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Rebecca Johns is a senior associate in the FDA and Life Sciences practice group. Rebecca is a litigator who focuses on defending food and beverage, dietary supplement, and consumer product manufacturers in competitor and consumer class action litigation.

Rebecca regularly practices in state and federal courts in cases involving false advertising, including cases relating to alleged contaminants in products (such as heavy metals and glyphosate), nutrition and health claims, claims involving "natural" products, alleged violations of the FDCA/NLEA, PPIA, FMIA, and Lanham Act, state and federal warranty claims, and violations of state consumer protection laws. Rebecca also has experience litigating complex cases in the pet food, consumer electronics, and technology industries.

Rebecca received her JD from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, where she was a department chief for the Women’s Law Journal. In law school, Rebecca served as a writing adviser to first year legal research and writing students and worked as a faculty research assistant. Rebecca received a BA in philosophy from Scripps College.

Full Bio

Credentials

J.D., UCLA School of Law

B.A. Philosophy, Scripps College, cum laude

California

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California

Matters

Tyrnauer v. Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc., --- F.Supp.3d ---, 2024 WL 3346840 (D. Vt. July 8, 2024) Motion to dismiss granted re nationwide consumer class action complaint alleging false advertising regarding allegations of migrant child labor in dairy farms in Vermont.

Kamara v. Pepperidge Farm, Inc., -- F. Supp. 4th --, 2021 WL 5234882 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 9, 2021) Achieved a complete victory for Pepperidge Farm in a putative nationwide consumer class action under New York consumer protection law. The complaint alleged that Pepperidge’s Golden Butter Crackers misled consumers into believing that the product does not include oil. In a 2021 published decision dismissing the complaint with prejudice, the court clarified the principle that false advertising claims must be assessed in context. The court also assessed the plausibility of the complaint’s theory of deception against recent Second (Mantikas) and Seventh (Bell) Circuit precedents, and found the complaint deficient. See also Floyd v. Pepperidge Farm, Incorporated, -- F. Supp. 3d --, 2022 WL 203071 (S.D. Ill. Jan, 24, 2022).

Porath v. Logitech, Inc., 2019 WL 6134936 (N.D. Cal. Nov. 18, 2019). Certification denied in consumer class action challenging labeling and advertising of electronics product.

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Matters

Tyrnauer v. Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc., --- F.Supp.3d ---, 2024 WL 3346840 (D. Vt. July 8, 2024) Motion to dismiss granted re nationwide consumer class action complaint alleging false advertising regarding allegations of migrant child labor in dairy farms in Vermont.

Kamara v. Pepperidge Farm, Inc., -- F. Supp. 4th --, 2021 WL 5234882 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 9, 2021) Achieved a complete victory for Pepperidge Farm in a putative nationwide consumer class action under New York consumer protection law. The complaint alleged that Pepperidge’s Golden Butter Crackers misled consumers into believing that the product does not include oil. In a 2021 published decision dismissing the complaint with prejudice, the court clarified the principle that false advertising claims must be assessed in context. The court also assessed the plausibility of the complaint’s theory of deception against recent Second (Mantikas) and Seventh (Bell) Circuit precedents, and found the complaint deficient. See also Floyd v. Pepperidge Farm, Incorporated, -- F. Supp. 3d --, 2022 WL 203071 (S.D. Ill. Jan, 24, 2022).

Porath v. Logitech, Inc., 2019 WL 6134936 (N.D. Cal. Nov. 18, 2019). Certification denied in consumer class action challenging labeling and advertising of electronics product.

Parker v. Logitech, Inc., 2017 WL 4701044 (Cal. Super., Alameda County Oct. 18, 2017). Certification denied in consumer class action challenging labeling and advertising of electronics product.

Ibarrola v. KIND LLC, 83 F. Supp. 3d 751 (N.D. Ill. 2014). Secured a complete victory in the Northern District of Illinois when court dismissed a putative nationwide consumer class action premised on allegations that KIND deceived consumers by including a “No Refined Sugars” statement on the label of snack foods. The court granted KIND’s motion to dismiss an amended complaint with prejudice, holding that plaintiff failed to allege a plausible theory of deception.

Wysong Corp. v. APN, Inc., 889 F.3d 267 (6th Cir. 2018). Secured a victory for Nestlé Purina Petcare Company when a federal judge in the Eastern District of Michigan dismissed with prejudice a Lanham Act complaint alleging that using realistic images of meat and vegetables on pet food labels was deceptive. The court ruled that plaintiff’s theory of deception was not plausible because the challenged label images, especially when considered in context, were not false and were not likely to mislead a reasonable consumer. Significantly, the court denied further amendment.

Bustamante v. KIND, LLC, 100 F.4th 419 (2d Cir. 2024), affirming In re: Kind LLC “Healthy and All Natural” Litigation, 627 F. Supp. 3d 269 (S.D.N.Y. 2022). In a precedential decision following nine years of litigation, the Second Circuit affirmed summary judgment and striking of plaintiffs’ “natural” and consumer behavior experts in false advertising action challenging healthy, natural and non-GMO statements on the labels of snack products.

Workman v. Plum PBC, 141 F. Supp. 3d 1032 (N.D. Cal. 2015). Secured a victory for Campbell Soup and its subsidiary Plum Organics when a federal judge in the Northern District of California dismissed with prejudice a false advertising consumer class action complaint alleging that food labeling was deceptive. The court ruled that plaintiffs’ theory of deception was not plausible because the labels were not false and were not likely to mislead a reasonable consumer.

Matters

Tyrnauer v. Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc., --- F.Supp.3d ---, 2024 WL 3346840 (D. Vt. July 8, 2024) Motion to dismiss granted re nationwide consumer class action complaint alleging false advertising regarding allegations of migrant child labor in dairy farms in Vermont.

Kamara v. Pepperidge Farm, Inc., -- F. Supp. 4th --, 2021 WL 5234882 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 9, 2021) Achieved a complete victory for Pepperidge Farm in a putative nationwide consumer class action under New York consumer protection law. The complaint alleged that Pepperidge’s Golden Butter Crackers misled consumers into believing that the product does not include oil. In a 2021 published decision dismissing the complaint with prejudice, the court clarified the principle that false advertising claims must be assessed in context. The court also assessed the plausibility of the complaint’s theory of deception against recent Second (Mantikas) and Seventh (Bell) Circuit precedents, and found the complaint deficient. See also Floyd v. Pepperidge Farm, Incorporated, -- F. Supp. 3d --, 2022 WL 203071 (S.D. Ill. Jan, 24, 2022).

Porath v. Logitech, Inc., 2019 WL 6134936 (N.D. Cal. Nov. 18, 2019). Certification denied in consumer class action challenging labeling and advertising of electronics product.

See more

Close

Matters

Tyrnauer v. Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc., --- F.Supp.3d ---, 2024 WL 3346840 (D. Vt. July 8, 2024) Motion to dismiss granted re nationwide consumer class action complaint alleging false advertising regarding allegations of migrant child labor in dairy farms in Vermont.

Kamara v. Pepperidge Farm, Inc., -- F. Supp. 4th --, 2021 WL 5234882 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 9, 2021) Achieved a complete victory for Pepperidge Farm in a putative nationwide consumer class action under New York consumer protection law. The complaint alleged that Pepperidge’s Golden Butter Crackers misled consumers into believing that the product does not include oil. In a 2021 published decision dismissing the complaint with prejudice, the court clarified the principle that false advertising claims must be assessed in context. The court also assessed the plausibility of the complaint’s theory of deception against recent Second (Mantikas) and Seventh (Bell) Circuit precedents, and found the complaint deficient. See also Floyd v. Pepperidge Farm, Incorporated, -- F. Supp. 3d --, 2022 WL 203071 (S.D. Ill. Jan, 24, 2022).

Porath v. Logitech, Inc., 2019 WL 6134936 (N.D. Cal. Nov. 18, 2019). Certification denied in consumer class action challenging labeling and advertising of electronics product.

Parker v. Logitech, Inc., 2017 WL 4701044 (Cal. Super., Alameda County Oct. 18, 2017). Certification denied in consumer class action challenging labeling and advertising of electronics product.

Ibarrola v. KIND LLC, 83 F. Supp. 3d 751 (N.D. Ill. 2014). Secured a complete victory in the Northern District of Illinois when court dismissed a putative nationwide consumer class action premised on allegations that KIND deceived consumers by including a “No Refined Sugars” statement on the label of snack foods. The court granted KIND’s motion to dismiss an amended complaint with prejudice, holding that plaintiff failed to allege a plausible theory of deception.

Wysong Corp. v. APN, Inc., 889 F.3d 267 (6th Cir. 2018). Secured a victory for Nestlé Purina Petcare Company when a federal judge in the Eastern District of Michigan dismissed with prejudice a Lanham Act complaint alleging that using realistic images of meat and vegetables on pet food labels was deceptive. The court ruled that plaintiff’s theory of deception was not plausible because the challenged label images, especially when considered in context, were not false and were not likely to mislead a reasonable consumer. Significantly, the court denied further amendment.

Bustamante v. KIND, LLC, 100 F.4th 419 (2d Cir. 2024), affirming In re: Kind LLC “Healthy and All Natural” Litigation, 627 F. Supp. 3d 269 (S.D.N.Y. 2022). In a precedential decision following nine years of litigation, the Second Circuit affirmed summary judgment and striking of plaintiffs’ “natural” and consumer behavior experts in false advertising action challenging healthy, natural and non-GMO statements on the labels of snack products.

Workman v. Plum PBC, 141 F. Supp. 3d 1032 (N.D. Cal. 2015). Secured a victory for Campbell Soup and its subsidiary Plum Organics when a federal judge in the Northern District of California dismissed with prejudice a false advertising consumer class action complaint alleging that food labeling was deceptive. The court ruled that plaintiffs’ theory of deception was not plausible because the labels were not false and were not likely to mislead a reasonable consumer.

Credentials

J.D., UCLA School of Law

B.A. Philosophy, Scripps College, cum laude

California

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California