Food

Daytona Beach Church Fights Back After City Forces Closure of Vital Food Pantry, Lawsuit Filed

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Daytona Beach, Florida – A small congregation in Daytona Beach finds itself at odds with the city’s zoning regulations, leading to the shutdown of its food pantry. Led by Pastor Ben Figueroa, the Seventh Day Baptist Church of Daytona Beach had been operating the pantry every Wednesday, providing assistance to hundreds of community members. However, the city cited a violation of an ordinance and forced the pantry to close its doors. Feeling powerless, the church is now working with attorney Chobee Ebbets to challenge the city’s decision in court. Ebbets, representing the church pro bono, … Read more

Federal Circuit Identifies Prejudicial Legal Error in Tamper-Resistant Food Container Patent Case

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Boston, Massachusetts – The Federal Circuit recently overturned a judgment of invalidity and ordered a new trial in the case of Inline Plastics Corp. v. Lacerta Group, LLC. The court determined that the district court’s jury instruction on objective indicia of nonobviousness was a prejudicial legal error. The case revolved around patents for tamper-resistant and tamper-evident food containers. In American civil litigation, jury instructions provide the legal rules and guidelines for jurors to follow when reaching a verdict. The judge’s role is to ensure these instructions accurately reflect the applicable law. Attorneys from both sides … Read more

Jury Awards Fast Food Operator Over $30 Million in Lawsuit Against Major Popeyes Franchisee

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Dallas, Texas – A Dallas County jury has awarded over $30 million in damages to a fast food operator who claimed he was defrauded by a major Popeyes franchisee. Scott Stockton, a 73-year-old seasoned operator, worked for a subsidiary of Dallas-based Sun Holdings Inc. and owner Guillermo Perales. Stockton managed up to 150 Popeyes restaurants over a 17-year career with the company. The lawsuit, filed in 2019, alleged that Perales asked Stockton to defer his 5% annual profit share in exchange for an interest in the larger company. However, when Stockton retired in 2018, Perales … Read more

California Judge Criticizes Decision to Grant Food Companies $600K in Legal Costs After Lawsuit Victory

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LOS ANGELES – A judge in California expressed his disapproval on Wednesday over the decision to award over $600,000 in legal costs to food companies, including Walmart, following their victorious defense in a lawsuit. The judge deemed the move “stupid” and raised concerns about the fairness of the outcome. In the lawsuit, which alleged deceptive advertising practices, the food companies emerged as the winners. However, rather than celebrating their victory, the judge questioned the rationale behind granting such a substantial amount in legal costs to the defendants. He criticized the decision, suggesting that it lacked … Read more