expert Analysis

  • How Fractional GCs Can Manage Risks Of Engagement

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    As more organizations eliminate their in-house legal departments in favor of outsourcing legal work, fractional general counsel roles offer practitioners an engaging and flexible way to practice at a high level, but they can also present legal, ethical and operational risks that must be proactively managed, say attorneys at Boies Schiller.

  • Reviewing 2025's Most Pertinent Wiretap Developments

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    2025 was a remarkable year in the world of web tracking wiretapping litigation, not only for the increased caseload but also because of numerous developing theories of liability, with disputes expected to continue unabated in 2026, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • Series

    Nature Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nature photography reminds me to focus on what is in front of me and to slow down to achieve success, and, in embracing the value of viewing situations through different lenses, offers skills transferable to the practice of law, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.

  • What Defense Teams Must Know About PFAS Testing Methods

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    Whether testing for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances produces results meaningful for litigation depends on the validity of the sampling methodology — so effectively defending these claims requires understanding the scientific and legal implications of different PFAS testing protocols, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practical Problem Solving

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    Issue-spotting skills are well honed in law school, but practicing attorneys must also identify clients’ problems and true goals, and then be able to provide solutions, says Mary Kate Hogan at Quarles & Brady.

  • Opinion

    A Uniform Federal Rule Would Curb Gen AI Missteps In Court

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    To address the patchwork of courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence, curbing abuses and relieving the burden on judges, the federal judiciary should consider amending its civil procedure rules to require litigants to certify they’ve reviewed legal filings for accuracy, say attorneys at Shook Hardy.

  • AG Watch: Texas Junk Fee Deal Shows Enforcement Priorities

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    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's recent $9.5 million settlement with online travel agency website Booking Holdings for so-called junk fee practices follows a larger trend of state attorneys general who have taken similar action and demonstrates the significant penalties that can follow such allegations, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

  • Series

    The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Integrating Practice Groups

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    Enacting unified leadership and consistent client service standards ensures law firm practice groups connect and collaborate around shared goals, turning a law firm merger into a platform for growth rather than a period of disruption, says Brian Catlett at Fennemore Craig.

  • Opinion

    Supreme Court Term Limits Would Carry Hidden Risk

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    While proposals for limiting the terms of U.S. Supreme Court justices are popular, a steady stream of relatively young, highly marketable ex-justices with unique knowledge and influence entering the marketplace of law and politics could create new problems, say Michael Broyde at Emory University and Hayden Hall at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

  • Series

    Knitting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Stretching my skills as a knitter makes me a better antitrust attorney by challenging me to recalibrate after wrong turns, not rush outcomes, and trust that I can teach myself the skills to tackle new and difficult projects — even when I don’t have a pattern to work from, says Kara Kuritz at V&E.

  • Prepping For 2026 Shifts In Calif. Workplace Safety Rules

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    California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health is preparing for significant shifts and increased enforcement in 2026, so key safety programs — including injury and illness prevention plans, workplace violence plans, and heat illness prevention procedures — must remain a focus for employers, says Rachel Conn at Conn Maciel.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Welcome To Miami

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    After nearly 20 years in operation, the Miami Complex Business Litigation Division is a pioneer upon which other jurisdictions in the state have been modeled, adopting many innovations to keep its cases running more efficiently and staffing experienced judges who are accustomed to hearing business disputes, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • How MAHA Is Taking Shape At The State Level

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    The national spotlight on the federal government's Make America Healthy Again movement is bolstering state-level actions regarding potential health impacts of certain food ingredients, increasing the difficulty and importance of maintaining effective compliance programs, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • AI Evidence Rule Tweaks Encourage Judicial Guardrails

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    Recent additions to a committee note on proposed Rule of Evidence 707 — governing evidence generated by artificial intelligence — seek to mitigate potential dangers that may arise once machine outputs are introduced at trial, encouraging judges to perform critical gatekeeping functions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • Series

    The Law Firm Merger Diaries: Getting The Message Across

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    Communications and brand strategy during a law firm merger represent a crucial thread that runs through every stage of a combination and should include clear messaging, leverage modern marketing tools and embrace the chance to evolve, says Ashley Horne at Womble Bond.

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