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Food & Beverage
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June 06, 2025
Mich. Farm Labor Contractor Trafficked Workers, Jury Finds
A Michigan federal jury on Friday ruled that a migrant farmworker contractor engaged in forced labor, finding in favor of five farmworkers who said they were coerced into working long hours without pay.
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June 06, 2025
Judge Won't Toss 'Patent Ambush' Case Against Clorox, Brita
A Pennsylvania federal judge has shot down a bid from Clorox Co. and its Brita brand to toss an antitrust lawsuit accusing the companies of engaging in a "patent ambush" to corner the market on home water filters, saying the request was premature.
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June 06, 2025
NJ Milk Co. Says Pa. Regulations Violate Commerce Clause
A New Jersey dairy company on Friday called out two Pennsylvania laws for how they charge out-of-state milk dealers for doing business with producers in the Keystone State, arguing the statutes violate the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution.
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June 06, 2025
Ore. Pot Regulators Say No Contract In Firing Suit
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission is urging a federal court to throw out a suit from its former deputy director alleging that the OLCC breached his employment agreement by firing him following a whiskey pocketing scandal, saying the state's Statute of Frauds voids the alleged employment agreement.
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June 06, 2025
NY Tribe Urges Supreme Court To Overturn Eel Fishing Ruling
A Long Island tribe is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to undo a Second Circuit ruling that rejected its challenge to New York's regulations on eel fishing harvests, arguing that if the decision is held, it would set a precedent allowing district courts to give up their gatekeeping roles on expert testimony.
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June 06, 2025
Kroger-Owned Grocery Escapes Baby Food Metal Claims
Harris Teeter escaped a proposed class action against parent Kroger and other grocery stores alleging that their Simple Truth baby teething wafers contain unsafe levels of toxic metals, according to a Friday order.
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June 06, 2025
Frito-Lay Sun Chips Not 100% Whole Grain, False Ad Suit Says
Frito-Lay's brand of Sun Chips are deceptively labeled as containing "100% Whole Grain," despite the fact the products contain maltodextrin derived from corn, which is a highly refined grain stripped of important nutrients amid the refining process, alleges a proposed class action filed in California federal court.
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June 06, 2025
4th Circ. Stays Ruling Restoring Frozen Federal Grant Funding
A split Fourth Circuit panel has blocked a South Carolina federal judge's order directing the federal government to restore 32 congressionally funded grants that were frozen by the Trump administration, while casting doubt on nonprofits' and cities' legal challenge.
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June 05, 2025
USDA Sued Over Ending 600 Grants Via Flawed Form Letters
A group of environmental and food sustainability nonprofits hit the U.S. Department of Agriculture with a lawsuit in D.C. federal court Thursday, accusing the Trump administration of unconstitutionally exceeding its authority by abruptly rescinding nearly 600 grants via "minimally edited form letters" that had errors and lacked detailed explanations.
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June 05, 2025
Poultry Workers Get Final OK On $398M Wage-Fixing Deals
A Maryland federal judge granted final approval Thursday to settlements worth nearly $400 million for poultry processing workers who claimed that the nation's biggest chicken producers conspired to suppress their wages.
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June 05, 2025
Starbucks Can't Scotch $50M Verdict For Tea-Scorched Driver
A California judge has affirmed a jury verdict awarding $50 million to a gig economy driver who suffered a severely burned penis after scalding hot tea spilled in his lap due to a Starbucks worker's negligence, saying the verdict was not excessive given his "horrific injuries."
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June 05, 2025
Ga. Court Nixes 'Massive' $65M Punitive Award In Fraud Case
The Georgia Court of Appeals on Thursday struck down $65 million in punitive damages awarded to a doctor who was defrauded of his investments in a series of restaurants, ruling that the verdict was "grossly excessive" at more than 100 times the value of the compensatory damages awarded by a state court jury.
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June 05, 2025
Spice Co. Hid Lead Levels In Products, Suit Claims
Florida-based Badia Spices sold ground ginger and cinnamon with elevated levels of lead, according to a New York federal lawsuit that leans on laboratory testing conducted by state food safety regulators.
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June 05, 2025
Hooters Closes Locations As It Pursues Ch. 11 Franchise Shift
Bankrupt casual dining chain Hooters of America began shuttering dozens of restaurant locations throughout the United States Wednesday as it pursues a Chapter 11 restructuring that will see its plan disclosure statement up for approval next week.
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June 05, 2025
USDA Sued Over $13M Food Aid Cut In Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture for pulling $13 million in funds meant for a local food purchase assistance program, telling a federal judge that the decision will have a "devastating effect" on the state's farmers and food banks contrary to the department's mission.
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June 05, 2025
KFC Parent Co. Fights $4B IRS Bill In Tax Court
The parent company of Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell is challenging $2.5 billion in taxes and penalties that the IRS claims it owes for a corporate reorganization to restructure its international operations, according to a U.S. Tax Court petition served Thursday, a figure that has topped $4 billion with interest.
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June 05, 2025
Davis Wright Adds Coblentz Patch Wine Industry Expert In SF
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is expanding its food and beverage team, bringing in a Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP transactional attorney specializing in the wine and hospitality industry as a partner in its San Francisco office.
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June 04, 2025
Starbucks' Legal Chief Exits Amid Organizational Changes
Starbucks's top attorney Brad Lerman will be exiting the company in the coming months while helping the coffee giant search for his replacement as chief legal officer, the company announced Thursday in its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission paperwork.Â
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June 04, 2025
Contractor Calls Migrant Workers To Its Aid In Trafficking Trial
Several migrant workers for a farm labor contracting company testified they weren't forced to turn over their passports or work 20-hour days as the company sought to defend itself against human trafficking claims before a Michigan federal jury on Wednesday.
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June 04, 2025
Cheesesteak Icon Asks 3rd Circ. If Loper Bright Slices Sentence
Counsel for a Philadelphia cheesesteak shop owner seeking a lighter sentence for paying employees off the books told the court Wednesday that he has asked the Third Circuit to consider how the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision striking longstanding agency deference framework might affect his case.
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June 04, 2025
Full 4th Circ. Asked To Rethink Copter Pilot's Death Suit
Farmers accused of negligently allowing a crop-dusting pilot to fly into a steel cable stretched across a property are urging the full Fourth Circuit to release them from a lawsuit filed by the pilot's widow, arguing that, as nonpilots, they had no way of foreseeing aerial hazards.
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June 04, 2025
Albright Ends Traxcell's Patent Cases Targeting Grubhub, Lyft
U.S. District Judge Alan Albright has tossed a pair of lawsuits accusing Grubhub and Lyft of infringing a Traxcell Technologies wireless network system patent, saying the patent owner failed to show that either the food ordering service or ride-hailing company actually uses the system.
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June 04, 2025
DOJ Won't Have To Give Agri Stats Specific Data Fields
A Minnesota federal court refused to force the U.S. Department of Justice to identify specific data fields in industry reports produced by Agri Stats that allegedly allow meat processors to share sensitive information, finding the case is not centered on individual data points.
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June 04, 2025
Pa. Brewery Co-Owner Claims Fraud Against Jailed Partner
A Pittsburgh-area business owner currently jailed for insurance and bankruptcy fraud is also accused of defrauding his former partner in a brewery and restaurant, including hiding the fact that the building the partner was renovating and living in was actually condemned, according to a lawsuit filed in state court.
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June 04, 2025
Agent Seeks Toss Of Insurer's $1M Reinsurance Loss Suit
An insurance company's suit alleging that an insurance agent's errors cost the company its reinsurance through the Federal Crop Insurance Corp. should be tossed, the agent told a Michigan federal court, arguing that the claims are time-barred and have already been litigated.
Expert Analysis
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6 Criteria Can Help Assess Executive Branch Actions
With new executive policy changes announced seemingly every day, several questions can help courts, policymakers and businesses determine whether such actions are proper, effective and in keeping with our democratic norms, say Marc Levin and Khalil Cumberbatch at the Council on Criminal Justice.
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An Unrestrained, Bright-Eyed View Of Legal AI's Future
Todd Itami at Covington offers a bright-eyed, laughing-all-the-way, skydive look at what the legal industry could look like after an artificial intelligence revolution, which he believes may happen much sooner and more dramatically than we expect.
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Tracking The Evolution In Litigation Finance
Despite continued innovation, litigation finance remains an immature market with borrowers recieving significantly different terms as lenders learn to value cases, which firms need a strong handle on to ensure lending terms do not overwhelm collateral value, says Robert Wilkins at Lightfoot Franklin.
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Series
Volunteer Firefighting Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While practicing corporate law and firefighting may appear incongruous, the latter benefits my legal career by reminding me of the importance of humility, perspective and education, says Nicholas Passaro at Ford.
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Influencer Campaign Lawsuits Signal New Endorsement Risks
Recent class actions allege that companies' influencer campaigns violate the Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides and various state laws, but it's not clear whether the failure to comply can sustain these lawsuits, or whether the plaintiffs' creative theory of damages will hold up to scrutiny, says Gonzalo Mon at Kelley Drye.
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Digesting A 2nd Circ. Ruling On Food Delivery App Arbitration
The Second Circuit recently rejected Grubhub's attempt to arbitrate price-fixing claims, while allowing Uber Eats to do so, reinforcing that even broad arbitration clauses must connect to the underlying dispute and suggesting that terms of service litigation may center on websites' design and content, say attorneys at Greenspoon Marder.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: The Perils Of Digital Data Protocols
Though stipulated protocols governing the treatment of electronically stored information in litigation are meant to streamline discovery, recent disputes demonstrate that certain missteps in the process can lead to significant inefficiencies, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Defense Strategies After Justices' Personal Injury RICO Ruling
In Medical Marijuana v. Horn, the U.S. Supreme Court recently held that the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act can be invoked by some plaintiffs with claims arising from personal injuries — but defense counsel can use the limitations on civil RICO claims to seek early dismissal in such cases, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Series
Law School's Missed Lessons: Preparing For Corporate Work
Law school often doesn't cover the business strategy, financial fluency and negotiation skills needed for a successful corporate or transactional law practice, but there are practical ways to gain relevant experience and achieve the mindset shifts critical to a thriving career in this space, says Dakota Forsyth at Olshan Frome.
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How Cos. Can Mitigate Increasing Microplastics Liability Risk
Amid rising scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe of microplastics' impact on health and the growing threat of litigation against consumer product and food and beverage manufacturers, companies can limit liability through compliance with labeling laws, careful contract management and other practices, say attorneys at Rogers Joseph.
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A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process
The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.
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Series
Improv Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Improv keeps me grounded and connected to what matters most, including in my legal career where it has helped me to maintain a balance between being analytical, precise and professional, and creative, authentic and open-minded, says Justine Gottshall at InfoLawGroup.
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How BigLaw Executive Orders May Affect Smaller Firms
Because of the types of cases they take on, solo practitioners, small law firms and public interest attorneys may find themselves more dramatically affected by the collective impact of recent government action involving the legal industry than even the BigLaw firms named in the executive orders, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Opinion
Lawsuits Shouldn't Be Shadow Assets For Foreign Capital
Third-party litigation financing amplifies inefficiencies from litigation and facilitates national exposure to foreign influence in the U.S. justice system, so full disclosure of financing arrangements should be required as a matter of institutional integrity, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.
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How To Accelerate Your Post-Attorney Career Transition
Professionals seeking to transition to nonattorney careers may encounter skepticism as nontraditional candidates, but there are opportunities for thought leadership and to leverage speaking and writing to accelerate a post-attorney career transition, say Janet Falk at Falk Communications and Evgeny Efremkin at Toronto Metropolitan University.