Food & Beverage

  • January 08, 2025

    Judge Laments Atty's $32K Sanctions Saga In Tasty Bias Case

    A Pennsylvania judge expressed disappointment Wednesday about the need for a $32,000 sanction against an attorney accused of flouting deadlines in his client's employment discrimination claims againstTasty Baking Co., noting that "it didn't have to be this way."

  • January 08, 2025

    Jones Day, Ropes & Gray Build $795M Deal For Simple Mills

    Packaged bakery food producer Flowers Foods Inc., advised by Jones Day, on Wednesday announced plans to acquire better-for-you snack brand Simple Mills, led by Ropes & Gray LLP, in a $795 million cash deal.

  • January 08, 2025

    Abbott Beats UC Regents' Probiotic Patent Claims

    An Illinois federal judge has found that claims in a pair of patents owned by the University of California related to a baby probiotic were invalid, handing a win to Abbott Laboratories in a suit accusing the company of infringing the patents.

  • January 08, 2025

    DOL Searching For SC Farm Workers Owed $132K In Wages

    The U.S. Department of Labor is trying to restore $132,000 to more than 600 temporary agricultural workers for a South Carolina company who had money illegally deducted from their wages for cleaning fees and political donations.

  • January 07, 2025

    Starbucks' Former IP Head Joins Davis Wright In Seattle

    Batur Oktay, the former leader of Starbucks Corp.'s intellectual property program, has joined Davis Wright Tremaine LLP as a partner in the firm's Seattle office, according to an announcement Tuesday.

  • January 07, 2025

    Alcohol Warnings Unlikely To Bring Same Fate Tobacco Faced

    The U.S. surgeon general on Friday recommended that alcohol carry warnings about cancer risks, and attorneys say that while warning labels might be warranted, alcohol is unlikely to become the next tobacco.

  • January 07, 2025

    4th Circ. Says Farm Bill Does Not Preempt Va. Hemp Law

    The Fourth Circuit affirmed Tuesday that the federal farm bill legalizing hemp nationwide did not preempt Virginia's new law reining in intoxicating products containing THC derived from hemp.

  • January 07, 2025

    Mont. Bill Floats Mine, Data Center Property Tax Changes

    Montana would lower the property tax rate imposed on metal mines, certain agricultural land and railroads but raise the rate on data center property as part of a bill introduced in the state Senate.

  • January 07, 2025

    Fla. Crash Victims Can't Get Insurer Payout In Revised Suits

    A Florida state appellate panel has blocked three vehicle crash victims' attempts to collect $16 million from an insurer, saying that the company wasn't properly joined as a party by the time settlements were reached and that final judgments were issued in two separate lawsuits over the same incident.

  • January 07, 2025

    Coffee Co. Says Exporter Owes $18M For Missing Shipments

    A "green" coffee retailer told a Florida federal judge on Tuesday that it can prove it is owed more than $18 million for prepaid coffee shipments that were never received from a Nicaraguan green coffee bean exporter.

  • January 07, 2025

    US Foods Slapped With Class Wage Suit By Ex-Seattle Worker

    US Foods has been hit with a proposed class action by a former employee in Seattle who claims the food service retailer systematically shorts workers on breaks, overtime pay, sick leave and expense reimbursements, according to a new lawsuit in Washington federal court.

  • January 07, 2025

    Starbucks Says It Can Target Inventor In Mobile Ordering Feud

    Starbucks has urged the Eastern District of Texas to keep alive its counterclaims against a patent-licensing executive who claims the coffee chain infringed a patent covering a mobile ordering system, accusing him of creating an "extensive thimblerig" of shell entities to avoid paying the cost of his "meritless" cases.

  • January 07, 2025

    Wash. Panel Won't Boot Subway Wage Dispute To Arbitration

    A Washington state appeals court declined to send to arbitration a former worker's suit accusing a Subway franchisee of failing to provide employees with meal breaks, despite a dissent finding that the worker's wage claims fall under an arbitration pact.

  • January 07, 2025

    Calif. Panel Says Individual PAGA Claims Belong In Arbitration

    An arbitration pact that the operator of a restaurant chain in California gave to a worker pushes his Private Attorneys General Act individual claims into arbitration, a state appeals panel ruled, partly flipping a trial court's decision.

  • January 06, 2025

    Wash. Labor Dept. Escapes Union's Farm Wage Challenge

    A Washington federal judge on Monday cut the state's employment agency loose from a union challenge to policies that have allegedly depressed farmworker wages, saying the U.S. Department of Labor is the only proper defendant in the litigation.

  • January 06, 2025

    'Pizza Puff' Maker Fights Little Caesars' Injunction Stay Bid

    An Illinois federal judge shouldn't wait to enforce his order blocking Little Caesars from marketing its latest pizza muffin appetizer as "pizza puffs" because the chain won't convince the Seventh Circuit the term is generic, the company behind the trademarked fried pizza product argued Monday.

  • January 06, 2025

    Artist Tells Justices To Protect His 'Stupid Banana'

    While a California artist acknowledged to the U.S. Supreme Court that his work of art was just "a stupid banana taped to a wall," he still thinks it deserves copyright protection after an appeals court ruled that it wasn't "strikingly similar" to a more famous banana taped to a wall that debuted at Art Basel Miami over a decade later.

  • January 06, 2025

    Farm Owners, Rail Co. Spar Over Toxic Spill Trial Evidence

    Mississippi landowners fired back at a Canadian National Railway unit's attempt to block a train derailment report containing its admissions of fault from an upcoming trial in Mississippi federal court, saying the company's claims that the report is incomplete "ring hollow."

  • January 06, 2025

    Ga. Developer Says Insurer Shorted Roof Repair Coverage

    The owner of a north Georgia commercial property has sued its insurer, accusing it of intentionally failing to complete a claims adjustment and only partially paying the cost to repair a roof that was damaged during a storm.

  • January 06, 2025

    Prepared Foods Co. Accused Of Duping CEO With Stock Plan

    The former CEO of the American arm of a U.K.-based food manufacturer says the company deluded him with misleading promises about stock options during the recruitment process to get him to join and then refused to pony up the shares when he left.

  • January 06, 2025

    FDA Issues Guidance On Lead Levels In Some Baby Foods

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday issued nonbinding guidance for the baby food industry on action levels for lead in processed food for babies and young children.

  • January 06, 2025

    Texas Restaurant Illegally Claims Tip Credit, Server Says

    A Houston-area restaurant should not be allowed to claim a tip credit that permits it to pay servers less than the minimum wage because it failed to inform workers that they have to foot the bill for their uniforms, according to a proposed collective action filed in Texas federal court.

  • January 06, 2025

    Paul Hastings, Cravath Steer Pork Giant Smithfield's IPO Filing

    Pork producer Smithfield Foods Inc. on Monday submitted the year's first filing for an initial public offering, part of a spinoff from China's WH Group Ltd., represented by Paul Hastings LLP and underwriters' counsel Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP.

  • January 06, 2025

    2nd Circ. Says Argent Can't Force ESOP Suit To Arbitration

    The Second Circuit knocked down Argent Trust Co.'s bid to arbitrate a case alleging the wealth management company sold inflated shares to a barbecue chain's employee stock ownership plan, after ruling in a similar case that identical arbitration contract language wasn't enforceable.

  • January 06, 2025

    US Wants More Time To Counter Altria's $106M Tax Refund Bid

    Tobacco giant Altria's complaint seeking a $106 million tax refund related to its interests in beverage company Anheuser-Busch requires more research to counter in the event a Virginia federal court decides it can move forward, the U.S. government said in requesting time for potential discovery.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

  • 5 Drug And Device Developments That Shaped 2024

    Author Photo

    The last year saw significant legal developments affecting drug and device manufacturers, with landmark decisions and regulatory changes that require vigilance and agility from the industry, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • How To Manage During A Trade Dispute With USMCA Partners

    Author Photo

    Companies can try to minimize the potential impacts of future tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods, and uncertainty about future trade relations, by evaluating supply chains, considering how they may be modified, and engaging with the new administration over exemptions and the upcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

    Author Photo

    Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Product Safety Issues In 2024 Highlight Need For Vigilance

    Author Photo

    A look at some of the medications and foods that led to significant class actions last year demonstrates the need for robust regulatory systems and proactive measures to protect consumers from defective and harmful products, says Jennifer Taylor at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin.

  • Lessons Learned From 2024's Top ADA Decisions

    Author Photo

    Last year's major litigation related to the Americans with Disabilities Act highlights that when dealing with accommodation requests, employers must communicate clearly, appreciate context and remain flexible in addressing needs, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.

  • The 6 Most Significant FCRA Litigation Developments Of 2024

    Author Photo

    From a key sovereign immunity decision at the U.S. Supreme Court to a ruling on creditworthiness out of the Seventh Circuit, several important Fair Credit Reporting Act cases wound their way through the courts in 2024, each offering takeaways for both plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Shipkevich.

  • An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

    Author Photo

    As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.

  • Series

    Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • 2024's Most Notable FTC Actions Against Dark Patterns And AI

    Author Photo

    In 2024 the Federal Trade Commission ramped up enforcement actions related to dark patterns, loudly signaling its concern that advertisers will use AI to manipulate consumer habits and its intention to curb businesses' use and marketing of AI to prevent alleged consumer deception, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

    Author Photo

    In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.

  • When US Privilege Law Applies To Docs Made Outside The US

    Author Photo

    As globalization manifests itself in disputes over foreign-created documents, a California federal court’s recent trademark decision illustrates nuances of both U.S. privilege frameworks and foreign evidentiary protections that attorneys must increasingly bear in mind, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Notable 2024 Trademark Cases And What To Watch In 2025

    Author Photo

    Emerging disputes between established tech giants and smaller trademark holders promise to test the boundaries of trademark protection in 2025, following a 2024 marked with disputes in areas ranging from cybersquatting to geographic marks, says Danner Kline at Bradley Arant.

  • Green Projects Face States' Foreign Land Ownership Limits

    Author Photo

    As states impose restrictions and disclosure requirements around foreign investment in agricultural land — in some cases piggybacking on existing federal rules — renewable energy developers and investors must pay close attention to how the rules vary, says Daniel Fanning at Husch Blackwell.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
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!