Food & Beverage

  • January 15, 2025

    Pa.-Based Friendly's Franchisees Freed From Wage Theft Suit

    A New Jersey federal court dismissed Pennsylvania-based Friendly's franchise restaurants from a former server's proposed class action accusing several franchises of failing to pay tipped workers a minimum wage for the nontipped work they performed, but determined the worker showed she was harmed by the practices she alleges.

  • January 15, 2025

    In-N-Out Hit With Don-Doff Pay Suit By Former Workers

    A group of former In-N-Out employees slapped the fast-food chain with a lawsuit in California state court accusing it of requiring them to remain on-call during breaks, and failing to reimburse them for time spent off-the-clock changing into and out of their uniforms before and after their shifts.

  • January 15, 2025

    Celsius Drink Co. Overstated Pepsi Partnership, Investor Says

    Energy drink company Celsius Holdings Inc. has been hit with a proposed shareholder class action accusing it of touting the initial success of its partnership with PepsiCo Inc. to conceal that its rapid growth rate was unsustainable.

  • January 15, 2025

    Judge Warns DOJ: Settle Burger Forfeiture Suit Or Pay Up

    A Michigan federal judge on Tuesday expressed frustration with Justice Department officials' delays in resolving a civil forfeiture action over an alleged $11 million healthcare fraud scheme involving money laundered through Big Boy Restaurant, telling federal prosecutors they have until next week to settle the case or pay the chain's recent legal bills.

  • January 15, 2025

    Chubb Unit Seeks Exit From Bar's $105M Drunken Driving Suit

    A Chubb unit said it no longer owes coverage to a bar appealing a $105 million judgment related to a drunken patron's car crash, telling a Texas federal court the bar violated the terms of the policy by refusing to cooperate with the insurer's defense.

  • January 15, 2025

    FDA Bans Red Dye No. 3, Citing Cancer Link In Animal Studies

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday said that it is banning the use of a red dye, Red No. 3, which gives food and drinks a bright red color but has also been linked to cancer in animals.

  • January 15, 2025

    Canada Greenlights $18B Viterra-Bunge Grain Deal

    The Canadian government has approved grain and seed supplier Bunge Ltd.'s plan to buy global grain trader Viterra Ltd. for $18 billion, but with "extensive" conditions, including Bunge having to invest at least $520 million in Canada over the next five years.

  • January 15, 2025

    Mass. Justices Bolster Local Enforcement Of Tobacco Laws

    Massachusetts' highest court ruled Wednesday that local public health officials do not have to go to court to fine businesses caught violating the state's tobacco laws, including restrictions on the sale of flavored products.

  • January 15, 2025

    Poultry Co. Cuts Deal To End Black Ex-Worker's Bias Suit

    A major poultry processor agreed to settle a Black former employee's suit claiming he was targeted for punishment after complaining that a nonwhite worker received a harsher penalty than a white worker for the same safety violation, according to a docket entry in North Carolina federal court.

  • January 15, 2025

    FTC Brings Right-To-Repair Suit Against John Deere

    The Federal Trade Commission slapped John Deere with a repair monopoly lawsuit in Illinois federal court Wednesday, adding to proposed class actions alleging the company illegally withholds access to needed repair tools from farmers, even in the face of mounting public pressure.

  • January 15, 2025

    Justices Say Nixing Federal Claims Ends Federal Jurisdiction

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday said a proposed class action over alleged mislabeling of prescription dog food was appropriately sent back to state court, holding that once the plaintiff dropped her federal claims, the federal courts no longer had jurisdiction.

  • January 14, 2025

    ACT Mouthwash Label Poses Risk For Kids, Parents Claim

    Makers of ACT mouthwash deceived consumers into believing its brand of "kids mouthrinse" is safe for preschoolers when it's actually more dangerous due to its candy-like flavors that encourage children to drink it, potentially poisoning or killing them, according to a parent-led proposed class action in Illinois federal court.

  • January 14, 2025

    Vt. Judge Upends Visa Denial For José Andrés Ham Carver

    A Vermont federal judge has said the federal government's denial of celebrity chef José Andrés' restaurant group's petition to classify a Spanish national, who works as a "master ham carver," as an individual "of extraordinary ability" was arbitrary and capricious.

  • January 14, 2025

    EPA Warns Of Possible Forever Chemical Risk In Fertilizer

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday said that forever chemicals present in fertilizers could pose a health risk to people living or working on or near farms, a finding that could result in new regulations.

  • January 14, 2025

    1st Circ. Won't Revive Cape Cod Restaurants' Ordinance Case

    The First Circuit has declined to revive a case brought by two restaurants on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, that alleged they were selectively targeted with enforcement of a municipal noise ordinance and COVID-19 restrictions, saying the eateries failed to make a proper showing that their constitutional rights were violated.

  • January 14, 2025

    Wage Violations Get NC Farmers Kicked Out Of H-2A Program

    A North Carolina father and daughter must pay $166,000 in fines and face a three-year debarment from the H-2A seasonal worker program for various violations, including underpaying farmworkers, the U.S. Department of Labor said Tuesday.

  • January 13, 2025

    Meat Giant JBS To Address Child Labor In $4M DOL Deal

    The U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday that it secured an agreement with JBS USA Food Co. that requires the meatpacking processor and slaughterhouse giant to put $4 million towards helping those affected by unlawful child labor practices.

  • January 13, 2025

    Amid Claims Of Agency Bias, DEA Judge Nixes Pot Hearings

    A Drug Enforcement Administration tribunal on Monday canceled planned hearings on the merits of a proposal to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana so that pro-rescheduling parties can bring their allegations of agency bias straight to the DEA's administrator.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Urged To Uphold 'Sanctity' Of $11M Patent Verdict

    The Federal Circuit disrespected "the sanctity of jury verdicts" when ordering a jury to revisit Provisur Technologies' $10.5 million willful infringement award, the company told the U.S. Supreme Court in a new petition.

  • January 13, 2025

    McDonald's Sued Over College Scholarship For Latinos

    The same organization that successfully sued Harvard University over its affirmative action policies targeted McDonald's with a lawsuit in Tennessee federal court Sunday over its Latino scholarship program, arguing it violates a federal statute governing equal rights under the law.

  • January 13, 2025

    They Don't Do IP Like That In Europe, Justices Told

    The U.S. manufacturing lobby has told the U.S. Supreme Court that a recent Federal Circuit decision that wiped out patents covering an artificial sweetener used in Coke Zero is inconsistent with patent laws in Europe, China and other Asian countries. 

  • January 13, 2025

    Trump Taps Gibson Dunn Partner For EPA's No. 2 Post

    President-elect Donald Trump said he intends to nominate David Fotouhi, a partner at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, to serve in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's No. 2 post during his administration.

  • January 13, 2025

    Acting USPTO Chief Won't Review Seed IP Challenge Denial

    The acting leader of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office shot down a bid by a Cambridge, Massachusetts, gene-editing startup to review decisions rejecting its challenges to patents covering purportedly novel corn seeds developed by a unit of DowDuPont spin-off Corteva.

  • January 13, 2025

    Moroccan Fertilizer Co. Takes US To Task Over Duty Probe

    A Moroccan fertilizer company pushed to undo a 16.6% countervailing duty on its products Monday, alleging that the U.S. Department of Commerce made a litany of errors in determining that Moroccan government subsidies gave the company an unfair advantage in the U.S. market.

  • January 13, 2025

    Justices Won't Hear Farming Partnership's Crop Policy Fight

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to review a Ninth Circuit decision backing the Federal Crop Insurance Corp.'s conclusion that a farming partnership seeking to recover its $1.9 million policy limit didn't qualify for coverage.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.

  • A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates

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    Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.

  • Series

    After Chevron: USDA Rules May Be Up In The Air

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    The Supreme Court's end of Chevron deference may cause more lawsuits against U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations, like the one redefining "unfair trade practices" under the Packers and Stockyards Act, or a new policy classifying salmonella as an adulterant in certain poultry products, says Bob Hibbert at Wiley.

  • Opinion

    States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions

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    Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • Series

    Solving Puzzles Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Tackling daily puzzles — like Wordle, KenKen and Connections — has bolstered my intellectual property litigation practice by helping me to exercise different mental skills, acknowledge minor but important details, and build and reinforce good habits, says Roy Wepner at Kaplan Breyer.

  • Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice

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    The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Navigating The New Rise Of Greenwashing Litigation

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

  • After Chevron

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    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 37 different rulemaking and litigation areas.

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