Food & Beverage

  • January 01, 2025

    Cannabis Advocates Hone Their Policy Goals For 2025

    With Republicans set to control the legislative and executive branches, cannabis advocates predict that federal cannabis reforms in 2025 are still achievable, but note they will likely be more incremental than holistic, with an emphasis on public safety and states' rights.

  • January 01, 2025

    Food & Beverage Cases To Watch In 2025

    Food and beverage attorneys have no shortage of interesting issues to follow in 2025, from Albertsons turning on Kroger after their proposed $25 billion merger was blocked, to new state laws covering the life cycle of single-use packaging, and claims over heavy metals and "forever chemicals" contaminating food.

  • January 01, 2025

    Connecticut Cases To Watch In 2025: Ethics, Mergers & Actors

    A suit over McCarter & English LLP's municipal loan advice and a Yale-owned heath network's legal battle over a beleaguered acquisition deal are just two multimillion-dollar cases that will keep Connecticut courts busy next year. 

  • December 23, 2024

    'Tragedy To Farce': Menendez Makes 3rd New Trial Bid

    Former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and two co-defendants, convicted of bribery in July, have made a third push for a new trial in Manhattan federal court, contending that the government's latest admission of an evidence gaffe bolstered their case.

  • December 20, 2024

    Banks, Not Credit Cos., Can Duck New Ill. Fee Law For Now

    An Illinois federal judge ruled Friday that credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard must comply with Illinois' landmark law restricting certain credit card fees; however, she also held that national banks and federal savings associations aren't subject to the law, at least for now.

  • December 20, 2024

    Little Caesars Can Sell 'Crazy Puffs' During Pizza TM Suit

    Little Caesars can continue selling its "Crazy Puffs" muffin pizza appetizers while it fights a trademark suit over their name, but the chain must immediately stop describing them as "pizza puffs" in its marketing materials, an Illinois federal judge has ruled.

  • December 20, 2024

    Amazon Touted Efforts To Curb Price-Gouging, Shoppers Say

    A group of online shoppers said Thursday that Amazon can't dodge litigation alleging price-gouging during the pandemic, arguing that the retail giant's efforts to toss the case are contradicted by earlier public statements "trumpeting" the company's work with Washington's attorney general to enforce the state's consumer protection law against price-gougers.

  • December 20, 2024

    Senate Passes 3-Month Funding Bill, Avoiding Shutdown

    The U.S. Senate on Saturday passed a three-month temporary government funding deal after the removal of a contentious proposal to suspend  the federal debt ceiling, staving off a government shutdown.

  • December 20, 2024

    Trade Panel Strikes Down Mexico's Curbs On Biotech Corn

    Mexico's 2023 restrictions on the use of genetically modified corn to make tortillas and animal feed violated the country's trade accord with the U.S., a dispute settlement panel ruled Friday, finding that the policy was not based on sound science. 

  • December 20, 2024

    Top Product Liability Cases Of 2024

    Some of the top cases for product liability for 2024 include an Ohio Supreme Court ruling on opioids and public nuisance, baby formula trials and an appellate decision in Fosamax litigation. 

  • December 20, 2024

    FDA Updates Definition Of 'Healthy' Claims On Food Labels

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a final rule to update the definition of "healthy" claims on food labels, saying there is an epidemic of diseases in the country that are related to diet.

  • December 20, 2024

    DOL Sues Over New York BBQ Co.'s $99M Stock Plan Deal

    The U.S. Department of Labor sued Argent Trust Co. and several New York City restaurant operators in federal court, alleging they violated federal benefits law by causing a barbecue company's employee stock ownership plan to pay $99 million for overvalued company stock in a leveraged transaction.

  • December 20, 2024

    Unionized Starbucks Workers Launch 5-Day Strike

    Starbucks baristas in unionized stores in Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago have gone on strike, Starbucks Workers United has announced, saying the union plans to spread the strike to other markets across the country between now and Christmas Eve.

  • December 20, 2024

    7th Circ. Upholds $900K Punitive Damages Award In TM Case

    The Seventh Circuit has affirmed $900,000 in punitive damages against a nutritional company and its owners for infringing the "Diesel Test" trademark of a testosterone-boosting product from a former competitive body builder, saying the defendant's conduct merited the award.

  • December 19, 2024

    Uber Sues Seattle Over Courier Account Deactivation Law

    A Seattle ordinance aimed at preventing app-based workers from being unfairly deactivated from apps they use poses "grave constitutional problems," Uber alleged in a suit filed Wednesday in Washington federal court, saying the local law forces the transportation company to express views inconsistent with how it approaches privacy and safety.

  • December 19, 2024

    Juice Co. Pres. Supplied Tainted Drink To Low-Income Students

    A Washington-based fruit juice company executive pled guilty to charges related to selling tainted juice — some of which found its way into free or low cost lunches provided to students from low-income households — federal prosecutors announced on Thursday along with her nearly $750,000 penalty.

  • December 19, 2024

    House Rejects 3-Month Funding Bill Despite Trump Support

    The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday rejected a three-month temporary funding deal that would have staved off a government shutdown and had been hastily introduced after President-elect Donald Trump criticized an earlier proposed continuing resolution.

  • December 19, 2024

    2nd Circ. Affirms PepsiCo Win In TM Fight Over Energy Drink

    The Second Circuit on Thursday affirmed a lower court's dismissal of a trademark suit against PepsiCo, saying in a summary order that the beverage company's "Mtn Dew Rise Energy" did not infringe the mark of nitro-brewed canned coffee drinks called "Rise."

  • December 19, 2024

    Michigan's Biggest Decisions Of 2024

    This year, the Michigan Supreme Court instituted sweeping changes to the state's wage and paid leave laws, took some damages off the table for wrongful death plaintiffs, and recognized third-party retaliation claims.

  • December 19, 2024

    Chicken Soup Settles $3.1M Pet Food Feud Wth Alphia

    Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul Inc. has settled a Connecticut lawsuit that accused it of breaching a deal with a manufacturer to buy more than 1.3 million pounds of pet food every month between October 2023 and September 2024, state court records show.

  • December 19, 2024

    In-House Vet Helps Norton Rose Grow In Denver

    An experienced in-house attorney who most recently served as general counsel of real estate developer MDC Holdings has joined Norton Rose Fulbright's Denver office as senior counsel in its corporate, mergers and acquisitions, and securities practice.

  • December 18, 2024

    Pilgrim's Pride Gets Chicken Exit OK Under Contested Deal

    Pilgrim's Pride is able to formally duck Sysco chicken price-fixing claims picked up by a Burford Capital LLC unit after an Illinois federal judge once again ruled that the companies are bound by a settlement between Pilgrim's Pride and Sysco that the litigation funding giant contested as too small.

  • December 18, 2024

    Solar Co. Wants Colo. Hemp Growers' $200M Suit Tossed

    Energy company AES Corp. wants out of a $200 million lawsuit brought by Colorado hemp growers over broken irrigation lines, saying the farmers are "feign[ing] ignorance" in hopes of keeping the suit in Colorado federal court.

  • December 18, 2024

    KFC Ends Suit Against Church's Over 'Original Recipe' TM

    KFC has agreed to end its lawsuit launched just last month that had sought to stop Church's Texas Chicken from using the term "original recipe" to promote its fried chicken.

  • December 18, 2024

    Judge Wants To Know If Colo. Kroger Merger Fight Is Moot

    A Colorado state judge wants to know whether two recent decisions blocking the proposed $24.6 billion merger of The Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. Inc. has mooted Attorney General Phillip J. Weiser's challenge to the transaction, according to a briefing plan approved Tuesday. 

Expert Analysis

  • How Real Estate Cos. Can Protect Their IP In The Metaverse

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    The rise of virtual and augmented reality creates new intellectual property challenges and opportunities for real estate owners, but certain steps, including conducting a diligence investigation to develop an understanding of current obligations, can help companies mitigate IP issues in the metaverse, says George Pavlik at Levenfeld Pearlstein.

  • Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content

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    From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.

  • Patent Lessons From 4 Federal Circuit Reversals In April

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    Four Federal Circuit decisions in April that reversed or vacated underlying rulings provide a number of takeaways, including that obviousness analysis requires a flexible approach, that an invalidity issue of an expired patent can be moot, and more, say Denise De Mory and Li Guo at Bunsow De Mory.

  • Series

    Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.

  • High-Hazard Retailers: Are You Ready For OSHA Inspections?

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    In light of a bill introduced this month in Congress to protect warehouse workers, relevant employers — including certain retailers — should remain aware of an ongoing Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiative that has increased the likelihood of inspection over the next couple of years, say Julie Vanneman and Samantha Cook at Dentons Cohen.

  • Questions Remain After Mass. Adverse Possession Case

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    A recent Massachusetts Land Court decision, concerning an adverse possession claim on a family company-owned property, leaves open questions about potential applicability to closely held corporations and other ownership types going forward, says Brad Hickey at DarrowEverett.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Saying What Needs To Be Said

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    Edward Arnold and Bret Marfut at Seyfarth Shaw examine three recent decisions that delve into the meaning and effect of contractual releases, and demonstrate the importance of ensuring that releases, as written, do what the parties intend.

  • Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance

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    A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.

  • Del. Dispatch: Chancery's Evolving Approach To Caremark

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    Though Caremark claims are historically the least likely corporate claims to lead to liability, such cases have been met in recent years with increased judicial receptivity — but the Delaware Court of Chancery still expressly discourages the reflexive filing of Caremark claims following corporate mishaps, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • Why Employers Shouldn't Overreact To Protest Activities

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    Recent decisions from the First Circuit in Kinzer v. Whole Foods and the National Labor Relations Board in Home Depot hold eye-opening takeaways about which employee conduct is protected as "protest activity" and make a case for fighting knee-jerk reactions that could result in costly legal proceedings, says Frank Shuster at Constangy.

  • Leveraging Insurance Amid Microplastics Concerns

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    A pending microplastics lawsuit — New York v. PepsiCo Inc. — may be a harbinger of what is to come for companies whose products are exposed to the environment, so any company considering how to address microplastics liability should include a careful assessment of the potential for insurance coverage in its due diligence, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Series

    Teaching Yoga Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Being a yoga instructor has helped me develop my confidence and authenticity, as well as stress management and people skills — all of which have crossed over into my career as an attorney, says Laura Gongaware at Clyde & Co.

  • TTAB Ruling Raises Foreign-Language Mark Questions

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    The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board's recent decision to cancel the Veuve Olivier registration due to its similarity to Veuve Clicquot brings new focus to the treatment of foreign terms and the doctrine of foreign equivalents, say attorneys at Finnegan.

  • Best Practices To Accommodate Workplace Service Animals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Since the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently pledged to enforce accommodations for people with intellectual, developmental and mental health-related disabilities, companies should use an interactive process to properly respond when employees ask about bringing service animals into the workplace, say Samuel Lillard and Jantzen Mace at Ogletree.

  • A Vision For Economic Clerkships In The Legal System

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    As courts handle increasingly complex damages analyses involving vast amounts of data, an economic clerkship program — integrating early-career economists into the judicial system — could improve legal outcomes and provide essential training to clerks, say Mona Birjandi at Data for Decisions and Matt Farber at Secretariat.

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