Food & Beverage

  • January 07, 2026

    Baking Mix Co. Sued Over Alleged Water Pollution In Wash.

    Baking mix manufacturer Continental Mills Inc. was hit with a Clean Water Act lawsuit in Washington federal court Wednesday by an environmental group that claims the company's Seattle-area plant released wastewater laden with heavy metals into nearby creeks, in excess of legal pollution limits.

  • January 07, 2026

    Belgian Restaurant Chain Files For Ch. 11 In Ohio

    Taste of Belgium Rookwood LLC launched a streamlined Chapter 11 in Ohio bankruptcy court late on Tuesday, reporting about $156,000 in assets against $3 million in liabilities and aiming to stabilize its remaining three-site business.

  • January 07, 2026

    Amazon Seeks To Halt Supplement Suit As FDA Nixes Rule

    Amazon called on a Seattle federal judge to pause a proposed class action accusing the e-commerce platform of failing to make certain disclosures on supplement product pages, saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to revoke the so-called each panel labeling rule at the center of the case.

  • January 07, 2026

    Colo. Knife Manufacturer Says Rival Misused Trademarks

    A Colorado-based knife manufacturer accused one of its competitors in federal court Wednesday of selling products with its trademark brand name and logo without authorization.

  • January 07, 2026

    Poultry Cos. Seek Stay Of Water Pollution Ruling For Appeal

    Tyson Foods and other poultry operators found responsible for polluting Oklahoma waters with chicken waste argued that, without a stay in the court's judgment pending a Tenth Circuit appeal, companies not subject to its orders will have an economic advantage.

  • January 07, 2026

    Commerce Opens Probe Into Canadian Mushroom Imports

    The U.S. Department of Commerce announced Wednesday that it has opened a pair of investigations into whether fresh mushrooms from Canada should be subject to antidumping and countervailing duties.

  • January 07, 2026

    DC, New Jersey Delis Reach Deal To End Trademark Fight

    Washington, D.C.-based bagel shop and deli Call Your Mother Corp. has agreed to drop a federal trademark lawsuit against a New Jersey deli after the parties reached a deal to end the case.

  • January 07, 2026

    Lionel Messi Energy Drink Spat Voluntarily Dismissed

    A beverage company behind the White Claw hard seltzer brand and an energy drink company co-owned by internet personalities Logan Paul and Olajide "KSI" Olatunji have agreed to drop a suit seeking a declaration of noninfringement and counterclaims alleging trade dress copying.

  • January 06, 2026

    5th Circ. Pushes FDA On 'De Facto' Vape Marketing Ban

    A Fifth Circuit panel seemed leery of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's claim that it had no de facto ban in place for flavored refillable e-cigarette products, saying Tuesday that denying hundreds of thousands of applications seemed an awful lot like a ban.

  • January 06, 2026

    Tyson Foods Tries To Pare Down Meat Packer's Wage Claims

    Tyson Foods Inc. is asking a Washington federal judge to throw out the bulk of a proposed wage and hour class action, arguing that the plaintiff's amended complaint is too short on details to proceed.

  • January 06, 2026

    DC's Compass Coffee Hits Ch. 11 Amid Rent, Other Disputes

    The Washington, D.C.-based coffee chain Compass Coffee filed for Chapter 11 protection Tuesday with at least $11.7 million of estimated liabilities amid rent disputes with landlords, promising to soon disclose plans for an asset sale to a strategic buyer in the global retail coffee business.

  • January 06, 2026

    Cider-Maker Challenges Federal Ban On Vintage Labeling

    A Washington state maker of alcoholic beverages is challenging a federal government restriction that prevents producers of cider, mead and wines made from any fruit besides grapes from including vintage years on their product labels, arguing that the policy withholds information from consumers and violates the First Amendment.

  • January 06, 2026

    Public Health Atty Talks Botulism, Infants And FDA Staffing

    Three years ago, a bacterial outbreak at a Michigan manufacturing plant sparked a shutdown and a national infant formula shortage. Another episode last year at a formula plant in Iowa should be a red flag for the public and a short-handed FDA, according to Sarah Sorscher of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

  • January 06, 2026

    NJ Bill Aims To Earmark $2.5B In Development Tax Credits

    New Jersey would earmark $2.5 billion in economic development tax credits, with up to $300 million designated for sports and entertainment projects, as part of a bill introduced in the state Assembly.

  • January 06, 2026

    Distribution Co. Drops Suit Alleging Kraft Stole Database

    A distribution company has voluntarily dismissed a suit accusing The Kraft Heinz Co. of stealing confidential information by having one of its executives in the Netherlands download a database in violation of a licensing agreement.

  • January 06, 2026

    Cracker Barrel Asks Justices To Avoid Collective Opt-Ins Fight

    Cracker Barrel urged the U.S. Supreme Court not to take up an appeal of a Ninth Circuit decision that only Arizona employees could opt in to a collective suit over tipped wages, arguing that there isn't a wide enough circuit split to merit review.

  • January 06, 2026

    KFC Inks Deal To End EEOC Sex Harassment Probe

    KFC will pay $200,000 to end a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation into claims that the company ignored sexual harassment at a Florida restaurant, the EEOC said Tuesday.

  • January 06, 2026

    Creek Nation Fights Okla. Over Tribal Hunting Rights

    The Muscogee (Creek) Nation has joined three fellow Oklahoma tribes in asking a federal court to block state wildlife officials from requiring tribal citizens to obtain state licenses to hunt and fish on their reservation lands, arguing that the practice violates its sovereignty and right to self-govern.

  • January 06, 2026

    Food Distribution Co. Misclassified Supervisors, Suit Says

    A food distribution company misclassified supervisors as salaried employees exempt from overtime even though they did not meet the legal requirements to satisfy the carveout under federal wage law, according to a proposed collective action filed in Colorado federal court.

  • January 05, 2026

    US Chamber Gets Expedited Appeal In $100,000 H-1B Fee Suit

    The D.C. Circuit on Monday fast-tracked the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's appeal of a ruling that a $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions was within President Donald Trump's "broad authority" to restrict noncitizens' entry.

  • January 05, 2026

    Amazon Can't Beat Pandemic-Era Price-Gouging Suit In Wash.

    A Washington federal judge refused to throw out consumers' proposed class action against Amazon over alleged pandemic-era price-gouging, rejecting on Monday the e-commerce company's argument that the Washington Supreme Court interpreted consumer protection law too broadly when wading into the case.

  • January 05, 2026

    Fla. AG Says Pot Legalization Proposal 'Misleads Voters'

    Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is opposing a new effort to legalize recreational marijuana through a ballot initiative, telling the state's high court that the proposal is invalid because it "misleads voters." 

  • January 05, 2026

    Ex-Kellogg Worker Takes Tossed ERISA Suit To 6th Circ.

    A former Kellogg Co. employee has given notice that he plans to appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals after a federal judge in Michigan tossed his potential class action alleging the food manufacturer lost millions in employee contributions due to excessive 401(k) bookkeeping fees.

  • January 05, 2026

    Amazon Sued Over Burns From Erupting Instant Pot

    Amazon and a Chinese manufacturer face a personal injury lawsuit from two New York residents who claim they suffered severe, disfiguring burns when an Instant Pot pressure cooker that was purchased through Amazon malfunctioned and spewed hot soup onto them.

  • January 05, 2026

    Judge Allows Farmworkers' Forced Labor Suit To Proceed

    A Michigan federal court has largely allowed two workers to continue pursuing their claims that blueberry farm operators used forced labor, finding they sufficiently alleged that the companies should've known they were benefiting from a recruiter's violations of a federal trafficking law.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • New 'Waters' Definition Could Bring Clarity — And Confusion

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    Federal agencies have proposed a new regulatory definition of "waters of the United States," a key phrase in the Clean Water Act — but while the change is meant to provide clarity, it could spark new questions of interpretation, and create geographic differences in how the statute is applied, say attorneys at Bracewell.

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