Insights on Beverage & Food

Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business has recognized 42 Arent Fox LLP attorneys as leaders in their field.

With so much uncertainty, many brands are opting for a wait-and-see approach to social media advertising, though the approaches differ considerably from platform to platform.

Two cases decided 25 years apart, but there were some facts in common: a hot drink, a consumer alleging that she was burned by the drink, and a lawsuit. These are the facts of the 1994 case Liebeck v. McDonald’s Restaurants that resulted in an award of millions to the consumer.

Earlier this afternoon, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the Act), Congress established a $28.6 billion fund to provide grants to restaurants that have been devastated by the pandemic (the Restaurant Revitalization Fund).

Download Our State-by-State Summary of the Year’s Most Important Cases

Arent Fox advised Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, a leading importer and marketer of award-winning wines and spirits from around the world, in the sale of three wine brands in its portfolio to Total Beverage Solution, a full-service national importer and supplier of niche beer, wine, and spirits.

The Hatchery

Partner Molly Wiltshire has been appointed to serve as chair to the newly launched Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) Food Law Section Council, which will cover legal issues affecting agriculture and farmers, health and the environment, sustainability, intellectual property and licensing, the regulation of food trends and innovation, and laws and regulations protecting consumers.

Food and beverage businesses seeking to gain a foothold in a new place should be aware of two court decisions issued earlier this summer.

Food labeling litigation increased significantly last year, with many consumer groups alleging that products were misleadingly labeled and violated U.S. Food and Drug Administration labeling requirements.