Food & Beverage

  • March 14, 2025

    LA Lands Deal With Airline Caterer To End Wage Law Dispute

    An airline caterer accused of violating a Los Angeles city ordinance through its pay practices told a California federal court it resolved its dispute with the city, which had launched an investigation, after the caterer settled claims with a class of employees, according to City Council meeting records.

  • March 14, 2025

    Judge Vacates Baby Formula Trial Win For Abbott, Mead

    A Missouri judge on Thursday threw out a jury verdict that cleared Abbott Laboratories and Mead Johnson of liability in a joint trial over claims their baby formula causes a serious condition in preterm infants, saying a new trial is necessary because the defense "intentionally violated the court's orders and rulings by improperly introducing the inadmissible evidence to the jury, time after time."

  • March 14, 2025

    Starbucks Ordered To Pay $50M In Burn Injury Case

    A California state jury in Los Angeles awarded $50 million Friday to a delivery driver burned by hot water at a Starbucks drive-through window, roughly splitting the difference between the parties' suggested damages.

  • March 14, 2025

    6th Circ. Rejects Tribe's Appeal Of Great Lakes Fishing Pact

    A Sixth Circuit panel upheld a 2023 decree governing fishery management in the Great Lakes on Thursday, finding that a Michigan federal judge had the prerogative to enter the decree over the objections of a Native American tribe. 

  • March 14, 2025

    Hemp Farm's Fees Bid 'Excessive,' Colo. Judge Finds

    A Colorado magistrate judge has found that a hemp farm can collect reasonable attorney fees and costs from a business partner that breached a memorandum of understanding related to a mid-litigation audit, but scolded the farm for its "excessive" calculation, which includes hours billed long before the memorandum was even signed.

  • March 13, 2025

    Starbucks Burn Victim Deserves Up To $125M, Jury Told

    Lawyers for a man burned by hot water at Starbucks made their final appeal Thursday in California state court for an award of up to $125 million for "injury and damage to every facet of his life," as the corporation insisted it wasn't clear all the injury stemmed from the spill.

  • March 13, 2025

    Grubhub Can't Force Arbitration, But Uber Can At 2nd Circ.

    A partially divided Second Circuit panel said Thursday that Grubhub cannot force into arbitration a proposed class action's price-fixing claims based on rules barring restaurants from selling food more cheaply through other channels, but left the arbitrability question for the same claims against Uber Eats up to the arbitrator.

  • March 13, 2025

    Snack Maker Sued Over No-Preservative Label Claims

    Chip company Late July Snacks LLC has misled consumers into thinking its nachos and other tortilla products are "all natural," when in reality, they contain an artificial preservative, according to a woman's proposed class action removed Wednesday by the company to California federal court.

  • March 13, 2025

    Buehler's Managers Say Grocery Chain Flouts OT Laws

    Grocery chain Buehler's Fresh Foods is accused of failing to pay overtime wages to catering, produce, kitchen and bakery managers who put in more than 40 hours per workweek but were wrongly classified as exempt, according to a proposed collective action filed in Ohio federal court. 

  • March 13, 2025

    Bumble Bee Foods Accused Of Benefiting From Forced Labor

    Four Indonesian villagers who allege they were trapped in abusive and dangerous slave-working conditions for years aboard tuna fishing vessels sued Bumble Bee Foods LLC in California federal court, accusing the seafood giant of knowingly benefiting from forced labor in violation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.

  • March 13, 2025

    Home Chef, Staffing Co. Sued Over Harassment Firing

    A staffing agency and Relish Labs LLC, the legal entity behind meal kit delivery service Home Chef, have been sued in Georgia federal court by a former employee who alleged she was fired after reporting sexual harassment she suffered at the hands of a co-worker.

  • March 13, 2025

    ADM Can't Duck Suit Over Nutrition Biz Investigation

    An Illinois federal judge has refused to dismiss an investor suit claiming that the purported growth of Archer Daniels Midland's nutrition segment was based on improper accounting practices, saying the shareholders have made "robust" allegations that company executives made knowingly false statements about its profitability.

  • March 13, 2025

    Chubb Unit Can't Depose Smithfield CLO After 5-Year Lag

    North Carolina's Business Court judge shut down a late deposition motion by a Chubb subsidiary seeking testimony from Smithfield Foods Inc.'s chief legal officer, criticizing the insurer for purportedly trying to open a "back door" to the coverage lawsuit's already-closed discovery process.

  • March 13, 2025

    Trump's EU Threat May Aim To Boost Negotiation Leverage

    President Donald Trump continued his trade tactics Thursday, threatening a 200% tariff on European alcohol imports that is almost certain to be another tool to leverage in future negotiations despite the economic uncertainty it creates.

  • March 13, 2025

    Michigan Pot Farm Wants Sanctions In $32M Contract Suit

    A Michigan cannabis farm that won a $31.8 million verdict against Curaleaf in a contract dispute in January is urging a Michigan federal court to sanction the company further, saying it has misrepresented law and binding precedent in its arguments against prejudgment interest.

  • March 12, 2025

    Fox News Cleared Of Sex Assault Claims, But Anchor Isn't

    A New York federal judge on Wednesday agreed to free Fox News from a suit alleging that former host Ed Henry sexually harassed and raped a former producer but held that Henry must face the bulk of her claims before a jury trial set for May.

  • March 12, 2025

    EPA Puts 'Holy Grail Of Climate Change Religion' In Crosshairs

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday said it is reconsidering its 2009 finding that some greenhouse gases endanger humans' health and welfare — putting the fate of rules that sprang from that landmark conclusion into question.

  • March 12, 2025

    Starbucks Spill Left Little Permanent Damage, LA Jury Told

    Starbucks Corp. sought to limit damages Wednesday after being found fully at fault for the spill of a scalding drink, bringing a psychiatrist and a reconstructive surgeon to court to testify that a delivery driver's injuries have healed well.

  • March 12, 2025

    Cherry Growers' IP Win Vacated Due To Bogus Evidence

    A Washington federal judge has vacated his two-year-old decision invalidating a U.S. patent covering the Staccato cherry variety owned by the Canadian government, finding that his prior decision was based on an incomplete sales spreadsheet that didn't include line items showing that the sales were of an entirely different cherry variety.

  • March 12, 2025

    Brewer Opposes Heineken's Bid To Dismiss TM Claim

    Protections in a federal law prohibiting the enforcement of trademarks seized by the Cuban government aren't limited to the original owner or successor-in-interest of confiscated property, brewer Soltura LLC has argued in a memo opposing a Heineken NV unit's bid to dismiss its counterclaim brought under the No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act.

  • March 12, 2025

    Shepherd Blasts Ranchers' Bid To End Wage-Fixing Suit

    A Peruvian sheepherder has asked a Nevada federal judge not to dismiss his proposed antitrust class action alleging that a ranching association and its members conspired to suppress migrant workers' wages, arguing that he has detailed information about when the member ranches agreed to follow the association's prohibitions on employee transfers or recruitment.

  • March 12, 2025

    Panel Decries Judge's Watergate Remarks, Axes $2M Verdict

    A Florida appeals court on Wednesday vacated a $2 million verdict in a slip-and-fall suit against Walmart, saying the trial court's comments that allegedly missing video evidence was akin to Nixon's actions in the Watergate scandal signaled his preconceived notion that the company improperly destroyed evidence.

  • March 12, 2025

    Alaska Tribal Groups' Bid To Update Fish Harvesting Rule Fails

    A federal judge has said the National Marine Fisheries Service didn't violate the law by relying on 2004 and 2007 environmental impact statements to determine specifications for a final groundfish harvest rule for the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, rejecting two Alaskan tribal organizations' bid to vacate the rule.

  • March 12, 2025

    Publix Policies Don't Cover Opioid Claims, Court Says

    Insurers for Publix have no duty to defend or indemnify the supermarket chain in dozens of public nuisance lawsuits related to the opioid crisis, a Florida federal court said Wednesday, following Publix's renewed request that the court enter a final judgment so it could proceed with appeal.

  • March 12, 2025

    Justices Face Renewed Calls To Nix Mass. Wind Farm Permits

    Fishing industry groups have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to undo federal approvals of the Vineyard Wind project off the Massachusetts coast, less than two months after the justices declined to consider another legal challenge by project opponents.

Expert Analysis

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • NLRB One-Two Punch Curbs Employer Anti-Organizing Tools

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    The National Labor Relations Board’s recent decisions in Siren Retail and Amazon, limiting employer speech about the impact of unionization and outlawing captive audience meetings, severely curtail employers' arsenal of tools to combat an organizing campaign — though this may soon change under a new administration, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • What Trump's Next Term May Mean For Biz Immigration

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    Leonard D'Arrigo at Harris Beach discusses the employment-based immigration policies businesses can potentially expect during President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, based on policies enacted during his first administration, statements made during his campaign and proposals in Project 2025.

  • Defense Insights As PFAS Consumer Product Claims Rise

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    Amid the recent proliferation of lawsuits seeking damages for failure to disclose the presence of PFAS in consumer products, manufacturers, distributors and consumer product companies should follow the science and consider a significant flaw in many of the filings, say attorneys at Farella Braun.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • Recent Listeria Outbreaks Hold Key Compliance Lessons

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    Listeria outbreaks in ready-to-eat foods from Boar's Head and other companies, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration responses to these outbreaks, should be closely evaluated from an overall compliance and risk management perspective by food manufacturers, retailers and industry investors, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • What Cos. Can Learn from Water Microplastics Class Actions

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    Class actions against companies whose bottled spring water allegedly contains microplastics, challenging claims such as "natural" and "100% spring water," seem to be drying up — but these cases serve as a good reminder to other businesses to review regulatory standards, and carefully vet plaintiff allegations at the outset, say attorneys at Keller and Heckman.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • What's Next For The CFTC After The Election

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    While much of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's enforcement actions in line with its traditional priorities will continue as usual in the near term, postelection leadership changes at the CFTC and new congressional priorities may alter the commission's regulatory framework in 2025 and beyond — particularly its oversight of crypto, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • Why K-Cup Claims Landed Keurig In Hot Water With SEC

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent settlement with Keurig Dr. Pepper for making incomplete statements regarding the recyclability of K-cup pods highlights the importance of comprehensive corporate disclosures, particularly with respect to ESG matters, say attorneys at BCLP.

  • Legislation Most Likely To Pass In Lame Duck Session

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    As Congress begins its five-week post-election lame duck session, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig break down the legislative priorities and which proposals can be expected to pass.

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