Food Litigation Newsletter - February 2013

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This newsletter aims to keep those in the food industry up to speed on developments in food labeling and nutritional content litigation. We welcome your comments. For a subscription to the electronic copy with links to complaints and opinions, please  email Erin Banks at Perkins Coie LLP.


Table of Contents [please select the link below to navigate to each section]

Recent Significant Rulings

Court Rules that Yogurt Dispute Belongs Before the FDA

Conclusory Allegations that Advertising is “False and Misleading” Fail Minimum Pleading Standards

5-Hour Energy Authorized To Sue Plaintiff’s Firm for Malicious Prosecution

Determining Whether Hot Dogs are “100% Kosher” Would Violate First Amendment

Parties Inch Toward Showdown in Subway Sandwich Length Suits

Margarita Suit on the Rocks as Court Denies Class Certification

Honey Claims Preempted in California and Wisconsin

Plaintiffs Lack Standing to Maintain Claims for Injunctive Relief when they Learn of Alleged False Advertising

Individualized Questions of Reliance Wrinkled Predominated in Face Cream Advertising Case

Court Melts Chocolate Warranty Claims, but Federal Law is No Bar in Hershey Case

Court Denies Plaintiff Carte Blanche to Sue Over White Chocolate

Court Squeezes Preemption Argument in Trader Joe’s Juice Suit

Insurer’s Arguments Dry Up in Powered Milk Indemnification Dispute

FDA Issues Proposed Rules and Explanatory Fact Sheets for FSMA

Federal Court Cans Tomato Claims for Lack of Specificity

Styrene and Vinyl Acetate are Not “Known Carcinogens” Under Proposition 65

Trouble Brewing for Plaintiffs Seeking Monetary Damages in Iced Tea Suit

Court Approves Nationwide Settlement in Walnut Heart Health Class Action

Court Finds No Beef in Suit Over Supplements Containing Animal Byproducts

No Standing Where Plaintiff Cannot Allege He was Harmed

Summary of New Filings

Perkins Coie Food Litigation Group


Court Rules that Yogurt Dispute Belongs Before the FDA

In Taradejna v. General Mills, Inc., 12-cv-00993 (D. Minn.), the court ruled that the FDA was best suited to resolve a dispute over whether Yoplait Greek yogurt could legally be marketed as “Greek yogurt” or even “yogurt.”  Plaintiff alleged that Yoplait Greek could not be marketed as “yogurt” because it contained the thickening agent milk protein concentrate ("MPC"), allegedly in violation of the standard of identify for yogurt, and could not be marketed as “Greek yogurt,” because it was thickened with MPC and not strained.  General Mills noted that the standard of identity relied upon by Plaintiff did not restrict the use of MPC in yogurt and identified subsequent statements by the FDA stating that MPC was an acceptable ingredient in yogurt. The court agreed with General Mills.  Noting that similar suits had been filed in other jurisdictions, the court granted General Mills’ motion to dismiss, concluding that the FDA should apply its expertise to resolve the question. A copy of the opinion can be found here.

Conclusory Allegations that Advertising is “False and Misleading” Fail Minimum Pleading Standards

The court hearing Arroyo v. Pfizer, Inc., No. 12-cv-4030 (N.D. Cal.), dismissed a complaint which alleged that a probiotic supplement “does not support healthy immune function as advertised, and provides no benefit to an individual’s immune system.”  Finding that the plaintiff had failed to plead any factual basis for her assertion that the product’s claims were false or misleading, the court found her claims implausible.  In particular, the court found that the complaint’s repeated assertion that the statements are “false or misleading” were “nothing more than legal conclusions and conclusory statements of fact.”  Further, “[w]ithout facts substantiating why the product does not work as advertised or explaining why Defendants statements were false or misleading,” the court held that the complaint failed to satisfy the Iqbal/Twombly minimum pleadings standards.  The court went on to explain that the complaint also failed to satisfy the heightened standards imposed by Rule 9.  A copy of the opinion can be found here

5-Hour Energy Authorized To Sue Plaintiff’s Firm for Malicious Prosecution

The California Court of Appeal authorized Innovative Ventures, LLC, the maker of 5-Hour Energy, to sue plaintiff’s attorney Howard Rubenstein and his three co-counsel for malicious prosecution.  See Innovative Ventures LLC v. Rubenstein, No. G046242 (Cal. Ct. App., 4th App. Dist.) (unpublished opinion).  In an underlying action, Rubenstein and his co-counsel alleged that that Innovative violated California consumer protection laws by falsely claiming that 5-Hour Energy lasted longer than it actually does.  After the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the action, Innovative sued the named plaintiff and her attorneys, alleging that the attorneys initiated and maintained an action with malice because they made little effort to prosecute the case and offered “protection” to Innovative in exchange for large payments to the plaintiff’s attorneys.  Specifically, Innovative submitted evidence that Rubenstein stated that the level of “protection” from suits in different jurisdictions and over various products Innovative would receive would depend on how much Innovative was willing to pay him.  While the court concluded that the named plaintiff was protected by California’s Anti-SLAPP statute, it held that Innovative could proceed against the attorneys.  A copy of the opinion can be found here.

Determining Whether Hot Dogs are “100% Kosher” Would Violate First Amendment

In Wallace v. ConAgra Foods, No. 12-cv-1354 (D. Minn.), the court dismissed a complaint that Hebrew National hot dog products were falsely advertised as “100% Kosher” on First Amendment grounds.  Plaintiffs alleged that the method the defendant and its contractors used to slaughter cattle violates what they contend are “objective” standards of kosher slaughter.  The court found that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction, because determining whether or not the products are kosher would require it to determine if the rabbis had properly certified the products as kosher, which “would necessarily intrude upon rabbinical religious autonomy.”  As the Court concluded, “definition of the word ‘kosher’ is intrinsically religious in nature, and this Court may not entertain a lawsuit that will require it to evaluate the veracity of Defendant’s representation that its Hebrew National products meet any such religious standard.”  A copy of the opinion can be found here.

Parties Inch Toward Showdown in Subway Sandwich Length Suits

In at least five cases filed in state and federal courts around the country on behalf of putative classes, plaintiffs allege that Subway’s “Footlong” Sandwiches do not measure up.  Charging that subs purchased at Subway stores came up as much as an inch short, the complaints allege that Subway used deceptive advertisements to induce customers to pay a premium for a sandwich a full 12 inches long.  Subway has stated publicly that it intends to implement measures to ensure consistency.  Plaintiffs are seeking damages, fees and costs, and injunctive and declaratory relief.

Margarita Suit on the Rocks as Court Denies Class Certification

In Rapcinsky v. Skinnygirl Cocktails, LLC, No. 11-cv-06546 (S.D.N.Y.), a putative class representative who purchased a margarita mix labeled “all natural” sued, alleging false advertising based on the use of preservatives in the drink.  The court denied his motion for class certification.  First, the court found that since the plaintiff did not purchase the product in New York, his claims were not typical of those of class members bringing suit under New York law.  Second, the court found the plaintiff’s claims lacking in typicality because he admitted that he would have bought the drink mix regardless of the price since the cocktail mix was a gift for his wife and would therefore be unable to prove that he relied on any representations made by Skinnygirl.  A copy of the opinion can be found here.

Honey Claims Preempted in California and Wisconsin

In Ross v. Sioux Honey Association Cooperative, No. 12-cv-1645 (N.D. Cal.) and Regan v. Sioux Honey Association Cooperative, No. 12-cv-0758 (E.D. Wis.), courts granted motions to dismiss complaint alleging that the maker of Sioux Bee Honey violated state consumer protections laws for failing to disclose the absence of pollen in the products.  In both cases, the plaintiffs argued that the presence of pollen is a defining characteristic of honey.  The courts rejected that argument, holding that the claims were preempted by the section 403 of the NLEA, which provides that food is not misbranded if it bears “the common or usual name of the food.”  Following dismissals of previous cases in California, the courts held that neither regulations defining “honey” nor common usage of the term requires honey to contain non-filtered pollen, meaning that federal law required the product to be labeled “honey.”  Since California and Wisconsin laws were in conflict—they prohibits a product to be called “honey” if pollen is removed—the courts found the state laws in conflict with and preempted by the NLEA.  A  copy of both opinions can be found here: Ross v. Sioux Bee Honey Association Cooperative and Regan v. Sioux Bee Honey Association Cooperative.

Plaintiffs Lack Standing to Maintain Claims for Injunctive Relief when they Learn of Alleged False Advertising

In Rikos v. The Proctor & Gamble Co., 11-cv-0226 (S.D. Ohio), plaintiffs allege that marketing of the probiotic supplement Align with Bifantis violates various states’ consumer protection statutes.  The court granted motions for judgment on the pleadings, dismissing claims brought under Florida, New Hampshire and California law.  The dismissals result largely from plaintiffs’ attempts to assert claims under statutes not designed as consumer protection laws (e.g., criminal statutes without private rights of action).  Most interesting, the court held the plaintiffs lack standing to maintain claims for injunctive relief since, now that they are aware of the alleged false advertising, they cannot allege threat of future injury.  A copy of the opinion can be found here.

Individualized Questions of Reliance Wrinkled Predominated in Face Cream Advertising Case

In Chow v. Neutrogena, No. 12-cv-4624 (C.D. Cal.), court denied class certification in a putative class action alleging that Neutrogena face cream did not work as advertised.  In a brief order, the court denied certification on predominance and superiority grounds.  First, the court reasoned that there would be significant individualized questions as to whether the cream worked for each class member.  Second, the court said that individual issues of reliance predominated because of differing motivations for product purchase:  “Plaintiff has not provided significant proof to distinguish between mere favorability towards products bearing the Neutrogena brand name, for example, and reliance upon specific advertised benefits of the products in this case.  Moreover, Plaintiff has not shown how the Court could distinguish between repeat purchasers who actually received benefit from the product and repeat purchasers who were received again.”  A copy of the opinion can be found here.      

Court Melts Chocolate Warranty Claims, but Federal Law is No Bar in Hershey Case

In Khasin v. The Hershey Co., No. 12-cv-01862 (N.D. Cal.), the proposed class accused the chocolate maker of misleading consumers with claims about the nutritional quality and antioxidant content of its products.  Hershey moved to dismiss the claims, arguing in part that the labeling requirements of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) and the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (“NLEA”) preempt state-law tort claims like those asserted in the case.  The court granted the motion in part with regard to the plaintiffs’ breach of warranty claims, holding that food items are exempted from such actions, but ultimately declined to find federal preemption, denying the motion with regard to the other claims.  The court distinguished the case from the Ninth Circuit’s recent opinion in Pom Wonderful LLC v. Coca-Cola Co., noting that the Khasin plaintiffs’ claims were based on state laws that “mirror the relevant sections of the FDCA and NLEA,” and were not an attempt by private parties to enforce federal law.  Similarly, the court rejected Hershey’s argument that the FDCA expressly preempts state law claims, again reasoning that the state requirements in question were virtually identical to those applicable under federal law. A copy of the opinion can be found here.

Court Denies Plaintiff Carte Blanche to Sue Over White Chocolate

In Miller v. Ghirardelli Chocolate Co., No. 12-cv-04936 (N.D. Cal.), on behalf of a putative class, the named plaintiff alleged that some of Ghirardelli Chocolate’s products are deceptively marketed as “‘white chocolate”’ despite not containing ingredients the FDA requires to accurately label a product as white chocolate.  The court granted Ghirardelli’s motion to dismiss claims about four of the five products identified in the complaint because the plaintiff did not purchase them and therefore lacked standing.  The court rejected plaintiff’s argument that the labeling of all the products was sufficiently similar to confer standing, it allowed plaintiff’s case to continue with respect to the one product he purchased. A copy of the opinion can be found here.

Court Squeezes Preemption Argument in Trader Joe’s Juice Suit

In Larsen v. Trader Joe’s Co., No. 11-cv-05188 (N.D. Cal.), plaintiffs allege that Trader Joe’s engaged in false advertising by labeling juices containing ascorbic acid as “All Natural” and “100% Juice”.  Trader Joe’s moved for a judgment on the pleadings, arguing that because federal regulations allow manufacturers to use “vitamin C” and “ascorbic acid” interchangeably, the lawsuit was preempted by federal regulations.  The Court denied the motion, ruling that Trader Joe’s had not shown that the lack of an “All Natural” label would imply that the product was inferior, in violation of federal regulations. A copy of the opinion can be found here.

Insurer’s Arguments Dry Up in Powered Milk Indemnification Dispute

In The Netherlands Ins. Co. v. Main Street Ingredients LLC, No. 11-cv-00533 (D. Minn.), an insurance company sought to evade indemnifying its insured, the maker of an instant milk product allegedly adulterated with salmonella and subject to an FDA-ordered recall.  The court held that Main Street’s breaches of contracts as a result of the tainted product were an “occurrence” for purposes of its policy with Netherlands, and that the “recall exclusion” did not apply since Main Street was not seeking recovery of costs for damage to its own product, but for liability resulting from the damage to a downstream customer who had purchased the contaminated dried milk for use in its oatmeal. A copy of the opinion can be found here.

FDA Issues Proposed Rules and Explanatory Fact Sheets for FSMA

The FDA recently issued two overdue, proposed rules implementing important aspects of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).  One of the proposed rules addresses food safety issues for facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold human food, requiring each facility to prepare a food safety plan similar to the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) plan currently required for juice and seafood facilities.  The other proposed rule addresses food safety issues for produce, addressing growing, harvesting, packing and holding of produce for human consumption.  Comments on the two proposed rules are due on May 16, 2013.

Federal Court Cans Tomato Claims for Lack of Specificity

In Jones v. ConAgra Foods, Inc., No. 12-cv-01633 (N.D. Cal.), putative class litigants alleged that ConAgra misleadingly labeled products, including PAM cooking spray, Hunt’s canned tomato products and Swiss Miss hot cocoa, as “natural” and “organic”.  Although the court rejected arguments that the claims warranted dismissal on federal preemption grounds, several claims were dismissed for failure to plead facts with the level of particularity required.  As to claims involving PAM products, the court held that plaintiffs failed to identify when and where the products were purchased.  Additionally, the court dismissed claims that failed to identify the specific product purchased, particularly concerning the claims involving Hunt’s products.  The court further dismissed claims based on health assertions made on ConAgra websites, because plaintiffs failed to allege that the statements were false or that a reasonable consumer would be deceived by them; however, claims concerning “freshness” and antioxidants eluded dismissal. A copy of the opinion can be found here.

Styrene and Vinyl Acetate are Not “Known Carcinogens” Under Proposition 65

California Proposition 65 requires businesses to provide a public warning if they knowingly expose any individual to any chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.  A business that violates the warning requirement can be sued in a public or private enforcement action and is subject to injunctive relief and civil penalties.  In Styrene Information and Research Center v. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (“OEHHA”), No. C064301 (Cal. Ct. of App.), the court held that styrene (used in various forms in the production of food packaging) and vinyl acetate (used in the production of oxygen, odor, flavor and aroma barrier films used in food packaging) are not “chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity” under Prop 65.  Consequently, businesses that expose individuals to these chemicals are not required to provide a public warning.  OEHHA sought a listing of these chemicals as known carcinogens under Prop 65, because they had been categorized in International Agency of Research on Cancer (“IARC”) monographs as “possibly” carcinogenic to humans.  The court concluded that because chemicals may be listed by IARC as possibly carcinogenic based on less than sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity, they may not qualify for Proposition 65 listing on that basis alone.

Trouble Brewing for Plaintiffs Seeking Monetary Damages in Iced Tea Suit

In Ries v. AriZona Beverages USA LLC et al., No. 10-cv-01139 (N.D. Cal.), plaintiffs alleged that the makers of popular tea beverages defrauded consumers by labeling the drinks as “natural”, although they contained citric acid and high fructose corn syrup.  The court granted partial summary judgment to AriZona, holding that plaintiffs were not entitled to individualized monetary awards of any kind, including restitution, refunds, reimbursement, or disgorgement of profits.  The court did certify a class of consumers who purchased the beverages, but expressly limited the available remedies in the class suit to injunctive and declaratory relief.  Following the ruling on class certification, plaintiffs moved to amend the complaint and to reopen fact and expert discovery, which the court subsequently denied.  Specifically, the court took plaintiffs and their attorneys to task for their bad faith and untimely request, variously describing plaintiffs’ efforts and moving papers as “made in bad faith,” “dilatory,” “futile” and “disingenuous”.  It appears that the class may have no expert witness to counter defendant’s expert, and that the class took almost no discovery before the cut-off.  The court’s order denying summary judgment can be read to invite the defendant to move for summary judgment to establish that the products’ labels were not misleading because HFCS and citric acid are “natural”, so there may be subsequent updates regarding this case.  A copy of the opinion can be found here. A copy of the Ries v. Hormell opinion can be found here.

Court Approves Nationwide Settlement in Walnut Heart Health Class Action

A federal district court recently granted final approval to the terms of a nationwide settlement between the parties in Zeisel v. Diamond Foods, Inc., No. 10-cv-01192 (N.D. Cal.), in which plaintiffs alleged that Diamond’s shelled walnut products bore labels that misled consumers about the health benefits provided by walnuts.  Diamond denied any fault, but agreed to fund restitution claims up to $2.6 million, with any residual restitution going to the American Heart Association’s program designed to educate consumers to read product labels.  The court also granted the plaintiff’s request for payment of legal fees, which exceeded the typical 25% benchmark in the Ninth Circuit because of the advanced stage of litigation at the time of settlement, and allowed a $3,000 incentive award for the named plaintiff. A copy of the opinion can be found here.

Court Finds No Beef in Suit Over Supplements Containing Animal Byproducts

An Illinois District Court judge has dismissed a putative class action suit accusing a supplement manufacturer of deceiving consumers by failing to disclose that its Nature Made supplements contained animal byproducts.  In Lateef v. Pharmavite LLC et al., No. 12-cv-05611 (N.D. Ill.), the plaintiff alleged that the manufacturer failed to disclose the presence of such byproducts, and that the company made misleading statements on its website indicating that its labeling practices were above industry standard and completely reliable.  The court held that the claims involving labeling practices were expressly preempted by the FDCA and the NLEA because Pharmavite’s labeling practices were permissible under federal law.  The court also dismissed plaintiff’s claims regarding Pharmavite’s website claims because she failed to allege that she visited the website or relied on it, thus failing to show any causal link upon which to establish standing. A copy of the opinion can be found here.

No Standing Where Plaintiff Cannot Allege He was Harmed

In Veal v. Citrus World, Inc., No. 12-cv-801 (N.D. Ala.), the court dismissed a putative class action alleging that Florida Naturals Orange juice was not “pure” and “100% orange juice” for failure to allege injury sufficient to establish standing.  According to the court, “[d]espite plaintiff’s numerous allegations as to the wrongfulness of the orange juice industry, the court finds the plaintiff has failed to state an actual, concrete injury.  He states he did not know store bought orange juice was not fresh squeezed, but nowhere alleges any harm from its purchase or consumption.  He does not even claim that upon learning packaged orange juice was not truly ‘fresh,’ he must now squeeze his own oranges.”  A copy of the opinion can be found here.

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Avila v. Green Valley Organics L.P., No. 13-cv-0225 (N.D. Cal.)  Plaintiff alleges that yogurt products violate California’s consumer protection laws because they are labeled with the ingredient “evaporated cane juice” and “organic evaporated cane juice.”  Plaintiff alleges that the use of “cane juice” is false and misleading and should instead be as “sugar” and that “cane juice” is not a sweetener included in the standard of identity for yogurt and is therefore prohibited.

Avoy v. Turtle Mountain LLC, 13-cv-236 (N.D. Cal.) Plaintiff alleges that Turtle Mountain’s So Delicious Dairy Free and Purely Decadent dairy-free deserts are misbranded because they list “evaporated cane juice” as an ingredient rather than “sugar”.

Bolerjack v. Pepperidge Farm, Inc., No. 1:12cv02918 (D. Colo.)  Plaintiff alleges that Cheddar Goldfish crackers are falsely labeled “Natural” because they contain GMOs soy and soy derivatives.

Buren v. Doctor’s Associates, Inc., No. 13-cv-00498 (N.D. Ill.) Plaintiffs allege that Subway falsely advertises its sandwiches as “footlong” but sells sandwiches that measure less than twelve inches.

Careathers v. Red Bull GmbH, No. 13-cv-00369 (S.D.N.Y.)  Plaintiff alleges that Red Bull beverages, which promise to “give you wings” actually provides no more energy than a similarly-sized cup of coffee.

Cox v. General Mills, 12-cv-6377 (N.D. Cal.) Green Valley vegetables marketed as “Natural” but sauce for products contains GMO corn and soy derivatives.

Cox v. Gruma Corp., 12-cv-6502  (N.D. Cal.) “Mission” tortilla chips labeled as “natural” but contain GMO corn.

Fefferman v. Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc., No. 13-cv-0160 (S.D. Cal.)  Plaintiff alleges that 7UP Antioxidant violates California consumer protection statutes by labeling the product “antioxidants” based on cherry, berry or pomegranate flavors, when the antioxidant properties are allegedly derived from synthetic Vitamin E.

Green v. Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc., No. 12-cv-9567 (C.D. Cal.) Plaintiff alleges that 7UP Antioxidant violates California consumer protection statutes by labeling the product “antioxidants” based on cherry, berry or pomegranate flavors, when the antioxidant properties are allegedly derived from synthetic Vitamin E.

Hansen v. Dole Fresh Vegetables, No. 13-cv-1638 (C.D. Cal.)  Plaintiff alleges that a number of Dole’s “All Natural” Salad Kits cannot legally be marketed as “all natural” because they contain  xantham gum, sodium benzoate, phosphoric acid or ascorbic acid, which plaintiff alleges is “synthetic.”

Leonhart v. Nature’s Path Foods Inc., No. 13-cv-0492 (N.D. Cal.):  Plaintiff alleges that labels defendant’s food products, including hot and cold cereals, baking mixes, toaster pastries and waffles, are false and misleading because they list “evaporated cane juice” as an ingredient instead of sugar, as well as other claims based on the products’ labels.

Leslie v. Doctor’s Associates, Inc., No. 33-00465 (D. N.J.)  Subway footlong sandwich suit.

Morgan v. Wallaby Yogurt Company Inc., No. 3:13cv296 (N.D. Cal.) Plaintiff alleges that yogurt products violate California’s consumer protection laws because they are labeled with the ingredient “evaporated cane juice” and “organic evaporated cane juice.”  Plaintiff alleges that the use of “cane juice” is false and misleading and should instead be as “sugar” and that “cane juice” is not a sweetener included in the standard of identity for yogurt and is therefore prohibited.

Park v. Welch Foods, Inc., No. 12-cv-6449 (N.D. Cal.)  Plaintiff alleges that Welch’s brand products violate California consumer protection statutes based on labels statements, including “all natural,” “no sugar added” and “no artificial flavors”.

Patrick v. Frito-Lay North America, Inc., No. 12-cv-5921 (N.D. Cal.) Bean dips labeled and marketed as all natural but contain GMO ingredients.

Pendrak v. Subway Sandwich Shops, Inc., No. 000185 (N.J. Super. Ct.)  Subway footlong sandwich suit.

Riva v. DR Pepper Snapple Group, No.  13cv171 (S.D. Cal.)  Plaintiff alleges that Mott's for Tots Immune Support Fruit Punch is marketed to supports child immune system health, but according to plaintiff, scientific evidence contradicts defendant’s claims.

Robles v. Ventura Foods, 12-cv-6503 (N.D. Cal.) “Marie” salad dressings labeled as “natural” but contains GMO corn and soy derivatives.

Roseman v. Subway Sandwich Shops, Inc., No. 130102647 (Philadelphia Cnty. Pa. Ct. Com. Pl.)  Subway footlong sandwich suit.

Silber v. Barbara’s Bakery, 12-cv-05511 (E.D.N.Y.) “Puffins” cereal labeled “All Natural” but contains GMO corn; synthetic fiber, coloring, and preservatives

Simpson v. California Pizza Kitchen, Inc., No. 13-cv-164 (S.D. Cal.)  Plaintiff alleges that defendant’s frozen pizzas contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, which she contends includes the “toxic carcinogen” artificial trans-fat.

Soto v. Innovative Ventures, LLC, No. 12-cv-0591 (C.D. Cal.)  Plaintiff sued the manufacturer of 5 Hour Energy, alleging that statements by 5-Hour Energy that the product produces "energy" was verified by scientific studies, when plaintiff alleges there is no genuine scientific research or studies that support the claims that 5 Hour Energy drinks provide more benefits than a cup of coffee.

Springer v. Doctor’s Associates Inc. 13-cv-0076 (E.D. Cal.)  Subway footlong sandwich suit.

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David Biderman
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Michael S. Young
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San Francisco Office
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DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

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