The Food Court blog, published by Bilzin Sumberg, focuses on legal issues affecting the food and beverage industry. It covers topics such as antitrust litigation involving food pricing, franchise disputes including allegations of racial discrimination, product labeling and consumer protection lawsuits, and insurance coverage litigation related to business interruptions like those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The blog provides updates and analysis on regulatory compliance, litigation trends, and legal challenges specific to food manufacturers, retailers, and franchise operators.
On March 26, 2021, Southern District of Florida District Court Judge Cecilia Altonaga denied a motion to dismiss an antitrust class action alleging a conspiracy to fix the price of farm-raised Atlantic salmon globally.[1]
According to the Plaintiffs’ Second Consolidated…
On March 26, 2021, Southern District of Florida District Court Judge Cecilia Altonaga denied a motion to dismiss an antitrust class action alleging a conspiracy to fix the price of farm-raised Atlantic salmon globally.[1]
According to the Plaintiffs’ Second Consolidated…
Washington v. McDonald’s USA, LLC, No. 4:21-cv-00367 (N.D. Ohio Feb. 16, 2021) — Herbert Washington, once one of McDonald’s largest Black franchisee owners, filed suit in the District Court for the Northern District of Ohio against the international, fast-food giant…
Federal courts continue to demonstrate lacking patience for nationwide product labeling class actions premised on purported label misstatements regarding the sourcing of vanilla flavoring.
Recently, food retailer Topco Associates successfully moved to dismiss a class action lawsuit in the Southern…
As we anticipated back in May, there has been a significant increase in litigation relating to business interruption insurance coverage for losses attributable to COVID-19 restrictions. Restaurant policyholders, in particular, have been at the forefront of raising these disputes.…
On Monday, October, 19, 2020, Northern District of Illinois Judge Virginia M. Kendall denied three motions to dismiss a putative class action alleging that the nation’s leading turkey suppliers—including Butterball, Cargill, House of Raeford, Tyson, and Perdue—engaged in a conspiracy…
As the Bilzin Sumberg team previously reported in June 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted four executives from Pilgrim’s Pride and Claxton Poultry for their participation in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids of broiler chicken products.…
Earlier this month, the Attorney General’s Office of the State of New York filed a lawsuit in New York Supreme Court against Hillandale Farms alleging that the company gouged egg prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The State’s Petition, based…
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.
The Plaintiff claimed the labeling of Friday’s “Sour Cream & Onion Potato…
On June 3, 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted executives from Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation and Claxton Poultry Farms—two of the country’s largest chicken producers. The criminal action was filed in the District of Colorado, where Pilgrim’s Pride is headquartered.…
