Consumer Protection

  • July 05, 2024

    Atty Sheehan, Client Must Pay Fees in 'Frivolous' Big Lots Suit

    A Florida federal judge has ordered prolific consumer advocate lawyer Spencer Sheehan of Sheehan & Associates PC to pay attorney fees in a proposed class action against Big Lots Inc. over deceptive coffee labels, citing bad faith conduct in pursuing a "frivolous" lawsuit similar to one that was dismissed in New York.

  • July 03, 2024

    6 Things To Know About The Post-Chevron Finreg Impact

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn the Chevron deference last week may make it tougher for financial regulators to defend a range of rules and regulations pursued by the Biden administration, although experts anticipate the ruling will have an uneven impact across the financial services industry.

  • July 03, 2024

    Broiler Chicken Buyers' Attys Get $51.6M Fees In Antitrust Suit

    An Illinois federal judge overseeing sprawling antitrust litigation against broiler chicken producers awarded class counsel more than $51.6 million in attorney fees in a $181 million deal for chicken buyers after the initial $57 million award was tossed by the Seventh Circuit last year, according to an order Wednesday.

  • July 03, 2024

    24 AGs Urge High Court To Preserve Ghost Gun Regs

    A coalition of 24 attorneys general urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a new federal regulation regarding the weapon parts kits consumers can purchase and use to build ghost guns — firearms without serial numbers — treating them the same way preassembled firearms are, saying the new rule is "crucial to preventing and solving violent, firearm-related offenses."

  • July 03, 2024

    SEC Says Apparel Co.'s Preemptive Crypto Suit Is Unripe

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission told a Texas federal judge on Wednesday a crypto industry group and apparel company can't sue the regulator over its alleged "digital-asset policy" since the parties can't point to any rule or action to challenge.

  • July 03, 2024

    FCC Says No To Rethink Of $25M Aid Denial For Cell Towers

    The Federal Communications Commission says it's not going to rethink its decision to say no to $25.5 million in aid to build 16 cell towers, because even though it's a group of California school districts that is asking, the funds are earmarked for schools, and it was never explained how the towers would benefit the students or staff.

  • July 03, 2024

    FTC Warns Cos. Over Warranties That Limit Right To Repair

    The Federal Trade Commission is warning a group of air purifier sellers, treadmill makers and gaming tech companies not to scare their customers from using independent dealers to repair their products, saying their use of "warranty void" notices might be in violation of federal right-to-repair laws.

  • July 03, 2024

    Appliance Co. Must Face Stove Pollutant Risk Claims

    Sub-Zero Group Inc., a maker of luxury kitchen appliances, can't get out of a proposed class action accusing it of selling gas stoves that emit pollutants, a Wisconsin federal judge has ruled, saying federal energy efficiency laws do not "at this point" invalidate the state law claims.

  • July 03, 2024

    One Judge Not Enough For TCPA Deal's Toss, 11th Circ. Told

    An Alabama woman has said a recent Eleventh Circuit decision tossing her and other class members' $35 million settlement with GoDaddy.com should get another look from a three-judge panel because outstanding questions about which of the panel's opinions control are poised to sow confusion with the district court.

  • July 03, 2024

    FCC Denies 'Blanket Amnesty' If Cos. Drop Network Projects

    The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday it will not provide blanket relief from FCC penalties against broadband providers that pull out of rural deployment commitments, but will weigh companies' individual circumstances.

  • July 03, 2024

    SentinelOne Beats Investor Suit Over $27M Revision, For Now

    Cybersecurity company SentinelOne Inc. has beaten a proposed investor class action filed after its $27 million downward revision of one of its key business metrics for its 2023 fiscal year, though a California federal judge gave the shareholders a chance to revise their suit.

  • July 03, 2024

    FCC Says Assurance Failed Blind Customer On Accessibility

    T-Mobile unit Assurance made one of its blind customers spend the better part of three years going back and forth with it about getting an accessible device, which it was required to provide under the Federal Communications Commission's rules for the Lifeline subsidy program, the FCC said.

  • July 03, 2024

    'Who Does That?' 7th Circ. Pans Walmart's Price Audit Theory

    The Seventh Circuit on Wednesday revived a class action accusing Walmart of systematically posting lower prices on shelves than it actually charges, rejecting the retailer's argument that the onus is on customers to keep track of prices as they're juggling various distractions during checkout.

  • July 03, 2024

    Texas Court Puts FTC's Noncompete Ban On Hold

    A Texas federal judge on Wednesday blocked the Federal Trade Commission from enforcing its rule banning noncompete agreements against tax preparation company Ryan LLC and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and suggested the regulation should be shot down.

  • July 03, 2024

    Geico To Pay Policyholders $2M To Settle Underpayment Suit

    Geico policyholders asked a New Jersey federal judge for preliminary approval of a $1.9 million settlement resolving claims the insurer breached their policies by failing to pay title or registration transfer fees upon the total loss of an insured vehicle.

  • July 03, 2024

    Hartford Unit Says Software Co. Not Covered For BIPA Claims

    A Hartford unit told an Illinois federal court that a software company isn't owed coverage for two underlying class actions alleging that its software was used by two different restaurant chains to collect customers' biometric information, arguing that the alleged Biometric Information Privacy Act violations aren't covered under its policies.

  • July 03, 2024

    Oil Trading Cos. Ink 'Simple' $13.9M Deal In Gas Price Rig Suit

    Oil trading companies Vitol and SK Energy have agreed to shell out $13.9 million to resolve a consolidated proposed class action alleging that they plotted to artificially inflate California gas prices following an ExxonMobil explosion in 2015, buyers told a California federal judge.

  • July 03, 2024

    NC Appeals Court OKs Hospital's 'Facility Fees' For ER Patient

    The North Carolina Court of Appeals has found that Novant Health was allowed to charge an emergency room patient "facility fees" because a contract she signed for healthcare included language requiring payment for anything not covered by insurance.

  • July 03, 2024

    FCC Relying On Iffy Broadband Marketing Data, Co-Ops Say

    Rural broadband providers are telling the Federal Communications Commission that more changes are needed for the agency's national broadband maps to accurately determine where federal funding would have the biggest impact in building out network infrastructure in hard-to-reach areas.

  • July 03, 2024

    After Chevron Deference: What Lawyers Need To Know

    This term, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference, a precedent established 40 years ago that said when judges could defer to federal agencies' interpretations of law in rulemaking. Here, catch up with Law360's coverage of what is likely to happen next.

  • July 02, 2024

    Data Breach Suits Drive Consumer Protection Docket Growth

    Federal consumer protection lawsuits are back on the rise after nearly a decade of steady decline, with disputes over increasingly prevalent data breaches fueling the uptick, according to a Wednesday report by Lex Machina.

  • July 02, 2024

    Gig Co. Inks $7M FTC Deal Over Misleading Pay Promises

    Arise Virtual Solutions Inc., a platform that connects gig workers with companies, on Tuesday agreed to pay $7 million to resolve Federal Trade Commission allegations that it misled workers about the money they could earn working from home as customer service agents for major companies.

  • July 02, 2024

    YouTube Beats Kids Privacy Suit, But Plaintiffs Get 7th Shot

    A California federal magistrate judge tossed with leave to amend Monday a revived proposed class action alleging Google and companies that host child-friendly YouTube channels illegally collected children's data from targeted ads, giving consumers a seventh shot to cure the deficiencies.

  • July 02, 2024

    Vroom Settles With FTC Over Deceptive Ads, Late Deliveries

    Texas-based used car company Vroom will pay $1 million to settle allegations it misleadingly advertised to customers that its used vehicles listed for sale were thoroughly inspected and failed to promptly refund customers when their cars weren't delivered within the represented 10-to-14 day time-frame, the Federal Trade Commission announced on Tuesday.

  • July 02, 2024

    Mike Huckabee Says Meta Hosted Fake CBD Gummy Ads

    Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says Meta Platforms Inc. has been allowing and hosting advertisements that falsely portray him promoting CBD gummies, leading to people falsely associating him with the CBD industry and marijuana use, according to a suit filed Monday in Delaware federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Years of participation in swimming events, especially in the open water, have proven to be ideal preparation for appellate arguments in court — just as you must put your trust in the ocean when competing in a swim event, you must do the same with the judicial process, says John Kulewicz at Vorys.

  • Key Priorities In FDIC Report On Resolving Big Bank Failures

    Author Photo

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s report last month on the resolvability of large financial institutions contains little new information, but it does reiterate key policy priorities, including the agency's desire to enhance loss-absorbing capacity through long-term debt requirements and preference for single-point-of-entry resolution strategies, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Microplastics At The Crossroads Of Regulation And Litigation

    Author Photo

    Though there are currently not many federal regulations specifically addressing microplastics as pollutants, regulatory scrutiny and lawsuits asserting consumer protection claims are both on the rise, and manufacturers should take proactive steps to implement preventive measures accordingly, say Aliza Karetnick and Franco Corrado at Morgan Lewis.

  • New Federal Bill Would Drastically Alter Privacy Landscape

    Author Photo

    While the recently introduced American Privacy Rights Act would eliminate the burdensome patchwork of state regulations, the proposed federal privacy law would also significantly expand compliance obligations and liability exposure for companies, especially those that rely on artificial intelligence or biometric technologies, says David Oberly at Baker Donelson.

  • Opinion

    CFPB Could, And Should, Revise Open Banking Rulemaking

    Author Photo

    In light of continued global developments in open banking, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should evaluate whether it actually should use its proposed rule on Section 1033 of the Dodd-Frank Act to amplify personal financial data rights in the U.S., says Brian Fritzsche at the Consumer Bankers Association.

  • FDIC Bank Disclosure Rules Raise Important Questions

    Author Photo

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s new rules mandating disclosures for nonbanks offering deposit products leave traditional financial institutions in a no-man's land between fintech-oriented requirements and the reality of personal service demanded by customers, say Paul Clark and Casey Jennings at Seward & Kissel.

  • Setting Goals For Kicking Corruption Off FIFA World Cup Field

    Author Photo

    The unprecedented tri-country nature of the 2026 men's World Cup will add to the complexity of an already complicated event, but best practices can help businesses stay on the right side of anti-corruption rules during this historic competition, say Sandra Moser and ​​​​​​​Emily Ahdieh at Morgan Lewis.

  • Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert

    Author Photo

    As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.

  • Takeaways From FDIC's Spring Supervisory Highlights

    Author Photo

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s spring 2024 consumer compliance supervisory report found that relatively few institutions had significant consumer compliance issues last year, but the common thread among those that did were inadequacies or failures in disclosures to consumers, says Matthew Hanaghan at Nutter.

  • Online Portal Helps Fortify Feds' Unfair Health Practices Fight

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently launched an online portal where the public can report potentially unfair healthcare practices, effectively maximizing enforcers' abilities to police anti-competitive actions that can drive up healthcare costs and chill innovation, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Series

    Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

  • Key Issues Raised By Colorado's Brain Data Privacy Bill

    Author Photo

    Colorado recently became the first state to provide consumer privacy protections for data generated from a person's brain waves, and despite the bill’s ambiguity and open questions introduced, the new law has helped turn the spotlight on neurodata, says Sara Pullen Guercio at Alston & Bird.

  • Birkin Bag Case Carries Competition Lessons For Retailers

    Author Photo

    A recently proposed antitrust class action alleging that Hermès violated federal and California law when selling its iconic Birkin and Kelly handbags highlights some issues that other brands and retailers should consider, particularly given a prevailing landscape that seems to prioritize antitrust scrutiny, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Expect Tougher Bank Exams 1 Year After Spring 2023 Failures

    Author Photo

    With federal banking agencies still implementing harsher examinations with swifter escalations a year after the spring 2023 bank failures, banks can gain insight into changing expectations by monitoring how the Federal Reserve Board, Office of the Comptroller of Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. are coordinating and updating their exam policies, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic

    Author Photo

    Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Consumer Protection archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!