Food & Beverage

  • October 02, 2025

    Judge Ends USDA Rule On Chilean Grape Fumigation

    A D.C. federal judge has vacated a 2024 rule change by the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowing the import of Chilean table grapes that have not been fumigated with methyl bromide for pest mitigation, ruling that regulators ignored the reliance interests of domestic growers when making the change.

  • October 02, 2025

    Aramark, Vestis Can't Nix Investor Suit Over Spinoff's Woes

    Uniform supplier Vestis Corp. and food and facilities services giant Aramark can't shed proposed shareholder class action claims that they misled investors about Vestis' operations and customer relationships prior to its 2023 spinoff from Aramark.

  • October 02, 2025

    AIG Unit Must Pay Cargill $42M For Worker Kickback Scheme

    An AIG unit must pay food company Cargill Inc. more than $42 million for losses the company said it sustained as a result of a bribery and kickback scheme involving former employees, a Minnesota federal court has ruled.

  • October 02, 2025

    McDonald's Operator Pushes To Unravel Class In Break Suit

    A Colorado trial court failed to consider evidence showing that the operator of several McDonald's locations in Aurora, Colorado, did not violate the state's rest break laws, the entity told the state Supreme Court, urging the justices to undo the class.

  • October 02, 2025

    Cajun Restaurant Chain Hits Ch. 11 Amid Consumer Shifts

    Cajun restaurant chain Razzoo's filed for Chapter 11 protection in Texas bankruptcy court, citing consumer shifts since the COVID-19 pandemic began that have led to financial distress and made it necessary for the business to seek relief from onerous lease obligations and reduce its store count.

  • October 01, 2025

    Tyson Inks $85M Deal To Exit Consumers' Pork Antitrust Suit

    Pork consumers asked a Minnesota federal court Wednesday to greenlight an $85 million settlement resolving their claims against Tyson Foods Inc. in major antitrust litigation alleging pork producers conspired with data firm Agri Stats Inc. to inflate pork prices by limiting the supply in the U.S. market.

  • October 01, 2025

    Conn. Servers Defend Asking Judge To DQ From Wage Case

    A class of servers at a Foxwoods Resort Casino steakhouse have defended their request for a Connecticut judge to disqualify herself from overseeing an upcoming trial, saying she violated the presumption of an adversarial court system by generating new defense arguments.

  • October 01, 2025

    Ill. Jury Awards $67M In Panera Truck Crash Case

    An Illinois jury has awarded $67 million to the families of two people who were killed and a man who was severely injured in a 2018 crash where a car hit a Panera Bread truck and then struck a third vehicle head-on.

  • October 01, 2025

    Lack Of Concrete Harm Dooms Bojangles Data Breach Case

    The fast-food chain Bojangles has dodged a proposed class action brought by former employees who claim their personal information was stolen in a data breach after a North Carolina federal judge said they failed to show how they were injured as a result of the hack.

  • October 01, 2025

    Ex-Market Basket CEO Says Sisters, Board Plotted Ouster

    The former CEO of New England supermarket chain Market Basket on Wednesday accused his own sisters and the firm's board members of colluding to take control over the $8 billion-a-year company by setting up a "sham" investigation to justify his firing.

  • October 01, 2025

    Tenn. Pork Farm Snags Win In DOL Retaliation Suit

    The U.S. Department of Labor failed to show that a pork farm in Tennessee fired two immigrant workers for complaining to the agency about unpaid wages, a federal judge ruled, pointing to their behavior toward other workers as the reason for their discipline.

  • October 01, 2025

    Former FDA Associate Chief Counsel Joins Blank Rome In DC

    The former associate chief counsel at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Office of the Chief Counsel has joined Blank Rome LLP in Washington, D.C., to continue his practice focused on sciences matters, the firm announced Wednesday.

  • September 30, 2025

    Feds Finalize Rules To Speed H-2A Filing, Limit Some Wages

    The Trump administration finalized two separate rules on Tuesday aimed at streamlining the H-2A temporary visa process for seasonal farmworkers, one allowing employers to file petitions earlier and another revising annual wage hikes for certain agricultural jobs.

  • September 30, 2025

    Colo. Woman Says Atty Missed Deadline For $2M Claims

    A Colorado woman has accused her former attorney of malpractice in state court, alleging the lawyer waited until after the statute of limitations expired on her claims against a restaurant before filing a complaint, barring her from pursuing almost $2 million in damages.

  • September 30, 2025

    Coke Bottling Co. Fired Driver Over Disability, EEOC Says

    A Coca-Cola bottling company refused to accommodate a delivery driver with a history of kidney disease that requires dialysis and fired him because of his disability, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission told a Louisiana federal court.

  • September 30, 2025

    PFAS Testing Concerns End Coca-Cola Class Action

    A New York federal judge has dismissed a proposed class action against Coca-Cola's Simply Orange Juice Co. subsidiary alleging its juices were falsely marketed as all-natural when they actually contain PFAS, saying that the plaintiff didn't show that the juices tested were the same as the ones he bought.

  • September 30, 2025

    Landlord Faces TM Suit Over Trump-Themed Burger Biz

    The companies behind a Donald Trump-themed burger restaurant in Texas have filed a federal trademark lawsuit against their landlord, accusing him of hijacking the concept and operating the restaurant as his own establishment.

  • September 30, 2025

    Altria Loses Out On $38M Refund On Foreign Subsidiaries

    Tobacco products maker Altria is not entitled to a $38 million tax refund on foreign subsidiaries, a Virginia federal court found, saying the company was an indirect shareholder through its interest in Anheuser-Busch and therefore owes taxes on its portion of the subsidiaries' income.

  • September 30, 2025

    Hooters Gets OK To Exit Bankruptcy, Shift To Franchise Model

    A Texas bankruptcy judge Tuesday approved restaurant chain Hooters of America's plan to sell more than 100 restaurants to a group of franchisees and exit Chapter 11, confirming the debtor's reorganization plan weeks after ruling on a royalty dispute in the case.

  • September 29, 2025

    EPA Dodges Texas Farmers' PFAS Contamination Lawsuit

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge on Monday tossed Texas farmers and ranchers' lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency failed to stop "forever chemicals" from contaminating their farmland and that they've suffered medical problems from the exposure.

  • September 29, 2025

    Hain 'Channel-Stuffing' Securities Suit Revived By 2nd Circ.

    The Second Circuit on Monday reversed a district court's dismissal of a proposed class action accusing food and personal care company Hain Celestial of "channel-stuffing," or asking distributors to take more product than they can sell in order to cover up flagging demand, finding the class had adequately alleged actionable misrepresentations and false statements by the company.

  • September 29, 2025

    Refrigeration Co. Shuts Down Employee Stock Valuation Suit

    A North Carolina industrial refrigeration company defeated a lawsuit claiming family operators undervalued the company to the detriment of employee stock ownership plan participants, with a federal judge ruling Monday that a former executive filed suit too long after he discovered the alleged mismanagement.

  • September 29, 2025

    Food Tray Co. Escapes Import Ban After PTAB Decision

    The U.S. International Trade Commission has dropped an import ban against a plastic food container manufacturer after the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board found the patent claims it was accused of infringing were invalid.

  • September 29, 2025

    NC Judge Tosses Challenge To Biden-Era H-2A Wage Rule

    A North Carolina federal judge on Monday threw out a two-year-old lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Labor's wage rule for certain temporary farmworkers after a judge in Louisiana permanently blocked the new wage calculations from taking effect.

  • September 29, 2025

    Trump Again Pushes 100% Tariff To Help US Film Industry

    President Donald Trump revived his call for a 100% tariff on imported films Monday on Truth Social, claiming the measure is necessary to reverse trends of offshoring production.

Expert Analysis

  • A Simple Way Courts Can Help Attys Avoid AI Hallucinations

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    As attorneys increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence for legal research, courts should consider expanding online quality control programs to flag potential hallucinations — permitting counsel to correct mistakes and sparing judges the burden of imposing sanctions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl and Connors.

  • DOJ Consumer Branch's End Leaves FDA Litigation Questions

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    With the dissolution of the U.S. Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch set to occur by Sept. 30, companies must carefully monitor how responsibility is reallocated for civil and criminal enforcement cases related to products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • The Evolving Legal Landscape For THC-Infused Beverages

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    A recent Eighth Circuit ruling, holding that states may restrict the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived products without violating federal law, combined with ongoing regulatory uncertainty at both the federal and state levels, could alter the trajectory of the THC-infused beverage market, say attorneys at Pashman Stein.

  • Cos. Must Tailor Due Diligence As Trafficking Risks Increase

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    As legislators, prosecutors and plaintiffs attorneys increasingly focus on labor and sex trafficking throughout the U.S., companies must tailor their due diligence strategies to protect against forced labor trafficking risks in their supply chains, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Series

    Creating Botanical Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Pressing and framing plants that I grow has shown me that pursuing an endeavor that brings you joy can lead to surprising benefits for a legal career, including mental clarity, perspective and even a bit of humility, says Douglas Selph at Morris Manning.

  • What To Expect As Calif. Justices Weigh Arbitration Fee Law

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    If the California Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling in Hohenshelt v. Superior Court holds that the Federal Arbitration Act does not preempt the California Arbitration Act's strict fee deadlines, employers and businesses could lose the right to arbitrate over minor procedural delays, say attorneys at Bird Marella.

  • Opinion

    The Legal Education Status Quo Is No Longer Tenable

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    As underscored by the fallout from California’s February bar exam, legal education and licensure are tethered to outdated systems, and the industry must implement several key reforms to remain relevant and responsive to 21st century legal needs, says Matthew Nehmer at The Colleges of Law.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Relevance Redactions

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    In recent cases addressing redactions that parties sought to apply based on the relevance of information — as opposed to considerations of privilege — courts have generally limited a party’s ability to withhold nonresponsive or irrelevant material, providing a few lessons for discovery strategy, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Opinion

    Section 1983 Has Promise After End Of Nationwide Injunctions

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down the practice of nationwide injunctions in Trump v. Casa, Section 1983 civil rights suits can provide a better pathway to hold the government accountable — but this will require reforms to qualified immunity, says Marc Levin at the Council on Criminal Justice.

  • Series

    Playing Soccer Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Soccer has become a key contributor to how I approach my work, and the lessons I’ve learned on the pitch about leadership, adaptability, resilience and communication make me better at what I do every day in my legal career, says Whitney O’Byrne at MoFo.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Learning From Failure

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    While law school often focuses on the importance of precision, correctness and perfection, mistakes are inevitable in real-world practice — but failure is not the opposite of progress, and real talent comes from the ability to recover, rethink and reshape, says Brooke Pauley at Tucker Ellis.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From ATF Director To BigLaw

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    As a two-time boomerang partner, returning to BigLaw after stints as a U.S. attorney and the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, people ask me how I know when to move on, but there’s no single answer — just clearly set your priorities, says Steven Dettelbach at BakerHostetler.

  • Influencer Marketing Partnerships Face Rising Litigation Risk

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    In light of recent class actions claiming that brands and influencers are misleading consumers with deceptive marketing practices — largely premised on the Federal Trade Commission's endorsements guidance — proactive compliance measures are becoming more important, say attorneys at Olshan Frome.

  • Mulling Worker Reclassification In Light Of No Tax On OT

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    The One Big Beautiful Bill Act's no-tax-on-overtime provisions provide tax relief for employees who regularly work overtime and are nonexempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act, but reclassifying employees may lead to higher compliance costs and increased wage and hour litigation for employers, says Steve Bronars at Edgeworth Economics.

  • 7 Ways Employers Can Avoid Labor Friction Over AI

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    As artificial intelligence use in the workplace emerges as a key labor relations topic in the U.S. and Europe, employers looking to reduce reputational risk and prevent costly disputes should consider proactive strategies to engage with unions, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

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