A Feb. 3 Corporate Counsel article titled “Expert: DOJ Launched a ‘Fishing Expedition’ Into Chipotle’s Woes” discusses the implications of a companywide subpoena served on Chipotle by the U.S. Department of Justice requesting details of the restaurant chain’s food safety practices. In paraphrased and quoted material, McGuireWoods partner Jim Neale notes that the causes of multiple instances of food contamination at these restaurants are unrelated, and that it may be difficult to determine where in the supply chain each problem originated. Without another identifiable source, he says, Chipotle could end up taking the blame for a problem it didn’t directly cause.
