Shook, Hardy & Bacon Partner Cary Silverman explains in an April 17, 2017, Law360 article that a six-­fold growth in slack-­fill lawsuits stems from a “precise template” developed by plaintiffs’ lawyers seeking to pressure companies into out­of­court settlements. “I call them ‘shake the box’ lawsuits,” reports Silverman. “If you can hear the product shake, you’ve got a lawsuit. You just plug it into your template, take a photo, and you’re ready to go.”

Law360 quotes Silverman’s report on food lawsuits for the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, “The Food Court: Trends in Food and Beverage Class Action Litigation,” which he co-­authored with Shook Partner Jim Muehlberger. Silverman also presented “All You Can Eat Lawsuits: Restoring Sanity to Food Litigation,” discussing the report’s findings, for a CLE at the University of Cincinnati College of Law on April 13, 2017.

 

Issue 632

About The Author

For decades, manufacturers, distributors and retailers at every link in the food chain have come to Shook, Hardy & Bacon to partner with a legal team that understands the issues they face in today's evolving food production industry. Shook attorneys work with some of the world's largest food, beverage and agribusiness companies to establish preventative measures, conduct internal audits, develop public relations strategies, and advance tort reform initiatives.

Close