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Food & Beverage

  • July 30, 2025

    Honest Co.'s $27.5M Investor Deal Gets Final OK

    An investor class action against The Honest Co. Inc., the "clean lifestyle" brand founded by actress Jessica Alba, has gotten a final nod for a $27.5 million deal to end claims that the company did not disclose certain negative business trends ahead of its 2021 initial public offering.

  • July 30, 2025

    6th Circ. Unsure It Can Toss Papa John's Leaked Audio Suit

    The Sixth Circuit grappled Wednesday with the fate of a lawsuit that the founder of Papa John's brought against a marketing agency alleging it leaked comments that led to his resignation, with one judge questioning the appellate court's jurisdiction to decide if a valid confidentiality agreement existed.

  • July 30, 2025

    Celsius Cans Accidentally Filled With Vodka Drink, Recall Says

    Alcoholic beverage company High Noon said Tuesday it accidentally got shipped some Celsius energy drink cans, filled them with vodka seltzer and shipped them to retailers in several states, in a recall notice that was also published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

  • July 30, 2025

    Cinemark Calls Suit Alleging Exaggerated Beer Size Meritless

    Cinemark USA Inc. asked a Texas federal court to toss a proposed class action alleging that the movie theater company ripped off thirsty moviegoers by advertising 24-ounce beer cups that in reality only contained 22 ounces, saying the plaintiff failed to allege damages over $5 million.

  • July 30, 2025

    Blue Bell Class Seeks Settlement Records In Derivative Suit

    Attorneys for a Blue Bell Creameries USA Inc. stockholder class sought a Delaware Court of Chancery order compelling access to records concerning a $60 million settlement of liability claims after a deadly ice cream contamination incident in 2015.

  • July 30, 2025

    Texas Senate Again Approves Ban On Hemp-Derived THC

    Texas state senators on Wednesday once again gave approval to a legislative proposal to ban products with THC derived from hemp. 

  • July 30, 2025

    Wiggin And Dana Adds Real Estate Partner From Polsinelli

    Law firm Wiggin and Dana LLP said Vasiliki Yiannoulis-Riva has joined as partner from Polsinelli PC in its real estate, environmental, construction and facilities department.

  • July 30, 2025

    4th Circ. Backs Farm Worker's $2.5M Award For Amputation

    The Fourth Circuit affirmed a $2.5 million jury verdict favoring a former North Carolina farm worker who lost his lower leg to a grain silo auger, finding the farm tried to raise new arguments on appeal that were never before the district court.

  • July 29, 2025

    Ex-United Food President Can't Ditch Investor's Suit

    A New York federal judge has rejected a motion for judgment on the pleadings brought by the former president of United Natural Foods Inc. in a proposed securities fraud class action, finding shareholders have sufficiently shown at this point that the former executive had control and culpable participation in allegedly misleading statements.

  • July 29, 2025

    Jack Daniel's Toy TM Win Violates Free Speech, 9th Circ. Told

    The maker of a dog toy parodying Jack Daniel's iconic whiskey bottle has urged the Ninth Circuit to reverse a finding that its "Bad Spaniels" toy tarnishes Jack Daniel's mark, arguing the ruling constitutes unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination over "mild poo jokes" that weren't similar to famous Jack Daniel's marks.

  • July 29, 2025

    Fight Over End To Migrant Parole May Be Moot, 1st Circ. Hints

    The First Circuit grappled Tuesday with whether the Trump administration could elect to abruptly end a Biden-era immigration parole program, even as it appeared to acknowledge that as a practical matter, the measure could die of attrition before the question is answered.

  • July 29, 2025

    $32M Verdict Holds Up In Curaleaf Pot Farm Dispute

    A Michigan federal judge on Tuesday said he was "waving goodbye" to a years-old case as he denied Curaleaf units' bid to unravel a $32 million verdict in favor of a marijuana farm that alleged the companies breached a sales contract, finding the jury had enough evidence to support its decisions.

  • July 29, 2025

    3rd Circ. Says DOL H-2A Case Should Have Been In Fed. Court

    A New Jersey farm was entitled to have a federal court weigh in on the U.S. Department of Labor's allegations that it flouted H-2A visa program requirements, the Third Circuit ruled Tuesday, finding the DOL improperly relied on in-house administrative proceedings to impose over $580,000 in fines.

  • July 29, 2025

    Hershey Tries To Sink Suit Over Spicy Chip Blamed For Death

    The Hershey Company has asked a Massachusetts federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the family of a teen who died after participating in a viral social media trend dubbed the "One Chip Challenge," which involved consuming an extremely spicy tortilla chip, saying the product is legal and includes "prominent warning labels."

  • July 29, 2025

    USDA Seeks End To Pa. Suit Over $13M Food Aid Cut

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture wants a federal judge to throw out a lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania's governor accusing the USDA of haphazardly cutting off $13 million in food aid that supports local farmers.

  • July 29, 2025

    Worker Caused Own Drunk Driving Death, Conn. Court Told

    A woman who died in a drunk driving crash after an allegedly mandatory wine tasting event at the Connecticut restaurant where she worked is responsible for her own death because she drank too much and failed to obey traffic laws, the defendants in her estate's lawsuit said in their answer to the complaint.

  • July 29, 2025

    Jones Day Hires Former Pharma Co. Counsel In DC

    Jones Day has hired a former Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP partner, who has also worked in-house at two pharmaceutical companies and with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the firm announced Tuesday.

  • July 29, 2025

    Pot Growers Not Forum-Shopping In $17M Suit, Judge Finds

    A Massachusetts state court judge has rejected claims of forum shopping made by a berry farm accused of contaminating nearby cannabis fields with pesticides, denying a motion to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction.

  • July 28, 2025

    Smucker, Chubby Snacks End TM Spat Over Uncrustables

    J.M. Smucker has settled its lawsuit accusing Chubby Snacks of misusing its Uncrustables trademarks and making disparaging comments about the signature sandwich while hyping up its own competing peanut butter and fruit spread product as a purportedly healthier option, according to an order signed Monday by an Ohio federal judge.

  • July 28, 2025

    Amazon Looks To Ax Claims Of Heavy Metals In Rice Products

    Amazon urged a Washington federal court to dismiss proposed class litigation seeking to hold the company responsible for rice products sold through its online store that contain toxic metals such as lead and mercury, saying there's no allegation the levels are "above any applicable legal or regulatory thresholds."

  • July 28, 2025

    Splenda-Maker Says Emails Show NC Scientist Ignored Data

    The makers of Splenda said new emails and documents unearthed in discovery for its defamation lawsuit against a scientist show that she ignored and manipulated experiment data to suggest that the artificial sweetener is dangerous for humans.

  • July 28, 2025

    Coca-Cola Looks To Drain '100% Natural Flavors' False Ad Suit

    Coca-Cola urged a California federal judge to drain a proposed class action alleging it deceptively labels its Sprite sodas as made with "100% natural flavors" despite containing citric acid, arguing Friday the plaintiff doesn't plausibly allege the citric acid is artificial, and that her claims are preempted by federal law.

  • July 28, 2025

    Electrolux Range's Defect Led To Fire, Insurer Tells Court

    Three Electrolux companies manufactured ranges with a foreseeable defect that allowed the products to unintentionally activate, a property insurer told a Connecticut federal court as it sought to recover the claim payout for a homeowner's kitchen fire.

  • July 28, 2025

    Cashier Says Cannabis Bakery Didn't Pay Overtime, Took Tips

    A former cashier for an Illinois bakery that makes and sells cannabis products sued the bakery Monday, alleging it failed to pay proper overtime wages and distributed tips to managers in violation of state and federal law.

  • July 28, 2025

    Walmart Makes Deal After $223M Loss In Trade Secrets Trial

    Walmart Inc. has reached a settlement with Zest Labs Inc. to end a suit accusing the retail behemoth of using Zest Labs' trade secrets related to shelf-freshness technology after a jury awarded the company $223 million in damages, according to a Monday court order.

Expert Analysis

  • Federal Regs Order May Spell Harsher FDCA Enforcement

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    A recent executive order aimed at reducing criminal prosecutions of those who unknowingly violate complex federal regulations may actually lead to more aggressive felony indictments under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, but companies and executives can mitigate risks by following several key principals, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

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    Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

  • ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

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    The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Latest Influencer Marketing Class Actions Pinpoint 5 Themes

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    Several recent deceptive marketing class actions against both brands and influencers attempt to transform arguably routine business practices into a new focus area for consumer complaints, suggesting a coordinated approach to test what could become an increasingly popular area of litigation, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Trump's Trade Policies Are Shaping Foreign Investment

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    Five months into the Trump administration, investors are beginning to see the concrete effects of the president’s America First Investment Policy as it presents new opportunities for clearing transactions more quickly, while sustaining risk aversion related to Chinese trade and potentially creating different political risks, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • 4 Consumer Class Action Trends To Watch In 2nd Half Of 2025

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    The first half of 2025 has seen a surge of consumer class action trends related to online tools, websites and marketing messages, creating a new legal risk landscape for companies of all sizes, says Scott Shaffer at Olshan Frome.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

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    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • One Year On, Davidson Holds Lessons On 'Health Halo' Claims

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    A year after the Ninth Circuit's Davidson v. Sprout Foods decision — which raised the bar for so-called health halo claims — food and beverage companies can draw insights from its finding, subsequently expanded on by other courts, that plaintiffs must be specific when alleging fraud in healthfulness marketing, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Bill Leaves Renewable Cos. In Dark On Farmland Reporting

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    A U.S. Senate bill to update disclosure requirements for foreign control of U.S. farmland does not provide much-needed guidance on how to report renewable energy development on agricultural property, leaving significant compliance risks for project developers, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

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    My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

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    The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.

  • Series

    Performing As A Clown Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    To say that being a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has changed my legal career would truly be an understatement — by creating an opening to converse on a unique topic, it has allowed me to connect with clients, counsel and even judges on a deeper level, says Charles Tatelbaum at Tripp Scott.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Rejecting Biz Dev Myths

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    Law schools don’t spend sufficient time dispelling certain myths that prevent young lawyers from exploring new business opportunities, but by dismissing these misguided beliefs, even an introverted first-year associate with a small network of contacts can find long-term success, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

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