Food & Beverage

  • January 17, 2025

    Ex Raided Conn. Burrito Joint's TM, Co. Accounts, Suit Says

    The owner of Connecticut Tex-Mex restaurant and coffeehouse TJ's Longboard Burritos LLC told a Connecticut federal court that his ex-girlfriend launched a similar nearby eatery called TJ's Burritos Bloomfield LLC and is responsible for changes to his passwords, his cook's departure, bills to his accounts, disappearing tequila and tanking his sales by 40%.

  • January 17, 2025

    Walgreens Can't Hold Great-Grandson To Decade-Old TM Deal

    A federal judge in Illinois has found that Charles Walgreen didn't break the terms of a deal he made a decade ago to not compete with the retail and pharmacy giant that his great-grandfather founded, which is now suing him over his commercial use of his last name.

  • January 17, 2025

    SEC Says Food Tech Startup Overstated Revenue By $550M

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday fined venture-backed food technology startup GrubMarket $8 million for allegedly misleading investors by overstating revenue by more than $550 million, with faulty accounting that regulators say the company should have known was unreliable.

  • January 17, 2025

    Little Caesars Reaches Deal Over 'Pizza Puff' Injunction Stay

    Little Caesars has said it will immediately take down in-store and online references to its muffin-pizza appetizers as "pizza puffs" — ending a fight with the company that owns the trademark for the term over whether an Illinois federal judge should wait to enforce his injunction — but was given several weeks to phase out the phrase in drive-throughs. 

  • January 17, 2025

    Drink Maker Celsius Settles SEC's Accounting Claims For $3M

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday fined beverage company Celsius Holdings Inc. $3 million to settle claims that it issued financial statements that were materially inaccurate and misleading due to misreported stock award information.

  • January 17, 2025

    NYC Mall Lenders, Developer Want Foreign Investor Suit Nixed

    Financial backers of a Staten Island mall project are asking a federal judge to toss a suit by foreign investors seeking damages, arguing that the investors are just trying to "claw back" whatever they can from others who lost even more money.

  • January 17, 2025

    Prime Sports Drink Fight In Wrong Venue, Chancery Finds

    A beverage bottler's lawsuit seeking damages tied to sports-drink startup Prime Hydration's alleged failure to honor a production contract has come up empty in Delaware's Court of Chancery, with a Thursday ruling that the complaint never tapped into the court's equity jurisdiction.

  • January 17, 2025

    Hawaii Bill Seeks To Make Renter Tax Credit Permanent

    Hawaii would make its renters tax credit permanent and change the credit's amounts under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.

  • January 17, 2025

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen the family of the late chairman of Leicester City FC sue a helicopter manufacturer for £2.15 billion ($2.63 billion), Vivienne Westwood bring a copyright claim against the late designer's foundation and blockchain giant Tether file a new claim in its ongoing dispute with crypto trading firm Swan Bitcoin. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • January 17, 2025

    FTC Accuses Pepsi Of Giving Advantage To Favored Retailer

    The Federal Trade Commission on Friday accused Pepsi of giving a big box retailer better terms and promotional payments, putting smaller competitors at a disadvantage.

  • January 16, 2025

    IP Forecast: Mass. Court To Hear Inequitable Conduct Fight

    A federal judge in Massachusetts will hear arguments that a CEO’s “intentional misrepresentations, omissions and half-truths” at the patent office should sink his company’s infringement case over tamper-resistant plastic containers. Here's a spotlight on where that case stands — plus all the other major intellectual property matters on deck in the coming week.

  • January 16, 2025

    2nd Circ. Revives Wonderful Pistachios' Trade Dress Case

    The Second Circuit revived a trademark infringement complaint from The Wonderful Co. LLC and Cal Pure Produce against pistachio-selling rival Nut Cravings Inc., saying Thursday that the plaintiffs plausibly alleged a likelihood of confusion in how each company's products are packaged, contrary to what a Manhattan federal judge concluded in dismissing the case.

  • January 16, 2025

    Trump EPA Pick Faces Climate Questions, Dodges Details

    President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday tried to steer clear of controversy at a Senate confirmation hearing, taking a conciliatory tone, deferring judgment on specific matters and promising to exercise independence.

  • January 16, 2025

    Colo. AG Wants Ruling In Case Grocers' Merger Is Resurrected

    The Colorado attorney general on Wednesday urged a Denver judge to rule on the state's challenge to Kroger Co. and Albertsons' merger despite the grocers' claims they've abandoned the deal, arguing the fact that the companies dispute each other's termination of the merger suggests it "may still be operative."

  • January 16, 2025

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Judge Bids Adieu, TikTok Wants Out

    The North Carolina Business Court's former chief judge hung up his robes for the last time as the court entered the new year with a ruling that shapes the fate of beset real estate company MV Realty's consumer fraud trial and arguments by TikTok Inc. that its platform being "too engaging" isn't enough for the state to begin an enforcement action.

  • January 16, 2025

    EU Hits China-Based Artificial Sweetener With Import Tax

    The European Commission on Thursday imposed an import tax on the sweetener erythritol from China, in an effort to level the industry playing field within the EU, according to an announcement.

  • January 16, 2025

    FTC Fights Southern Glazer's Bid To Seal Pricing Allegations

    The Federal Trade Commission is opposing a bid from Southern Glazer's to permanently seal parts of the complaint in the commission's price discrimination case, including percentages allegedly showing how much more small retailers pay for wine and spirits than large chains.

  • January 16, 2025

    US Olympic Committee, Logan Paul Drink Co. Settle TM Suit

    The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee has settled its trademark infringement case against Prime Hydration LLC, a sports drink company co-founded by social media influencer-turned-wrestler Logan Paul, leading to a Colorado federal court's dismissal of the case. 

  • January 16, 2025

    Hearthside Proposes $30M In Ch. 11 Key Employee Bonuses

    The bankrupt parent of snack maker Hearthside Food Solutions proposed a pair of retention and incentive payment plans that would provide up to $30 million in bonuses to key employees in the company's Texas Chapter 11 case.

  • January 16, 2025

    Cleveland-Cliffs Sets Sights On US Steel, And More Rumors

    Cleveland-Cliffs has re-emerged as a potential suitor to purchase U.S. Steel after President Joe Biden blocked Nippon's planned purchase, TikTok could be sold to Elon Musk, and Prada is among potential suitors eyeing Versace. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.

  • January 16, 2025

    Defense Fights Privilege Waiver In $250M COVID Fraud Case

    A Minnesota nonprofit director accused of orchestrating a $250 million fraud scheme using funds from a COVID-19 federal food program has told a federal judge that prosecutors are wrong to argue that her lawyer's testimony at her impending trial will waive her attorney-client privilege, since the lawyer would be discussing facts, not advice.

  • January 15, 2025

    SEC Says Restaurant Tech Co. Misled Investors On AI Product

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reached a non-monetary settlement with Presto Automation Inc. to resolve claims the restaurant technology company made false and misleading statements about aspects of its artificial intelligence product, which uses AI-assisted speech recognition technology to automate aspects of drive-thru order taking at quick-service restaurants.

  • January 15, 2025

    Abbott's Toddler Nutrition Drinks Aren't Healthy, Parents Claim

    A trio of parents filed a proposed false advertising class action in Illinois federal court Tuesday alleging Abbott Laboratories touts its toddler drinks sold under the Similac brand as nutritionally proper for children ages 12 months to 36 months, even though the products contain added sugar which is harmful to health.

  • January 15, 2025

    Buyers In Cheese Co. Deal Fight To Keep Claims In Fla.

    Two Florida companies asked the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday to revive their lawsuit accusing Savencia Cheese USA LLC and its executives of fraudulently selling them a worthless cheese distribution company for $17 million, arguing the presence of deal counsel in Miami is enough to keep the suit in Florida federal court.

  • January 15, 2025

    Grocer, Insurers Must Produce Docs In NC Opioid Row

    A North Carolina state court issued a discovery decision in a dispute between grocery chain Harris Teeter Supermarkets Inc. and a slew of its insurers over coverage for about 100 lawsuits seeking damages related to the opioid epidemic, telling the parties to hand over certain documents from between 1993 and 2014.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • Drip Pricing Exemption Isn't A Free Pass For Calif. Eateries

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    A new exemption relieves California bars and restaurants from the recently effective law banning prices that don't reflect mandatory fees and charges — but such establishments aren't entirely off the hook for drip pricing, due to uncertainty over disclosure requirements and pending federal junk fee regulations, say Alexandria Ruiz and Amy Lally at Sidley.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Takeaways From Tossed Deal In Visa, Mastercard Class Action

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    Given the rejection of a proposed deal in the long-running merchant antitrust class action against Visa and Mastercard in New York federal court, sweetening the proposed settlement pot likely will not be an option, leaving few possible outcomes including splitting the class and allowing opt-outs, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • What High Court TM Rulings Tell Us About Free Speech

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    Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings show tension between free speech and trademark law, highlighting that while political mockery is protected, established brands may be forced to adapt to evolving cultural values, says William Scott Goldman at Goldman Law Group.

  • Series

    Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

  • Defending Against Aggressive DOL Child Labor Enforcement

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    The U.S. Department of Labor's recent unsuccessful injunction against an Alabama poultry facility highlights both the DOL's continued focus on child labor violations and the guardrails and defenses that employers can raise, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

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    The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • How Cos. Should Handle Research Org.'s Carcinogen Evals

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    In light of the International Agency of Research for Cancer's list of substances slated for review over the next five years, manufacturers of chemicals, pharmaceuticals and consumer products should monitor for potentially unbalanced determinations, which could stimulate litigation regarding potential exposure from products, say attorneys at Nelson Mullins.

  • Justices' Starbucks Ruling May Limit NLRB Injunction Wins

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Starbucks v. McKinney, adopting a more stringent test for National Labor Relations Board Section 10(j) injunctions, may lessen the frequency with which employers must defend against injunctions alongside parallel unfair labor practice charges, say David Pryzbylski and Colleen Schade at Barnes & Thornburg.

  • Opinion

    Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism

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    As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.

  • A Look At State AGs Supermarket Antitrust Enforcement Push

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    The ongoing antitrust intervention by state attorneys general in the proposed Kroger and Albertsons merger suggests that states are straying from a Federal Trade Commission follow-on strategy in the supermarket space, which involved joining federal investigations or lawsuits and settling for the same divestment remedies, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

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