Mass Torts vs. Class Actions: A Tale of Two Strategies
Eighth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Putative Class Claims
Class Action | Eleventh Circuit Reinstates No Hire Antitrust Claims Against Burger King
John Lewis of BakerHostetler Discusses Use of Social Media in Gawker Class Action
Wearables and the Future of Intellectual Property Law
We are pleased to share our Q4 Food and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Legal Trends report. This report is a bite-size version of our annual year in review, providing timely insights on legal trends in the space. In Q4 of...more
Our weekly roundup aims to keep our readers up to date on recent notable rulings in the food & consumer packaged goods space. Kristie Brownell v. Starbucks Coffee Co., No. 5:22-cv-01199-FJS-ATB (N.D.N.Y. – July 12, 2023):...more
A New York federal district court dismissed a putative class action asserting violations of state and federal consumer protection laws, fraud and unjust enrichment arising from claims that it was misleading to label juice...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - Group Petitions USDA to Prohibit ‘Low-Carbon Beef’ Label, Require Verification for Carbon Claims - The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has petitioned the U.S. Department of...more
A Florida woman has filed a putative class action against Kraft Heinz Foods Co. alleging the company misleads consumers as to the cook time of its Velveeta-brand microwavable macaroni and cheese product. Ramirez v. Kraft...more
Judge Rachel Kovner of the Eastern District of New York recently dismissed a putative class action challenging Whole Foods Market’s label claims that its Oats & Flax Instant Oatmeal contains “dehydrated cane juice solids” and...more
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
New York federal courts have recently shown a willingness to dismiss implausible mislabeling claims on the pleadings. The recent dismissal of three consumer class actions—all filed by the same plaintiff’s counsel—suggests...more
Beginning in 2020, the advertising world saw an explosion of putative class-actions challenging the use of “vanilla” to describe products where the vanilla flavoring allegedly is not derived exclusively from the vanilla bean...more
"The overwhelming majority of courts have concluded that neither COVID-19 nor the governmental orders associated with it cause or constitute property loss or damage for purposes of insurance coverage." So concluded the...more
Judge Beth Freeman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California recently dismissed with prejudice a putative class action alleging that Mott’s apple-based products were deceptively labeled “Natural” and...more
Judge Edward R. Korman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York recently granted Mondelez Global’s motion to dismiss a putative class action challenging the advertising for its signature Oreo cookies....more
We previously blogged about the dismissal without prejudice of a putative consumer class action alleging that the well-known confectioner Ghirardelli misled consumers into believing its “Premium Baking Chips Classic White...more
Last month, Judge Dale S. Fischer of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California denied Kraft Heinz’s motion to dismiss a putative nationwide class action alleging Kraft falsely advertised its “Crystal...more
Judge Paul C. Huck of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida recently granted a motion to dismiss brought by Defendants The Fresh Market and Tyson Fresh Meats in a putative consumer class action alleging...more
On June 8, 2020, Judge Katherine Polk Failla in the Southern District of New York dismissed a putative class action against TGI Friday’s (“Friday’s”) for alleged deceptive advertising....more
Lawsuits against Tom’s of Maine (Tom’s) and Colgate-Palmolive Co. (Colgate), the parent company of Tom’s, have made news of late and raise concerns over representations about “natural” products on package labeling. ...more
A magistrate judge in the Northern District of California recently dismissed a putative class action alleging that Trader Joe’s misled its consumers about the purity of its manuka honey. Moore v. Trader Joe’s Co., No....more
Is it deceptive to label food products with the mark of the American Heart Association (“AHA”) without disclosing that the AHA was paid for use of its certification mark? This was the question raised by a putative class...more
LEGISLATION, REGULATIONS & STANDARDS - U.K. Launches Consultation On Allergen Labeling - The U.K. Food Standards Agency has opened a public consultation on labeling allergens on prepared food products. ...more
We often cover cases in which false advertising claims brought under state law are challenged as preempted by a federal regulatory scheme. Poland Spring was a recent target of state law false advertising claims, and...more
Wage and Hour - Decision Upholds Class Action Waivers in Arbitration Clauses, Resolves Circuit Split - The U.S. Supreme Court issued a long-awaited decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis on May 21, 2018, holding that...more
FDA Issues Supplemental Guidance for Menu Nutrition Labels - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced the availability of “Menu Labeling: Supplemental Guidance for Industry,” which includes an advisory of...more
Newman v. Dierbergs Markets, Inc., No. 1822-CC00194 (Mo. Cir. Ct. – St. Louis): Putative class action asserting violations of Missouri’s Merchandising Practices Act, and raising a claim for unjust enrichment. Plaintiff...more
Community Science Institute v. Target Corp, et al., No. RG18-887565 (Cal. Super. Ct. – Alameda Cnty.): Proposition 65 action alleging Defendant fails to warn consumers that its Up & Up Toddler Beginnings Infant Formula with...more