Food & Beverage

  • October 22, 2024

    Organic Food Group Asks 9th Circ. To Upend GMO Label Rule

    An organic food industry advocacy group urged the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday to reverse a district judge decision that largely left a Trump-era organic food labeling rule intact, saying the U.S. Department of Agriculture's implementation of a nationwide labeling law for genetically modified foods has been "arbitrary and capricious."

  • October 22, 2024

    Appliance Co., Customers Agree To End Stove Pollutant Row

    Luxury kitchen appliance maker Sub-Zero Group Inc. and the customers behind a proposed class action have agreed to drop the litigation, bringing to an end claims the company sold them gas stoves that emit "health-harming" pollutants.

  • October 22, 2024

    Starbucks Shareholder Sues Execs Over $890M Buyback

    A Starbucks Corp. shareholder on Monday accused the coffee giant's former CEO and current and former company directors — including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella — of misleading investors about future growth and revenues, resulting in a stock buyback program that was allegedly inflated by more than $227 million.

  • October 22, 2024

    Blakes, Wachtell Lead JM Smucker In $305M Cookie Biz Sale

    American food manufacturing giant The J.M. Smucker Co., advised by Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP and Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, on Tuesday announced that it has agreed to sell its Voortman cookie brand to private equity-backed Second Nature Brands in a $305 million cash deal.

  • October 22, 2024

    How Law Firms Get And Keep Elite Status

    For decades, a handful of New York-based law firms thoroughly dominated the national consciousness when it came to power, profitability and prestige. But in today's legal market, increased movement of partners and clients from one firm to the next has begun to shake things up and create opportunities for go-getters to ascend the ranks.

  • October 22, 2024

    The 2024 Prestige Leaders

    Check out our Prestige Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their financial performance, attractiveness to attorneys and law students, ability to secure accolades and positive legal news media representation.

  • October 22, 2024

    Shake Shack Settles Massachusetts Child Labor Complaint

    Shake Shack has agreed to pay $244,500 to settle allegations that it violated Massachusetts child labor laws, including failing to obtain work permits and allowing minors to work more than 48 hours in a week, the state attorney general announced Tuesday.

  • October 22, 2024

    Akin-Led Mubadala Capital Wraps 4th Fund At $3.1B

    Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Capital, advised by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, on Tuesday revealed that it clinched its fourth private equity fund after securing $3.1 billion of commitments from investors.

  • October 21, 2024

    John Deere's Tractor Brake Recall Is Also Defective, Suit Says

    John Deere sold utility tractors with a brake defect that can cause them to crash, and the company's recent recall doesn't guarantee a permanent fix but rather appears to simply "replace defective systems with even more defective systems," according to a proposed class action in South Carolina federal court.

  • October 21, 2024

    FDA Tells Court Menthol Cigarette Ban Is Still Under Review

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said it's still evaluating whether to finalize a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes, urging a California federal court to throw out a lawsuit that's attempting a "judicial end-run" around the ongoing review.

  • October 21, 2024

    6th Circ. Won't Force Arbitration Of Kellogg 401(k) Fee Suit

    The Sixth Circuit on Monday revived a proposed class action against a Kellogg Co. subsidiary alleging mismanagement of an employee 401(k) plan, finding a Michigan federal court wrongly tossed the suit in favor of arbitration in April 2023.

  • October 21, 2024

    Alaskan Tribes Ink Stewardship Land, Water Pacts With Feds

    Three agreements between the federal government and Alaskan tribes and corporations are expected to advance efforts to safeguard salmon relied upon by Indigenous people for thousands of years, further sovereignty and improve easement management to public lands and waters, the U.S. Department of the Interior said.

  • October 21, 2024

    Gov't Seeks To End Most Presumptive 'Buy American' Waivers

    The White House said Monday the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council will remove most items from its list of presumptive exemptions to the "Buy American" requirements for federal acquisitions, including crude oil, furthering the Biden administration's efforts to boost domestic manufacturing.

  • October 21, 2024

    Hooters, EEOC Strike Deal To End Post-COVID Rehiring Suit

    Hooters will pay $250,000 to resolve a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit claiming it failed to bring back most of its Black employees when it reopened a North Carolina restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a filing in federal court Monday.

  • October 21, 2024

    5th Circ. Asked To Nix Insurer's $2.2M Assault Coverage Win

    A group of Texas trial lawyers urged the Fifth Circuit to reverse a Texas federal court's order permitting a bar's insurer to pay only its $1 million limit for a $3.2 million personal injury judgment, arguing the underlying plaintiffs made a valid presuit settlement demand.

  • October 21, 2024

    Food Giant Yum Taps 20-Year Vet As CLO Amid Top Atty's Exit

    Erika Burkhardt, who has been a lawyer with fast food giant Yum! Brands Inc. for 20 years, is being promoted to chief legal officer of the company, whose brands include Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell.

  • October 21, 2024

    Conn. Firm Says Attys, Restaurants Filed 'Malicious' Suit

    A restaurant chain and its attorneys abused the legal process by "frivolously and maliciously" suing a plaintiff-side firm after it ran ads alerting workers they might have wage claims against the restaurant, a lawsuit filed in Connecticut state court has alleged.

  • October 21, 2024

    Potbelly Investor Urges Sandwich Chain To Explore A Sale

    An investor in sandwich chain Potbelly Corp. on Monday called for the company to take immediate action to maximize shareholder value, including exploring a potential sale of the quick-service restaurant business, which it called an "underappreciated growth story."

  • October 18, 2024

    Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms

    The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.

  • October 18, 2024

    Fritos Didn't Defame In Flamin' Hot Cheetos Feud, Judge Told

    An attorney for Frito-Lay Inc. on Friday urged a California federal judge to dismiss a former employee's suit claiming he invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos and had his livelihood destroyed when the company disavowed his story, saying it's not inherently defamatory to disagree about the snack's origins.

  • October 18, 2024

    False Ad Suit Trimmed Over 'Non-Drowsy' Albertsons Meds

    An Illinois federal judge on Thursday refused to strike class claims that Albertsons markets and sells cough medicine labeled as "non-drowsy" that does in fact cause drowsiness, but threw out breach of warranty claims because the lead plaintiff failed to give the company adequate notice before filing suit.

  • October 18, 2024

    Chancery Calls For Status Quo Order In Del Monte Loan Suit

    A Delaware vice chancellor has given the nod for a hold-the-status quo order sought by a collateral agent accusing Del Monte Foods Inc. officials of carrying out a corporate restructuring and "lien-stripping" said to have jeopardized lender claims under a $725 million term loan agreement.

  • October 18, 2024

    Grocery Co. Sued Over 'Naturally Flavored' Cereal Bars Label

    North Carolina-based supermarket chain Harris Teeter was hit with a proposed class action alleging its fruit-flavored cereal bars aren't "naturally flavored" like the packaging claims, but instead contain a flavoring that is derived from a petroleum substrate.

  • October 18, 2024

    Chamber Of Commerce Seeks Stay Of H-2A Rule For Harvest

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce pushed a Mississippi federal court to stay a policy allowing H-2A migrant farmworkers to organize, saying its members can't risk being penalized under the policy while the Chamber challenges the rule's legality.

  • October 18, 2024

    Campbell's Health Plan Can't Charge Tobacco Fee, Suit Says

    Campbell Soup Co. is violating federal benefits law by making workers who use tobacco pay more for health insurance because it doesn't offer a wellness program or comparable alternative, according to a proposed class action in New Jersey federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • Navigating The New Rise Of Greenwashing Litigation

    Author Photo

    As greenwashing lawsuits continue to gain momentum with a shift in focus to carbon-neutrality claims, businesses must exercise caution and ensure transparency in their environmental marketing practices, taking cues from recent legal challenges in the airline industry, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State

    Author Photo

    On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.

  • How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts

    Author Photo

    As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • Constitutional Protections For Cannabis Companies Are Hazy

    Author Photo

    Cannabis businesses are subject to federal enforcement and tax, but often without the benefit of constitutional protections — and the entanglement of state and federal law and conflicting judicial opinions are creating confusion in the space, says Amber Lengacher at Purple Circle.

  • Series

    Boxing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Boxing has influenced my legal work by enabling me to confidently hone the skills I've learned from the sport, like the ability to remain calm under pressure, evaluate an opponent's weaknesses and recognize when to seize an important opportunity, says Kirsten Soto at Clyde & Co.

  • Anticipating Disputes In Small Biz Partnerships And LLCs

    Author Photo

    In light of persistently high failures of small business partnerships and limited liability companies, mediator Frank Burke discusses proactive strategies for protecting and defining business rights and responsibilities, as well as reactive measures for owners.

  • Opinion

    Industry Self-Regulation Will Shine Post-Chevron

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's Loper decision will shape the contours of industry self-regulation in the years to come, providing opportunities for this often-misunderstood practice, says Eric Reicin at BBB National Programs.

  • 3 Ways Agencies Will Keep Making Law After Chevron

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court clearly thinks it has done something big in overturning the Chevron precedent that had given deference to agencies' statutory interpretations, but regulated parties have to consider how agencies retain significant power to shape the law and its meaning, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Roundup

    After Chevron

    Author Photo

    Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference standard in June, this Expert Analysis series has featured attorneys discussing the potential impact across 36 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Expect Few Changes In ITC Rulemaking

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's opinion overruling the Chevron doctrine will have less impact on the U.S. International Trade Commission than other agencies administering trade statutes, given that the commission exercises its congressionally granted authority in a manner that allows for consistent decision making at both agency and judicial levels, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • Opinion

    Atty Well-Being Efforts Ignore Root Causes Of The Problem

    Author Photo

    The legal industry is engaged in a critical conversation about lawyers' mental health, but current attorney well-being programs primarily focus on helping lawyers cope with the stress of excessive workloads, instead of examining whether this work culture is even fundamentally compatible with lawyer well-being, says Jonathan Baum at Avenir Guild.

  • How Cannabis Rescheduling May Affect Current Operators

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's proposal to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III provides relief in the form of federal policy from the stigma and burdens of Schedule I, but commercial cannabis operations will remain unchanged until the federal-state cannabis policy gap is remedied by Congress, say Meital Manzuri and Alexis Lazzeri at Manzuri Law.

  • Series

    Skiing And Surfing Make Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    The skills I’ve learned while riding waves in the ocean and slopes in the mountains have translated to my legal career — developing strong mentor relationships, remaining calm in difficult situations, and being prepared and able to move to a backup plan when needed, says Brian Claassen at Knobbe Martens.

  • Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule

    Author Photo

    Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.

  • A Look At Calif. Contract Considerations In Fiji Water Ruling

    Author Photo

    A California appellate court's recent decision in Carolina Beverage v. Fiji Water, that a party may not seek contractual recovery on the basis of constructive termination, offers a look at contract construction and other considerations on negotiating distribution agreements, says Michael Laszlo at Clark Hill.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Food & Beverage archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!