As part of Lathrop GPM’s Increasing Diversity in Franchising initiative, we have explored and conducted webinars on various facets of increasing diversity in franchising, including access to capital, educational initiatives...more
This discussion of ethics at the heart of business success is from a keynote session at NAVEX Next, an annual virtual conference for risk and compliance professionals. The session, Ethics at the Heart of Successful Business,...more
Earlier this summer, the District Court of Vermont dismissed a false advertising lawsuit alleging that Ben & Jerry’s claims that it sources dairy products from “happy cows” on “Caring Dairy” farms were materially misleading....more
A Vermont federal court dismissed a lawsuit alleging consumer fraud, breach of warranty, and unjust enrichment against Ben & Jerry’s because representations about its dairy from “happy cows” did not run afoul of the law. But...more
The plaintiffs’ bar has continued to challenge sourcing and sustainability claims made by food manufacturers. In Ehlers v. Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc., 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 80773 (D. Vt. May 7, 2020), however, the court...more
Consumer activism and conscious consumerism are on the rise, with consumers expected to spend upwards of $150 billion on sustainable products by 2021 in the U.S. alone. Though consumers are willing to pay a premium for...more
TINA.org Sets Up Neurocore for an FTC Investigation - Noggin-training company somehow misses stark enforcement trend - Brain in Vain - When we report about brain-improvement therapies, we’re usually sharing news about...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
A putative class of plaintiffs filed suit against ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s, alleging that labeling several of its frozen confections “all natural” when they contained alkalized cocoa made with artificial alkali...more
In This Issue: - Recent Significant Developments and Rulings ..Court Denies Class Certification in Class Action Suit Against Ben & Jerry’s ..FDA Declines to Revise Policy on “Natural” Food Labels ..Court...more
- How Ben & Jerry’s Defeated an “All Natural” Class Certification Motion On January 7, 2014, the Northern District of California refused to certify a class of Ben & Jerry’s purchasers who allegedly had purchased ice...more
It turns out that the folks at Caballero Video were gentlemen after all, at least from Ben & Jerry’s perspective. Last September, the ice cream maker brought a trademark action in the Southern District of New York to put a...more