Food & Beverage Litigation & Regulatory Update

Category: Firm News

  • Shook Attorneys Present Webinar on Minimizing FDA Enforcement Risk on Food Importers

    In spring 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) started regulating food importers under the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP). FSVP requires a food importer to create a due diligence program to review and approve its foreign suppliers and conduct activities to verify that the food is produced in a manner that provides at…

  • Court Dismisses Beef “Product of the USA” Lawsuit

    A New Mexico federal court has dismissed allegations that several food companies falsely labeled beef as a “Product of the USA” because the cattle were raised in other countries but brought to the United States for slaughter and processing. Shook attorneys represented Tyson Foods Inc. in the litigation. Lucero v. Tyson Foods Inc., No. 20-0106 (D.N.M.,…

  • Shook Ranked First in Food and Beverage News for Third Consecutive Year by JD Supra

    JD Supra 2020 Readers Choice Awards recognized Shook for the third consecutive time as the top law firm for food and beverage content. The award acknowledges top authors and firms for their thought leadership and reader engagement in key topics during the past year. Shook Partners Mark Anstoetter, Katie Gates Calderon and Lindsey Heinz tied…

  • Kellogg Settlement Highlights Sugar Litigation Focus, Shook Attorneys Explain

    Shook Food, Beverage & Agribusiness Practice Group Co-Chair Lindsey Heinz and Associate Elizabeth Fessler have authored an article for Law360 on a settlement between Kellogg Sales Co. and a plaintiff who alleged that the company’s cereals were misleadingly marketed as “healthy.” The settlement is “a prime example of the shifted focus toward sugar,” they explain,…

  • The Cannabis Conundrum: The Evolving Landscape & Risk Mitigation for Hemp & CBD

    The cannabis industry, including marijuana, hemp and cannabidiol (CBD), is complex and rapidly evolving. Shook Partners Mike Barnett, Lindsey Heinz, and Jim Muehlberger lead a discussion about how the legal landscape is changing for this burgeoning area and why it matters to the food and beverage industry. The presentation covers the differences between marijuana and…

  • Muehlberger Discusses Food and Beverage Class Actions for Corporate Disputes

    Shook Partner Jim Muehlberger has participated in a Corporate Disputes roundtable on food and beverage litigation. He answers questions on the increase in litigation in the sector and what companies can do to assess their liabilities when facing a lawsuit. “Food and beverage putative class action filings show no signs of letting up,” Muehlberger explains.…

  • Legal Ins and Outs of Food Advertising

    Shook Partner Lindsey Heinz and Associate Elizabeth Fessler discuss the regulatory and legal implications of food advertising, especially through social media, in the podcast available below. What types of scientific substantiation do companies need to supply for labeling claims, particularly those related to health and safety? Do the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and…

  • Silverman Speaks to Congressional Staff About Food Litigation Trends

    Shook Partner Cary Silverman was an invited panelist at The George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School’s Law and Economics Center’s Congressional Civil Justice Academy program on the legal challenges surrounding food labeling, advertising and marketing. The event, which draws congressional staff, was held on April 26, 2019, in the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture…