Food & Beverage

  • January 09, 2025

    Grocers Say Nothing Left To Fight In Colo. Merger Challenge

    Kroger and Albertsons told a Denver District Court that the state's challenge to its merger should be dismissed now that the deal is dead, arguing in a motion that the state always knew that decisions in other lawsuits could render its claim moot.

  • January 09, 2025

    Ark. Cites 4th Circ. Ruling In Dispute Over Hemp THC Limit

    Arkansas is pointing the Eighth Circuit's judges toward an opinion earlier this week from their colleagues in the Fourth Circuit, saying they should consider it as they mull whether to allow the state's regulations on intoxicating hemp products to stand.

  • January 09, 2025

    AFL-CIO, SEIU Promise Expanded Power With Reaffiliation

    The AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union announced that they are reaffiliating nearly 20 years after the service workers union split from the labor federation, with leaders of both groups promising the renewed partnership will help the labor movement reach more workers.

  • January 09, 2025

    SharkNinja Customer Sues For $3.75M After Blender Explodes

    A woman who was nearly blinded when her Ninja brand blender "exploded" claimed SharkNinja's design of the appliance was defective in a complaint transferred to Michigan federal court this week.

  • January 09, 2025

    UK Supermarkets Fear Higher Costs Amid Tax Changes

    Supermarket companies Marks & Spencer and Tesco reported Thursday that they had high sales figures due to Christmas, but both retailers also said they expect to face higher tax costs in 2025 due to changes to National Insurance, a payroll tax used to fund social programs.

  • January 09, 2025

    Beer Sales Rep Can't Show Lasting Harm From Noncompete

    A former Boston Beer Co. sales employee challenging a one-year noncompete agreement has failed to show how she will suffer irreparable harm without a preliminary injunction, a Massachusetts federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying any damages are "readily calculable" if she ultimately wins the case.

  • January 09, 2025

    Kraft Heinz Set For March Trial Over Food Factory Overhaul

    Kraft Heinz Foods Co. and the Ohio contractor that accused it of failing to pay $7.6 million for the work and materials that went into overhauling a factory the company has near the Sandusky River are scheduled for a March 25 bench trial, according to a Wednesday order.

  • January 08, 2025

    Group Alleges $10M 'Sham' In Fla. Plant-Based Co. Stock Deal

    A Canadian investment group has sued two Delaware corporations in Florida federal court over a "sham" stock deal, alleging it was fraudulently induced to sell its plant-based food technology company and later cheated out of $10 million worth of cash and common stock it was promised.

  • January 08, 2025

    Farm Owner Can't Claim $6.5M For Border Wall, 5th Circ. Told

    The federal government argued Wednesday that a Texas woman isn't owed millions of dollars in compensation for a section of the state's border wall built on her land, telling the Fifth Circuit that a principle giving landowners rights to property improvements can't be equitably applied to the federal government.

  • January 08, 2025

    Insurer To Fight Limits In Smucker's Salmonella Coverage Suit

    An insurer seeking a bigger contribution from its insured J.M. Smucker Co. may appeal a court ruling that found there was just one occurrence within underlying litigation against the food company over 225 batches of salmonella-tainted Jif peanut butter, an Ohio federal judge said Wednesday.

  • January 08, 2025

    Welch's Asks 3rd Circ. To Nix Alleged Harasser Rehire Order

    Welch's is asking the Third Circuit to undo a September order from a Pennsylvania judge requiring it to rehire a worker fired for allegedly sexually harassing a co-worker, saying the labor arbitrator who issued the decision failed to make a clear finding of fact both initially and on remand.

  • January 08, 2025

    Shoppers Say Kroger Merger Suit Still Alive After Nixed Deal

    Consumers challenging the abandoned merger between Kroger Co. and Albertsons urged a California federal court not to toss their case despite two court injunctions against the deal, arguing that they have effectively prevailed on their antitrust claims and should get an injunction and attorney fees.

  • January 08, 2025

    Black Ex-Poultry Worker Wants Secret Recordings In Bias Trial

    A Black former employee at Mountaire Farms Inc. has urged a North Carolina federal judge to let the jury in his upcoming racial termination bias trial hear secret recordings he made of his conversations with company representatives, arguing he can verify their authenticity.

  • 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 against Tasty 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.

Expert Analysis

  • How Trump 2.0 May Change Business In Latin America

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    Companies in Latin America should expect to face more trade restrictions, tighter economic sanctions and enhanced corruption risks, as the incoming administration shifts focus to certain non-U.S. actors, most notably China, says Matteson Ellis at Miller & Chevalier.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Surprise NC COVID Ruling Revises Reasonable Expectations

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    The North Carolina Supreme Court's recent finding in favor of policyholders in a suit for business interruption coverage due to COVID-19 shutdown orders runs contrary to most other state and federal courts' holdings on the issue, and may revitalize the reasonable expectations doctrine in the state, say attorneys at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Complying With Seasonal Product Labeling Requirements

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    Though the holiday season is in the rearview, many seasonal alcohol products remain in the market, and producers should ensure that their labels comply with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's additional requirements for such products, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

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