In October of this year, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals analyzed the issue of federal preemption in the context of poultry product labeling. The plaintiff in Cohen v. ConAgra Brands, Inc., brought a putative class action...more
Earlier this month, the Ninth Circuit reversed approval of a class action settlement, finding several indications that the proposed settlement was the result of collusion between the parties and did not adequately serve the...more
Chicago Repeals SSB Tax After Two Months of Enforcement - Chicago officials have voted to repeal a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax approved in November 2016 by the Cook County Board of Commissioners but delayed by a...more
House Passes Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2017 H.R.985 — 115th Congress - In March 2017, the House passed the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2017 by a vote of 220-201....more
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently upheld certification of a class of retail purchasers of Wesson-brand cooking oil in a false advertising case, despite the fact that almost all class members will never...more
Deepening an already-existing circuit split, the Ninth Circuit has held that class certification is appropriate even if plaintiff has not shown that identifying class members is "administratively feasible." Expressly...more
One of the first significant class action appellate decisions of 2017 was issued this week. In Briseno v. ConAgra Foods, Inc., No. 15-55727 (9th Cir. Jan. 3, 2017), the Ninth Circuit held that Rule 23 does not require that it...more
The Ninth Circuit affirmed certification of putative class actions brought against ConAgra Foods, Inc. (“ConAgra”) by consumers who claimed that ConAgra’s “100% Natural” labels on Wesson cooking oils were false or misleading....more
We’ve recently reported on numerous district court—and even Ninth Circuit—stays in false advertising actions. Many of these stays have been based on FDA’s consideration of food labeling issues, such as those involving...more
In This Issue: - RECENT SIGNIFICANT RULINGS ..Summary Judgment For Defendants In Juice False Advertising Suit ..Partial Class Certification Granted in “100% Natural” Cooking Oil Action ...more
Food for Thought reports on significant court decisions affecting the food industry. The focus of this edition is on several food-related cases pertaining to class certification; particularly, on district court decisions...more
In This Issue: - RECENT SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS AND RULINGS ..Mott’s Defeats Class Certification in Apple Juice Labeling Fight ..Court Tentatively Approves Classes in ConAgra “Natural” Cooking Oil...more
In This Issue: Neutrogena Escapes Class Certification; It's Not "Hip" to Steal Contact Info; Leibowitz Leaves the FTC—Who Will Take His Place?; A Court Ruling Wouldn't Be Kosher; California Supreme Court: Some Online...more