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Food & Beverage
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September 26, 2024
Nestlé Customers Win Class Cert. In Child Labor Labeling Suit
A California federal judge on Thursday granted class certification in litigation alleging Nestle USA misleads the public with "sustainably sourced" chocolate labels when its cocoa is produced through child labor and deforestation, rejecting the company's contention that classes can't be lumped together for different labels on different products.
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September 26, 2024
Edible Arrangements Says Zurich Shirked Policy Duties In $4M Suit
Atlanta-headquartered Edible Arrangements has hit the American Zurich Insurance Co. with a breach of contract suit seeking at least $4.2 million, claiming the insurer refused to defend and indemnify it against counterclaims stemming from a trademark suit it filed against another company.
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September 26, 2024
General Mills Seeks To Ax Suit Claiming Cocoa Puffs Has Lead
General Mills urged a California federal court to toss a proposed consumer class action claiming its Cocoa Puffs cereal contains undisclosed and high levels of lead, saying the suit is based on a "flawed and implausible theory" that doesn't show lead is present in the cereal at unsafe levels.
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September 26, 2024
3rd Circ. Rules Commerce Fishery Councils Cannot Veto Regs
Government-appointed advisory councils that have the power to veto decisions of federal cabinet-level officials run afoul of the U.S. Constitution, the Third Circuit said, stripping that veto power from "regional fishery management councils" that advise the U.S. secretary of commerce.
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September 26, 2024
New Report Urges Feds To Take Larger Role In Pot Policy
The rise of state-sanctioned cannabis markets amid the absence of federal regulation has prioritized policies intended to launch marijuana sales over those focused on public health, according to a government-sponsored report made public Thursday.
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September 26, 2024
Chubb Bears Burden In Smithfield Hog Farm Coverage Suit
A Chubb unit must bear the burden of proving the reasonableness of costs that Smithfield Foods incurred in defending against claims that its farms were a nuisance, North Carolina's business court ruled, saying the pork producer must only show that it incurred and paid the costs at issue.
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September 26, 2024
Dominican Airport Co. Says Project Feud Must Be Arbitrated
The operator of airports in the Dominican Republic has urged a Puerto Rico federal court to compel a food-and-beverage concessionaire to resolve its multimillion-dollar claims against it in arbitration following an ill-fated expansion project at the country's main airport.
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September 26, 2024
Man Says Houston-Area Starbucks Put Racist Joke On Drink
Coffee chain Starbucks was hit with a race discrimination lawsuit Wednesday from a Black man who alleged staff at a Houston-area location put a racist note on his cup when he arrived to pick up a mobile order.
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September 26, 2024
Del. Bankruptcy Judge Says Purdue Limits Opt-Out Releases
A Delaware bankruptcy judge says the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Purdue Pharma LP barring nonconsensual third-party releases does not allow a kind of oft-used opt-out waiver for voters who don't return ballots.
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September 26, 2024
Conn. PFAS Water Pollution Suit Returned To State Court
A Connecticut federal judge has sent back to state court a proposed class action accusing the Connecticut Water Co. of knowingly selling water contaminated with dangerous levels of PFAS and failing to take steps to remove the pollutants, saying the water supply system's arguments are "fatally flawed."
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September 26, 2024
Nightclub Can Pursue Defamation Suit Against TikTok User
A Chicago nightclub and restaurant has pled enough to pursue defamation claims against a woman who posted a viral TikTok video claiming security staff was "manhandling" and otherwise physically forcing her out of the establishment, a state court judge has said.
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September 26, 2024
Investor Ordered To Deposit $336K In Pot Co. Contract Suit
A Nevada magistrate judge has ordered Capital Pure Assets Ltd. to deposit $336,000 with the court as part of a dispute with a cannabis payment company's subsidiary over a failed business venture, finding the subsidiary is likely to succeed on its claims that CPA tricked it into putting that amount into an escrow fund.
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September 26, 2024
Bakery Wants Out Of $16M Payment To Pension Fund
An Indiana wholesale bakery company asked the Eleventh Circuit on Thursday to reverse an order for the bakery to pay a union pension fund $15.6 million, arguing that the pension fund's interpretation of the Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act conflicts with the plain text of the statute.
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September 26, 2024
Pa. Justices Say COVID Closures Aren't Covered Losses
Pennsylvania's Supreme Court shut the door Thursday on COVID-19 pandemic loss insurance coverage for businesses closed by government mandate, ruling that requisite physical loss or damage required tangible alteration to property, reversing a lower court decision that stated loss of use was sufficient.
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September 26, 2024
11th Circ. Wary Of Ineffective-Counsel Claim In Salmonella Case
Peanut Corp. of America's former president and a food broker convicted for their roles in a salmonella outbreak that killed nine people and sickened more than 700 in 2008 and 2009 urged the Eleventh Circuit on Thursday to overturn a district court order refusing to vacate their prison sentences.
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September 26, 2024
Atty Sheehan Owes $144K Fees For 'Frivolous' Big Lots Suit
Prolific New York-based consumer advocate attorney Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates PC must cover the approximately $144,000 tab for attorney fees incurred amid the "frivolous" coffee labeling suit he brought against national retailer Big Lots Inc., a Florida federal judge has ordered.
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September 25, 2024
DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub Win NYC Diner Data Law Row
A New York federal judge on Tuesday granted DoorDash Inc. and other food delivery app companies a win in their lawsuit challenging a New York City law requiring delivery services to provide restaurants with certain customer info, ruling that the law is unconstitutional.
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September 25, 2024
4th Circ. Doubts H-2A Wage Rule Should Be Put On Ice
A Fourth Circuit panel appeared reluctant on Wednesday to block the Biden administration's new wage rule for H-2A visa workers, doubting whether the rule should have accounted for illegal immigration and whether that issue was even properly before the court.
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September 25, 2024
Walgreens' TM Suit Can Proceed Against Founder's Relative
Walgreen Co. can move forward with its trademark infringement suit against the great-grandson of the company's founder for operating Walgreen Health Solutions after an Illinois federal judge denied his motion to dismiss, finding the drugstore chain has shown a likelihood of confusion between the two brands.
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September 25, 2024
Wyden Pitches New Bill To Regulate Intoxicating Hemp
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced a new bill on Wednesday to more tightly regulate products with hemp-derived cannabinoids, with an emphasis on age gating, manufacturing standards and labeling requirements.
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September 25, 2024
Court Defers Ruling On Challenge To Arkansas Hemp Law
An Arkansas federal judge has deferred a final ruling on a challenge to a state law banning hemp-derived intoxicating products while a pending appeal plays out in the Eighth Circuit.
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September 25, 2024
Poppi's 'Gut Healthy' Sodas Are Harmful To The Gut, Suit Says
The maker of Poppi-brand sodas misleadingly advertises the products as "prebiotics for a healthy gut," despite the fact that it's full of sugar, which is harmful to overall health and heightens the risk of obesity, Type II diabetes and other issues, alleges a putative class action filed in California federal court.
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September 25, 2024
Calif. Judge Says Fluoride In Water Risks Lowering Kids' IQ
A California federal judge on Tuesday agreed with green groups that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's current "optimal" level of fluoride in drinking water poses an unreasonable risk of lowering children's IQ and directed the EPA to act.
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September 25, 2024
Bar Works Crook Gets 7 Years For Role In $57M Global Fraud
A Manhattan federal judge hit an English real estate marketer with a seven-year prison sentence on Wednesday for joining what prosecutors call a global Ponzi scheme that tricked investors into pouring $57 million into the bogus workspace share venture Bar Works.
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September 24, 2024
Aristocrat Wins Injunction In Slot Machine Trade Secret Row
A federal judge in Las Vegas blocked gambling game company Light & Wonder Inc. from commercializing its Dragon Train video slot machine game, saying competitor Aristocrat Technologies Inc. is "extremely likely" to succeed in showing L&W misappropriated Aristocrat's trade secrets in developing the game.
Expert Analysis
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Co-Tenancy Clause Pointers For Shopping Center Landlords
Large retail tenants often require co-tenancy provisions in their leases, entitling them to remedies if a shopping center's occupancy drops in certain ways, but landlords must draft these provisions carefully to avoid giving tenants too much control, says Gary Glick at Cox Castle.
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Complying With FTC's Final Rule On Sham Online Reviews
The Federal Trade Commission's final rule on deceptive acts and practices in online reviews and testimonials is effective Oct. 21, and some practice tips can help businesses avert noncompliance risks, say Airina Rodrigues and Jonathan Sandler at Brownstein Hyatt.
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Nuclear Waste Storage Questions Justices May Soon Address
The petition for the U.S. Supreme Court to review U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas stands out for a number of reasons — including a deepening circuit split regarding the NRC's nuclear waste storage authority under the Atomic Energy Act, and broader administrative law implications, say attorneys at MoloLamken.
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3 Patent Considerations For America's New Quantum Hub
Recent developments signal an incredibly bright future for Chicago as the new home of quantum computing, and it is crucial that these innovators — whose technology has the potential to transform many industries — prioritize intellectual property strategy, says Andrew Velzen at McDonnell Boehnen.
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Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls
Despite the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's continued release of guidance for complying with the Corporate Transparency Act, its interpretation remains in flux, making it important for companies to understand potentially problematic areas of ambiguity in the practical application of the law, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Fed. Circ. Ruling Creates New Rule For Certification Marks
The Federal Circuit's decision last month in Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac v. Cologne & Cognac Entertainment is significant in that it establishes a new standard for assessing evidence of third-party uses of a certification mark in deciding whether the mark is famous, say Samantha Katze and Lisa Rosaya at Manatt.
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Series
After Chevron: Conservation Rule Already Faces Challenges
The Bureau of Land Management's interpretation of land "use" in its Conservation and Landscape Health Rule is contrary to the agency's past practice and other Federal Land Policy and Management Act provisions, leaving the rule exposed in four legal challenges that may carry greater force in the wake of Loper Bright, say Stacey Bosshardt and Stephanie Regenold at Perkins Coie.
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A Preview Of AI Priorities Under The Next President
For the first time in a presidential election, both of the leading candidates and their parties have been vocal about artificial intelligence policy, offering clues on the future of regulation as AI continues to advance and congressional action continues to stall, say attorneys at Mintz.
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How Companies Are Approaching Insider Trading Policies
An analysis of insider trading policies recently disclosed by 49 S&P 500 companies under a new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule reveals that while specific provisions vary from company to company, certain common themes are emerging, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
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How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations
Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.
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The Fed. Circ. In August: Secret Sales And Public Disclosures
Two recent Federal Circuit rulings — Sanho v. Kaijet and Celanese International v. ITC — highlight that inventors should publicly and promptly disclose their inventions, as a secret sale will not suffice as a disclosure, and file their patent applications within a year of public disclosure, say Sean Murray and Jeremiah Helm at Knobbe Martens.
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Employer Arbitration Lessons From Calif. Consumer Ruling
Although a California state appeals court’s recent arbitration ruling in Mahram v. Kroger involved a consumer transaction, the finding that the arbitration agreement at issue did not apply to a third-party beneficiary could influence how employment arbitration agreements are interpreted, says Sander van der Heide at CDF Labor Law.
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Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles
Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
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5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond
As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.