Meet Sonya Richburg, Employment Counsel with Coca-Cola Consolidated
On August 31, 2021, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued an unpublished order revoking class certification of a consumer class in a Coca-Cola labeling case. The plaintiffs alleged that Coke’s advertising slogan...more
On April 1, 2020, FDA issued a guidance document instructing companies on how to notify the agency of a permanent discontinuance or interruption of manufacturing of certain products pursuant to Section 506C of the FDCA (21...more
In the ever-evolving world of nutritional guidance, sugar is the new enemy. In the '70s, it was salt; in the '80s it was fat; in the '90s it was cholesterol; and now, it’s sugar. What this shift in the zeitgeist means for...more
Baby food maker Gerber has scored a partial victory in a false labeling would be class action. The Ninth Circuit in Bruton v. Gerber Prods. Co., Case No. 15-15174, has reversed itself and thrown out a deceptive labeling claim...more
Food for Thought is a review of significant court decisions affecting the food, beverage, dietary supplements and personal care products industry. Although many cases in this edition focus on class certification, others...more
Coca-Cola has been called out in California for deceptively advertising is sugar-saturated sodas so it can sell more of them. A 39-page lawsuit filed in San Francisco makes 13 claims against the iconic beverage brand...more
The public health community has been more vocal over the last several years regarding the amount of sugar being used in food and beverages. On January 4, 2017, the Praxis Project (“Plaintiff”), a public health advocacy...more
On March 18, 2016, Pom Wonderful LLC made closing arguments in its trial against Coca-Cola for the alleged misleading marketing of a pomegranate-blueberry juice which contained only trace amounts of either pomegranate or...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 ..Another Greek Yogurt Case Against Whole Foods is Transferred ..Safeway’s Frozen Waffles Case Dismissed ..Individual Claims...more
The year 2014 saw some important developments in the area of intellectual property law. A number of intellectual property-related issues even made national headlines. Who can forget the public debate over the rightful...more
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court in POM Wonderful LLC v. The Coca Cola Co. (June 12, 2014) held that the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) does not preclude a private party from bringing a Lanham Act claim...more
In This Issue: - Decisions ..Ninth Circuit Affirms Lodestar Attorneys’ Fees ..Court Dismisses for Lack of Standing But Applies Pom Wonderful to Avoid Primary Jurisdiction ..Court Finds Pre-Answer...more
In a recent unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the court opened the door for private parties, including competitors, to bring false advertising and misrepresentation claims under the Lanham Act even if the product labels...more
POM Wonderful LLC v. Coca-Cola Co. - In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of the United States reversed the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling that the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and its...more
The US Supreme Court allows private parties to bring Lanham Act claims challenging product labels that otherwise satisfy the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. In a battle of the beverages, the Supreme Court recently...more
The Supreme Court's recent decision in POM Wonderful LLC v. Coca-Cola Company could have redefined the consumer class action landscape with respect to claims for the deceptive labeling of food products. Instead, the decision...more
In a highly anticipated decision, the Supreme Court on June 12 announced that compliance with food labeling guidelines promulgated by the Food and Drug Administration will not operate as a bar against false advertising claims...more
On Thursday, June 12, 2014, Justice Anthony Kennedy delivered an opinion for a unanimous United States Supreme Court in POM Wonderful LLC v. The Coca-Cola Co., No. 12-761, in which the Court ruled that the Federal Food, Drug,...more
The Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision last week in Pom Wonderful LLC v. Coca-Cola Co., a case pitting the false advertising provisions of the Lanham Act against the beverage labeling standards of the federal Food Drug...more
On June 12, 2014, a unanimous Supreme Court of the United States ruled that competitors may bring federal false advertising and unfair competition claims against beverage labels that are regulated by the Food and Drug...more
On June 12, 2014, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in POM Wonderful LLC v. Coca-Cola Co., No. 12-761, which confirms that federal false advertising claims can be brought against false or misleading...more
A unanimous Supreme Court (8-0, Justice Breyer recusing) ruled on June 12, 2014 in POM Wonderful v. Coca-Cola that one competitor may sue another for unfair competition under the Lanham Act for allegedly false or misleading...more
The Supreme Court's ruling in Pom Wonderful LLC v. Coca-Cola Co. may open the door to more false advertising claims regarding food and beverage labeling....more
Demonstrating compliance with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling rules wasn’t enough for Coca-Cola to ward off a Lanham Act false-advertising claim by POM Wonderful, LLC, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled in...more