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Consumer Protection
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August 15, 2024
Fake Prescription Caper Yields $10.2M Fine For Bankrupt Co.
A Manhattan federal judge hit a defunct unit of bankrupt biotechnology concern DMK Pharmaceuticals Corp. with a $10.2 million fine Thursday, after the subsidiary admitted to criminally faking horse-drug prescriptions in a scheme that generated $4.2 million.
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August 15, 2024
Hemp Industry Rallies Against Calif. Bill
Hemp companies are coming out against a California bill that would impose new THC limits on consumables sold outside of licensed dispensaries, with some industry leaders calling it an "existential threat" to the entire state market.
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August 15, 2024
Samsung Knew About Range Knobs Fire Risk, Suit Says
Samsung Electronics was hit with a proposed consumer class action Wednesday in New York federal court in the wake of the company's announced recall program over a potential fire risk related to more than a million electric ranges with front-mounted knobs that can be turned on accidentally.
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August 15, 2024
Prof Rips DOJ, VW's 9th Circ. Bid To Shield Jones Day Docs
A Loyola Marymount University professor has urged the Ninth Circuit to shut down the U.S. Department of Justice and Volkswagen AG's relentless "obfuscation" in a long-running dispute over access to confidential Volkswagen documents that were part of a Jones Day investigation into the automaker's 2015 emissions-cheating scandal.
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August 15, 2024
Banking Groups Sue To Thwart New Ill. Swipe Fee Restrictions
The nation's largest bank trade association and other industry groups sued Thursday to block Illinois from implementing a new state law that prohibits financial intermediaries from charging so-called swipe fees on the sales tax and tip portions of payment card transactions, arguing it conflicts with federal law and risks broader "chaos."
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August 15, 2024
Delta Facing Second Customer Suit Over IT Outage Response
A Florida resident hit Delta Air Lines with a second proposed class action claiming the company failed to properly refund and reimburse passengers when their flights were canceled or significantly delayed in the wake of the global CrowdStrike computer outage.
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August 15, 2024
DraftKings Looks To Wipe Out Suit Over Voided NBA Bets
DraftKings fired back at an aggrieved bettor suing the online sportsbook over voided NBA bets that allegedly cost him a $150,000 payday, telling an Indiana federal judge that its rules plainly allow for the cancelation of wagers offered with obviously incorrect odds.
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August 14, 2024
T-Mobile Hit With $60M Fine Over National Security Risks
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. fined T-Mobile US Inc. $60 million for alleged national security failures, including failing to prevent the unauthorized access of "certain sensitive data" and to promptly report such incidents, according to news reports Wednesday and the agency's website.
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August 14, 2024
LinkedIn Can't Shake Privacy Suit Over DMV Data Collection
A California federal judge has refused to ax a proposed class action accusing LinkedIn Corp. of unlawfully obtaining users' personal disability information from the state's Department of Motor Vehicles website, rejecting the company's arguments that it was merely acting as a "recording service" for the DMV and that the dispute couldn't proceed without the agency being added as a defendant.
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August 14, 2024
CFPB Faces Call To Treat Housing Rental Leases As 'Credit'
A major consumer advocacy group has formally petitioned the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to write new rules that would require landlords to provide "adverse action" explanations when rejecting prospective renters who have applied for an apartment or other housing lease.
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August 14, 2024
New York Sues Lease-To-Own Fintech For 'Cheating' Users
New York state sued lease-to-own fintech company Acima on Wednesday, accusing the firm of taking advantage of consumers with deceptive practices around its lease agreements and interest rates that go far beyond the state's standard for usury.
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August 14, 2024
Costco Wants PFAS Kirkland Brand Baby Wipes Suit Tossed
Costco hit back at a proposed class action over its fragrance-free "natural" baby wipes filed earlier this summer in California federal court, saying that the suit is trying to scare parents by alleging the wipes are tainted with so-called forever chemicals.
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August 14, 2024
Apple Accused Of 'Privacy-Washing' Child Porn Problem
Apple Inc. has engaged in "privacy-washing" by using a purported commitment to users' privacy as an excuse to ignore its "dire" problem with child sexual abuse material being uploaded to and stored on iCloud, according to a proposed class action filed in California federal court.
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August 14, 2024
Amazon's Kuiper Says Satellite Framework Needed Soon
Amazon's Kuiper Systems is pushing the FCC to "take expeditious action" to wrap up new rules dealing with spectrum sharing among non-geostationary orbit fixed-satellite service operators, comments regarding which have been filing into the docket for years.
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August 14, 2024
Tuna Price-Fixing Deal Comes With A Catch: $26M In Fish
Two groups of buyers accusing major canned tuna producers of price-fixing have asked a California federal judge to give the first seal of approval to settlements totaling more than $168 million in cash, plus $26 million in packaged tuna products.
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August 14, 2024
Google-Epic Antitrust Judge Vows To 'Tear The Barriers Down'
A California federal judge appeared impatient Wednesday with Google's arguments against Epic Games' proposed changes to the Google Play Store in the wake of Epic's antitrust jury win, saying the world created by its "monopolist conduct" is changing, and vowing "to tear the barriers down."
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August 14, 2024
DOJ Defends Boeing Plea Deal Over Families' Objections
The U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday that Boeing's plea agreement is the best possible criminal resolution that holds the company accountable for defrauding regulators about the 737 Max 8's development, rejecting claims from crash victims' families that the "morally reprehensible" deal lets Boeing skirt culpability.
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August 14, 2024
Amazon Hit With $1.2M Suit Over Immersion Heater
Amazon is facing a lawsuit from a Colorado church's insurer alleging that the church suffered more than $1.2 million in damages after a fire caused by a 1500-watt immersion heater it bought off the e-commerce giant's platform that was being used to heat a baptismal font.
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August 14, 2024
4th Circ. Says Credit Card 'Offset' Ban Applies To HELOCs
Creditors are prohibited from withdrawing funds from a cardholder's deposit account to cover outstanding payments on a home equity line of credit without the borrower's consent, a divided Fourth Circuit panel ruled Wednesday.
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August 14, 2024
CFPB Probe Draws Bead On Sporting Goods BNPL Firm
Credova, a fintech firm that specializes in buy-now, pay-later loans and other financing options for firearms and outdoor recreational goods purchases, is facing scrutiny from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a potential enforcement action, its parent company said Wednesday.
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August 14, 2024
4 States Oppose FTC Bid To Block Kroger-Albertsons Deal
Four Republican-led states defended Kroger's proposed $25 billion acquisition of Albertsons in an amicus brief Wednesday, telling the Oregon federal judge overseeing the Federal Trade Commission's challenge to the deal that blocking it would actually "weaken, not protect, competition."
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August 14, 2024
House Republican Files Bill To Fix 'Rip And Replace' Shortfall
A Texas Republican has introduced U.S. House legislation to fill the shortfall in the "rip and replace" program to reimburse telecoms for ridding their networks of Chinese-made components, to the tune of $3.08 billion.
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August 14, 2024
NY Judge Tosses Noise Suit Against Queens Tennis Club
A New York state judge on Tuesday dismissed a Queens nonprofit's nuisance suit against The West Side Tennis Club, which was accused of being responsible for excessive noise coming from concerts held at its century-old outdoor stadium in the borough's Forest Hills neighborhood.
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August 14, 2024
Texas AG Threatens Suit Over Dallas State Fair's Firearms Ban
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has threatened to sue the city of Dallas if it doesn't reverse a policy prohibiting state fair patrons from bringing firearms into the fairgrounds.
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August 14, 2024
FTC Finalizes Rule To Crack Down On Fake Online Reviews
The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday announced it has finalized a rule to thwart marketers from using false reviews and testimonials, cementing the agency's authority to seek civil penalties from knowing violators for a host of misconduct including the use of AI-generated fake reviews.
Expert Analysis
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Boeing Saga Underscores Need For Ethical Corporate Culture
In the wake of recent allegations about Boeing’s safety culture, and amid the U.S. Department of Justice’s new whistleblower incentives, business leaders should reinvigorate their emphasis on compliance by making clear that long-term profitability requires ethical business practices, says Maxwell Carr-Howard at Dentons.
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Debate Over CFPB Definition Of Credit Is Just Beginning
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has recently worked to expand the meaning of credit, so anyone operating on the edges of the credit markets, or even those who assumed they were safely outside the scope of this regulatory perimeter, should pay close attention as legal challenges to broad interpretations of the definition unfold, says John Coleman at Orrick.
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Why Jurors Balk At 'I Don't Recall' — And How To Respond
Jurors often react negatively to a witness who responds “I don’t remember” because they tend to hold erroneous beliefs about the nature of human memory, but attorneys can adopt a few strategies to mitigate the impact of these biases, say Steve Wood and Ava Hernández at Courtroom Sciences.
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How Federal And State Microfiber Pollution Policy Is Evolving
Growing efforts to address synthetic microfiber pollution may create compliance and litigation issues for businesses in the textile and apparel industries, so companies should track developing federal and state legislation and regulation in this space, and should consider associated greenwashing risks, says Arie Feltman-Frank at Jenner & Block.
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Series
Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.
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10 Tips To Build Trust With Your Witness During Trial Prep
Preparing a witness for deposition or trial requires more than just legal skills — lawyers must also work to cultivate trust with the witness, using strategies ranging from wearing a hat when conducting mock cross-examination to offering them a ride to court before they testify, say Faye Paul Teller and Sara McDermott at Munger Tolles.
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A Look At US-EU Consumer Finance Talks' Slow First Steps
The unhurried and informal nature of planned discussions between the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the European commissioner for justice and consumer protection suggests any coordinated regulatory action on issues like AI and "buy now, pay later" services is still a ways off, say attorneys at DLA Piper.
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5th Circ. Venue-Transfer Cases Highlight Mandamus Limits
Three ongoing cases filed within the Fifth Circuit highlight an odd procedural wrinkle that may let district courts defy an appellate writ: orders granting transfer to out-of-circuit districts, but parties opposing intercircuit transfer can work around this hurdle to effective appellate review, says Charles Fowler at McKool Smith.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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Calif. Web Tracking Cases Show Courts' Indecision Over CIPA
Several hundred cases filed to date, and two recent conflicting rulings, underscore California courts' uncertainty over whether the use of web analytics tools to track users' website interactions can give rise to a violation of the California Invasion of Privacy Act, says Patricia Brum at Snell & Wilmer.
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To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef
To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Takeaways From SEC's New Data Breach Amendments
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent amendment of its consumer privacy rules to require investment advisers and broker-dealers to put procedures in place to uncover data breaches and report them to customers evidences that protecting client records and information remains an SEC priority, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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What Junk Fee Law Means For Biz In California And Beyond
Come July 1, companies doing business in California must ensure that the price of any good or service as offered, displayed or advertised is inclusive of all mandatory fees and other charges in compliance with S.B. 478, which may have a far-reaching impact across the country due to wide applicability, say Alexandria Ruiz and Amy Lally at Sidley Austin.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.
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A Look At M&A Conditions After FTC's Exxon-Pioneer Nod
The Federal Trade Commission's recent consent decree imposing several conditions on Exxon Mobil's acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources helps illustrate key points about the current merger enforcement environment, including the probability of further investigations in the energy and pharmaceutical sectors, say Ryan Quillian and John Kendrick at Covington.