On Wednesday, October 21 at 12:00 p.m. Central, Jay W. Connolly, Joseph J. Orzano and Kristine Argentine will present Seyfarth’s third installment of our 2015 Class Action Webinar Series. The presenters will discuss the current state of labeling class action litigation that has targeted food, beverage, nutrition and other industries in recent years. This webinar
California To Loosen Its Restrictions on “Made in USA” Labeling
On September 1, 2015, California enacted Senate Bill 633 (“SB 633”), loosening the state’s restrictions on “Made in USA” labeling. Under existing law, codified at Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17533.7, a product may not be sold or offered for sale in California as “Made in U.S.A” if the product, or any article, unit,
After Long Battle in Brown v. The American Tobacco Co., Defendant Prevails Where Plaintiffs Failed to Establish Actual Damages
Summary
Following the trial of a tobacco false advertising case dating back to 1997, a California court found that, although the defendant misrepresented to consumers the health benefits of its Marlboro Lights cigarettes, the Plaintiffs were entitled to no relief as they failed to prove entitlement to any of the limited remedies available under California’s
Ninth Circuit Decision Instructs Lower Courts and Businesses on Evidence That Satisfies Class Action Fairness Act’s Amount in Controversy Requirement
The Ninth Circuit recently held that a declaration from the defendant’s comptroller stating that the defendant’s sales of the challenged product during the class period exceeded $5 million was sufficient to satisfy the amount-in-controversy requirement of the Class Action Fairness Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1332(d)(2) (“CAFA”). Watkins v. Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc., No. 13-55755
Major v. Ocean Spray: Court Denies Certification of Putative Classes That Include Products Not Purchased By Plaintiff in Food Labeling Case
In one of the many food labeling cases flooding the dockets of California federal courts, U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Davila denied certification of two proposed classes of consumers that included potential class members who had purchased products other than the ones purchased by the named plaintiff. See Major v. Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.