Food & Beverage

  • May 21, 2026

    Discover Card 'Misclassification' Deal Worth Up To $1.2B OK'd

    An Illinois federal judge Wednesday gave the final green light to a settlement under which Discover Financial Services will pay between $540 million and $1.2 billion to resolve class action allegations it misclassified certain credit card accounts.

  • May 21, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Judge Overstepped In Fluoride Risk Case

    A Ninth Circuit panel scrapped a ruling that directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take action to address potentially unsafe levels of drinking water fluoridation, concluding a California federal judge improperly commandeered the case.

  • May 21, 2026

    While Faulting 2nd Circ., Feds Urge Justices To Skip TM Fight

    The federal government said Wednesday the U.S. Supreme Court shouldn't weigh in on a trademark fight between PepsiCo and the maker of a nitro cold-brew coffee drink, even though it said the Second Circuit got its analysis of the case wrong.

  • May 21, 2026

    5 Podcasts To Keep IP Attys Entertained And Informed

    Whether intellectual property attorneys are hitting the road for a family trip or kicking their feet up at home, podcasts about legal news can offer an easy way for them to stay in the know while (hopefully) not working this Memorial Day weekend.

  • May 21, 2026

    Gatorade Buyers Say 'Better Than Water' Claim Is Misleading

    A proposed class of Gatorade buyers sued parent company PepsiCo Inc. on Thursday, claiming the sports drink's newest labels are misleading in the claims they "Hydrate better than water," and that the reduced sugar variants have no artificial flavors.

  • May 21, 2026

    Legislative Update: Cannabis And Psychedelics Bill Roundup

    Virginia's governor vetoed legislation to establish adult-use marijuana sales, keeping the state in cannabis legal limbo; Illinois lawmakers introduced legislation to rein in hemp products, aligning state policy with an upcoming shift in federal law; and Louisiana lawmakers sent a bill to the governor that would allow terminally ill patients to access medical marijuana in healthcare facilities. Here are the major moves in cannabis and psychedelics legislation from the past week.

  • May 21, 2026

    Instacart Can't Halt NYC Tip, Wage Laws On 2nd Circ. Appeal

    A Second Circuit panel refused to pause New York City laws setting minimum pay and other protections for grocery delivery workers while Instacart appeals a lower court order that allowed the rules to take effect.

  • May 21, 2026

    Another Agri Stats Deal Gets Initial OK In Turkey Antitrust Suit

    An Illinois federal judge on Thursday granted preliminary approval to another deal between Agri Stats Inc. and purchasers to resolve their claims that the company's benchmarking reports helped enable a price-fixing conspiracy among major turkey producers.

  • May 20, 2026

    Bayer Curbs Seed Loyalty Program Amid DOJ Antitrust Inquiry

    Bayer CropScience has agreed to back off, for the next seven years, from implementing requirements in its loyalty program where it was accused of tying discounts to sales targets that independent seed companies had to meet, according to the U.S. Department of Justice's announcement made Wednesday.

  • May 20, 2026

    Jack In The Box Can't Dodge Franchisees' Indemnity Claim

    A Washington state judge Tuesday denied Jack in the Box Inc.'s effort to sidestep liability for job postings that allegedly violated a Washington pay transparency statute, ruling that two franchisees suing the fast-food giant adequately stated an equitable indemnity claim under California law.

  • May 20, 2026

    Amazon Rebuffs Lost Doc Allegations In COVID Pricing Case

    Amazon called on a Washington federal judge Tuesday to deny two consumers' bid for sanctions against it in a proposed class action over alleged price-gouging on the e-commerce platform during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the plaintiffs are trying to dodge major legal hurdles by leveling baseless claims of failure to preserve evidence.

  • May 20, 2026

    Ikea, Mondelez Customers Seek Tariff Refunds In Illinois Suits

    Furniture chain Ikea and snack giant Mondelez are the latest companies to get hit with Illinois lawsuits seeking refunds of tariffs customers say they ultimately paid through inflated product prices before the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately found the tariffs illegal.   

  • May 20, 2026

    Salad JV Partner Sued Over Cash Distribution Freeze

    Taylor Fresh Foods Inc. sued Fresh Express Vegetable LLC in Delaware Chancery Court Wednesday, accusing its joint venture partner of improperly withholding millions of dollars in required cash distributions while trying to force out the venture's longtime chief executive.

  • May 20, 2026

    Baby Food Brands Accused Of Toxic Levels Of Heavy Metals

    Walmart, Gerber Products Co. and several other companies were hit with a suit in federal court claiming that they knowingly manufacture and sell baby foods containing dangerous levels of toxic metals.

  • May 20, 2026

    AGs Seek Crackdown On Customized Food Pricing

    Online food delivery platforms are charging people differently based on the personal data they glean from their smartphones, and the Federal Trade Commission ought to force companies to be upfront about it, say 16 state attorneys general.

  • May 20, 2026

    9th Circ. Questions Jack Daniel's TM Win Over 'Bad Spaniels'

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday questioned whether Jack Daniel's proved that any mark beyond its name was famous enough to support a tarnishment ruling against VIP Products' poop-themed "Bad Spaniels" dog toy, while pressing both sides on whether courts should compare the parties' marks alone or also consider the toy's bottle-like design and crude humor.

  • May 20, 2026

    DC Judge Questions Red Snapper Season Expansion Plan

    A D.C. federal judge on Wednesday seemed wary of administration attorneys' claims that a new fishery permitting regime exempting four southeastern states from recreational red snapper catch limits this year would help data collection for future limits.

  • May 20, 2026

    Fla. Judge OKs Staff Bonuses In Popeyes Franchisee Ch. 11

    A Florida federal bankruptcy judge approved performance-based bonuses to a group of workers of a Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen franchise operator, saying the program is key to maximizing the value of the debtor ahead of a Chapter 11 sale.

  • May 20, 2026

    7th Circ. Weighs If Abbott Warning Would Change NEC Care

    A Seventh Circuit judge on Wednesday pushed counsel for a mother asking to revive her lawsuit claiming Abbott Laboratories' infant formula caused her premature daughter to develop a fatal gut disease to address whether the mother had a burden to identify a more adequate warning that would have prompted her baby's treating physicians to act differently.

  • May 20, 2026

    PTAB Panel Saves Some Herd Management Patent Claims

    A special panel of three Patent Trial and Appeal Board judges has found that a regular review tribunal of the board wrongly invalidated some claims of an animal management patent, reviving those claims.

  • May 20, 2026

    Target Says Tuna Label Suit Rests On Generalized Grievances

    Target urged a California federal judge to nix a proposed class action alleging its Good & Gather tuna products are deceptively labeled as "sustainably caught," arguing Tuesday the plaintiff takes issue with the global commercial tuna fishing industry, which "may reflect some bad actors, but none by Target's suppliers."

  • May 20, 2026

    Mass. Justices Say Tax Law Not Basis To Block Bog Sale

    A Massachusetts law that lowers property tax rates on agricultural land does not grant standing to abutters seeking to unwind the sale of a Cape Cod cranberry bog to a developer, the state's highest court said Wednesday.

  • May 19, 2026

    Shoppers Seek Fees At 9th Circ. For Kroger, Albertsons Fight

    Counsel for grocery store consumers urged the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday to find they substantially prevailed in their proposed class action challenging Kroger's since-abandoned $24.6 billion bid for Albertsons and are entitled to attorney fees, arguing that the lower court wrongly concluded the case was mooted by other federal actions blocking the merger.

  • May 19, 2026

    States Tell CIT To Reject Gov't's Request To Stay Tariff Ruling

    The federal government's arguments to stay a permanent injunction against the collection of President Donald Trump's temporary global duties for two small businesses and the state of Washington while it appeals the ruling are overblown, a coalition of states told the U.S. Court of International Trade on Tuesday.

  • May 19, 2026

    Momcozy Hit With Class Action Over Defective Bottle Sterilizer

    Two mothers have hit baby product company Root Technology Ltd. with a proposed class action in New York federal court alleging that the Momcozy brand countertop washer for bottles is defective since the necessary high sterilization temperatures cause plastic parts to break off, creating a choking hazard for infants.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    SNAP Rule Confusion Risks A Compliance Crisis

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    Recent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food restriction waivers pose a compliance crisis for legal practitioners advising food retailers, amid higher costs and lack of a coherent national standard, says Tyson-Lord Gray at Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

  • Series

    Trivia Competition Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing trivia taught me to quickly absorb information and recognize when I've learned what I'm expected to know, training me in the crucial skills needed to be a good attorney, and reminding me to be gracious in defeat, says Jonah Knobler at Patterson Belknap.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: What Cross-Selling Truly Takes

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    Early-career attorneys may struggle to introduce clients to practitioners in other specialties, but cross-selling becomes easier once they know why it’s vital to their first years of practice, which mistakes to avoid and how to anticipate clients' needs, say attorneys at Moses & Singer.

  • Ariz. Uber Verdict Has Implications Beyond Ride-Hailing Cos.

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    When an Arizona federal jury in Jaylyn Dean v. Uber Technologies recently ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by her driver, their most important finding — that the driver was Uber's agent — could have huge consequences for future litigation involving platform-based businesses, says Michael Epstein at The Epstein Law Firm.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: Practical Use Cases In Chambers

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    U.S. Magistrate Judge Allison Goddard in the Southern District of California discusses how she uses generative artificial intelligence tools in chambers to make work more efficient and effective — from editing jury instructions for clarity to summarizing key documents.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: February Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses four recent rulings from November and December, and identifies practice tips from cases involving the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act and Missouri unjust enrichment claims, the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, the Class Action Fairness Act, and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

  • Series

    Trail Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Navigating the muddy, root-filled path of trail marathons and ultramarathons provides fertile training ground for my high-stakes fractional general counsel work, teaching me to slow down my mind when the terrain shifts, sharpen my focus and trust my training, says Eric Proos at Next Era Legal.

  • Opinion

    Justices' Monsanto Decision May Fix A Preemption Mistake

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    In Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, the U.S. Supreme Court will address whether federal law preempts states' label-based failure-to-warn claims when federal regulators have not required a warning — and its decision could correct a long-standing misinterpretation of a prior high court ruling, thus ending myriad meritless state law personal injury claims, says Lawrence Ebner at Capital Appellate.

  • What Rescheduling Means For Cannabis Labels, Marketing

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    The proposed reclassification of cannabis is expected to bring heightened scrutiny of labeling, advertising and marketing from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission, but the brands that tighten evidence, standardize operations and professionalize marketing controls now will see fewer surprises and better outcomes, say attorneys at Wilson Elser.

  • Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

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    Recent decisions from courts across the country demonstrate how different jurisdictions balance competing policy interests in determining whether legal malpractice claims can be assigned, providing a framework to identify when and how to challenge any attempted assignment, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin & Lodgen.

  • Series

    Teaching Logic Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Teaching middle and high school students the skills to untangle complicated arguments and identify faulty reasoning has made me reacquaint myself with the defined structure of thought, reminding me why logic should remain foundational in the practice of law, says Tom Barrow at Woods Rogers.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Resilience

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    Resilience is a skill acquired through daily practices that focus on learning from missteps, recovering quickly without internalizing defeat and moving forward with intention, says Nicholas Meza at Quarles & Brady.

  • Takeaways From The DOJ Fraud Section's 2025 Year In Review

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    Former acting Principal Deputy Chief Sean Tonolli of the U.S. Department of Justice's Fraud Section, now at Cahill Gordon, analyzes key findings from the section’s annual report — including the changes implemented to adapt to the new administration’s priorities — and lays out what to watch for this year.

  • New State Regs On PFAS In Products Complicate Compliance

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    The new year brought new bans and reporting requirements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in half a dozen states — in many cases, targeting specific consumer product categories — so manufacturers, distributors and retailers must not only monitor their own supply chains, but also coordinate to ensure compliance, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    Congress Should Lead On AI Policy, Not The States

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    There needs to be some limits on how far federal agencies go in regulating artificial intelligence systems, but Congress must not abdicate its responsibility and cede control over this interstate market to state and local officials, say Kevin Frazier at the University of Texas School of Law and Adam Thierer at the R Street Institute.

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