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Consumer Protection
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November 22, 2024
Texas Justices Say Court Bungled Ruling In Abortion Case
The Texas Supreme Court said Friday a lower appellate court tried to "prematurely drag the judiciary into highly contentious and politicized debates" around abortion without analyzing a key standing issue, jeopardizing Planned Parenthood's and other abortion rights groups' bid to invalidate the controversial Texas Heartbeat Act.
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November 22, 2024
Europe's Antitrust Enforcer Puts Apple E-Book Probe To Bed
The European Union's antitrust enforcer is dropping its probe into whether Apple's requirement that e-books and audiobooks be bought through in-app purchases in its App Store broke the bloc's competition rules.
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November 22, 2024
Cruz Decries 'Unlawful' Activities In $42.5B Broadband Fund
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued a scathing statement Friday warning the U.S. Commerce Department to discontinue what he contends are "unlawful" activities in administering the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.
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November 22, 2024
Judge Trims Suit Over Tesla Collision Alert Defect
Tesla Inc. has beaten some of a lawsuit brought by a driver who claims its vehicles' collision monitoring system erroneously detects objects in its path, causing the cars to suddenly brake, after an Illinois federal judge ruled Friday that the driver needed to do more to show significant financial injury.
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November 22, 2024
CFTC Advisers: Current Rules Work For Tokenized Collateral
A U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission advisory group on Friday brought the commodities regulator a step closer to clarifying the use of certain tokenized assets as collateral, voting to tell the commission that existing rules can apply to the use of blockchain-based, noncash collateral.
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November 22, 2024
Service Fees Not 'Incidental' To Debt Collection, 11th Circ. Told
Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC urged the Eleventh Circuit on Friday to reverse two Florida lower court judgments finding it violated debt collection practices with a fee to process phone or internet payments, saying it's not an illegal "incidental" charge because the borrower is paying for an optional service.
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November 22, 2024
Procter & Gamble Unit's Hair Oil Causes Hair Loss, Suit Says
The Procter & Gamble Co. and its unit Mielle Organics LLC are deceptively marketing their brand of hair oil as being safe to use, even though it has caused hair loss in some users, a putative class action filed Thursday in Illinois federal court alleged.
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November 22, 2024
Delta-8 Product Actually Illicit Delta-9, Class Action Claims
The manufacturer of Cake Brand vapes has been hit with a proposed class action accusing it of "masquerading" its products as "lawful delta-8" when in reality they contain delta-9, a derivative marijuana which remains a Schedule I drug, according to the suit filed in California federal court.
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November 22, 2024
Chemical Co.'s PFAS Coverage Suit In SC Gets Tossed
A South Carolina federal court tossed BASF Corp.'s suit seeking coverage for thousands of underlying allegations that the chemical manufacturer's firefighting foam caused pollution and injury, finding Friday that a parallel suit in New Jersey state court favors abstention.
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November 22, 2024
Dish To Pay $100K For Failing To Deploy 911 Location Tech
Dish has agreed to pay $100,000 after the Federal Communications Commission said it failed to comply with vertical location rules to help 911 dispatchers find emergency callers.
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November 22, 2024
DOJ Antitrust Head Tracks 'More Aggressive' Criminal Cases
The outgoing head of the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division used a speech celebrating the anniversary of a major initiative combating bid-rigging and other efforts by government contractors to bilk taxpayer-funded projects to also note that criminal antitrust enforcement more broadly has changed considerably in recent years.
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November 22, 2024
UK Enforcers Concerned Over Apple Mobile Browser Policies
British competition enforcers said Friday that Apple's policies are holding back innovation in the mobile browser space and called for an investigation of the roles played by Apple and Google in the mobile ecosystem under new rules coming into force next year.
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November 22, 2024
New Congress Could Undo Rules On Drinking Water, Methane
A consumer advocacy group is warning that Republicans may target a slew of recent and pending regulatory actions when they take control in Washington next year, saying they could make use of the Congressional Review Act to unwind new rules on competition, lead in drinking water, data protection and more.
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November 22, 2024
Nissan Automatic Brake Classes Dismantled By 6th Circ.
A Sixth Circuit panel vacated class certification Friday for Nissan drivers who say their cars' automatic braking system activates unnecessarily, finding the trial judge failed to grapple with software upgrades that may have fixed the alleged flaw for some of the class vehicles.
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November 22, 2024
FTC Can't Block Amazon's Misconduct Defense In Prime Suit
The Federal Trade Commission can't bar some of Amazon's defenses in an enforcement suit alleging consumers were duped into signing up for Prime delivery service, a Washington federal judge has ruled, allowing the e-commerce giant to argue the regulatory agency engaged in misconduct related to the litigation.
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November 22, 2024
Judge Revives Ford Fire Risk Suit After Feds Question Recall
A Michigan federal judge on Friday reopened a putative class action alleging certain Ford Motor Co. Escapes and Bronco Sports SUVs have a defect that caused engine fires, ruling that a query letter from highway safety regulators gave new life to claims the automaker's recall didn't fix the underlying problem.
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November 22, 2024
DC RealPage Antitrust Suit Will Get New Judge In 2025
The District of Columbia's case accusing a slew of landlords of using property management platform RealPage to fix the price of rentals is proceeding on schedule, but the judge who has been overseeing the case is going to be handing the matter off to another at the end of the year.
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November 22, 2024
Capital One 'Abuses' Cast Pall Over Discover Deal, Dems Say
As the Biden administration winds down with Capital One's bid to buy Discover Financial still pending, progressive Democrats led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are putting renewed pressure on federal bank regulators reviewing the deal.
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November 22, 2024
Crypto Lobby Asks Trump, Congress To Prioritize Rulemaking
Crypto industry group Blockchain Association sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump and members of Congress on Friday detailing what the industry feels should be immediate priorities for the next administration, including implementing a regulatory framework for digital assets and installing more crypto-amenable agency heads.
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November 22, 2024
Social Media MDL Judge Threatens States With Contempt
A California federal judge presiding over multidistrict litigation concerning social media platforms' allegedly addictive designs told counsel Friday that she's considering holding California and South Carolina state agencies in contempt for refusing to comply with discovery orders, telling counsel, "I can guarantee I will not let this stand."
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November 22, 2024
Insurer Owes $4.5M For Water Damage, Wash. HOA Says
A Washington state homeowners association told a federal court that its insurer owes over $4.5 million in coverage to repair hidden water damage at its condominium community, arguing that no exclusions, conditions or limitations bar coverage under its policy.
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November 22, 2024
PFAS Foam MDL Attys Score $95.8M For Tyco, BASF Deals
A South Carolina federal judge awarded nearly $96 million in combined fees and costs Friday to lead counsel representing public water systems for reaching a $316.5 million deal with BASF Corp. and $750 million with Tyco Fire Products LP over forever chemicals, lauding them as "some of the most qualified mass tort litigators in America."
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November 22, 2024
Debt Collector Awakened Illegal 'Zombie Loans,' Suit Says
Real Time Resolutions Inc., a debt collection company, is facing a new proposed class action from two North Carolina homeowners, who have accused it of assessing an illegal interest on their mortgage that was charged off more than a decade ago.
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November 22, 2024
Bondi Vowed Trump Payback. Ex-Colleagues Aren't Worried.
U.S. attorney general nominee Pam Bondi is an outspoken ally of President-elect Donald Trump and vowed during the campaign that his "prosecutors will be prosecuted," but people who've worked with her say she's well qualified to serve as the nation's top cop and downplayed concerns that she would politicize the U.S. Department of Justice.
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November 22, 2024
1st Circ. Affirms Volvo Win In Dealers' Maintenance Pay Suit
The First Circuit affirmed a pretrial win granted to Volvo in a suit brought by two dealerships claiming the carmaker was underpaying them for maintenance they perform under prepaid service plans.
Expert Analysis
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Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.
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Opinion
In Visa Case, DOJ Continues To Misapply The Sherman Act
The recent U.S. Department of Justice debit market monopolization case against Visa fuels concerns that a misguided Biden administration DOJ is inappropriately expanding its interpretation of the Sherman Antitrust Act beyond the demonstrable economic effects that business conduct has on consumers, says Shubha Ghosh at Syracuse University.
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Series
Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers
In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron.
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Call For Input Shows How Banks, Fintechs Can Address Risks
A recent request for information by federal banking regulators suggests that watchdogs are zeroing in on the bank-fintech partnerships they have long perceived as risky to consumers, but analyzing the publication can help companies anticipate regulators’ chief concerns and take steps to avoid becoming enforcement targets, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
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Curious Case Of FTC's Amicus Brief In Teva Fed. Circ. Appeal
Attorneys at BCLP explore the Federal Trade Commission's backing of Amneal's Orange Book-delisting efforts on Teva ahead of a key Federal Circuit hearing in a case between the two pharmaceutical companies, and wonder if the FTC amicus brief indicates a future trend, especially in the next administration.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata
Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.
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How New OCC Priorities Will Affect Bank Compliance
With the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency recently releasing a new bank supervision plan for fiscal year 2025, all banks, not only those primarily supervised by the OCC, should consider how compliance with its guidelines creates opportunities and challenges, says Andrew Karp at Cadwalader.
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Comparing Antitrust Outlooks Amid Google Remedy Review
As the U.S. Justice Department mulls potential structural remedies after winning its recent case against Google, increased global scrutiny of Big Tech leaves ex post and ex ante antitrust approaches ripe for evaluation, say Nishant Chadha at the Indian School of Business and Manisha Goel at Pomona College.
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Website Accessibility Ruling Leaves Circuit Split Unresolved
A New York federal court's recent decision in Mejia v. High Brew Coffee, holding that stand-alone websites are not "public accommodations" subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act, further complicates a long-running circuit split on this question — even as courts are burdened with thousands of similar lawsuits, say attorneys at Mandelbaum Barrett.
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What FTC's 'Bitcoin ATM' Report Tells Us About Crypto Scams
The Federal Trade Commission's recent insights into bitcoin ATM scams highlight the technical evolution of fraudsters, the application of old scams to new technology, and the persistent financial impact on victims, say attorneys at DLA Piper.
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A Look At Grewal's Record-Breaking Legacy After SEC Exit
Gurbir Grewal resigned as director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement last month after more than three years on the job, leaving behind a legacy marked by record numbers of penalties and enforcement actions, as well as mixed results in aggressive lawsuits against major crypto players, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being
As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.
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Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes
Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.
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A Look At The Increased Scrutiny Of Cash Sweep Programs
Financial industry regulators have increasingly probed the adequacy of so-called cash sweep disclosures and policies, underscoring the heightened risk faced by investment advisers and broker-dealers, as well as the importance of adequately disclosing material conflicts of interest, say attorneys at Dechert.
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Series
Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.