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Consumer Protection
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January 17, 2025
Green Groups Defend EPA's Drinking Water PFAS Rule
Green groups on Friday asked the D.C. Circuit to uphold the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule setting the first-ever limits for forever chemicals in the nation's drinking water, which is being challenged by water utility associations and chemical industry players.
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January 17, 2025
P&G Accused Of 'Greenwashing' And Making 'Frankenforests'
Procter & Gamble is greenwashing its Charmin toilet paper by misleading consumers into believing it is ethically sourced and that the multinational consumer goods company is following through with sustainable reforestation promises, a 48-count proposed class action alleges.
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January 17, 2025
Up Next At High Court: Forum Shopping & TCPA Definitions
The U.S. Supreme Court will return to the bench Tuesday for a short argument session, during which the justices will consider the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's bid to limit forum shopping by manufacturers challenging agency decisions and how much deference district courts must give to Federal Communications Commission orders.
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January 17, 2025
PE Firm Resolves FTC's Antitrust Anesthesia Roll-Up Case
Private equity firm Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe agreed to limit its involvement, entanglement and ownership rights with its portfolio company U.S. Anesthesia Partners Inc. to resolve allegations they engaged in a "roll-up" scheme to buy anesthesiology practices in Texas and drive up costs, the Federal Trade Commission said Friday.
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January 17, 2025
CFPB, Student Loan Co. Ink $2.25M Deal Over Debt Practices
The National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts agreed to pay $2.25 million to resolve the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's suit accusing it of harming borrowers through unfair collection tactics on private student loan debts, according to a joint motion to approve the stipulated judgment filed in Delaware federal court.
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January 17, 2025
Colo. AG, FTC Say Greystar Advertised Deceptive Rent Prices
The Federal Trade Commission sued developer and property manager Greystar in Colorado federal court Thursday, alleging Greystar advertised deceptive prices for its units to entice prospective tenants to apply, only to later slap them with mandatory hidden fees not included in the marketed price.
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January 17, 2025
Crypto Coder Sues Feds To Block 'Money Transmitter' Label
Crypto policy think tank Coin Center is supporting one of its fellows in suing the federal government over its allegedly "mistaken view" of how criminal money transmission statutes apply to crypto software.
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January 17, 2025
Honda Credit Arm To Pay $12.8M Over Reporting Failures
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Friday ordered American Honda Finance Corp. to pay $12.8 million to resolve claims that it reported inaccurate information that affected the credit reports of 300,000 people who drive Honda and Acura vehicles.
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January 17, 2025
CFPB Fines Equifax $15M Over Consumer Dispute Issues
Equifax Inc. and Equifax Information Services LLC must pay a $15 million fine over its failure to investigate consumer disputes properly, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Friday.
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January 17, 2025
Wells Fargo, BofA Units Pay SEC $60M Over Cash Sweeps
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday announced that Merrill Lynch and two units of Wells Fargo will pay a combined $60 million to settle claims they failed to implement preventative procedures concerning their cash sweep programs.
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January 17, 2025
FCC Mandates More Efforts To Combat Telecom Cyber Threats
The Federal Communications Commission has provided details of new requirements on telecom providers to counter cybersecurity threats, a late-hour move criticized several days ago by the agency's incoming Republican leadership before the new rules were formally released.
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January 17, 2025
Users' Google Suit Can Advance With Pared Search Claims
Winnowed consumer antitrust claims against Google can move forward after a California federal judge said Thursday that while users failed to resurrect claims of an agreement keeping Apple out of online search, they've now adequately accused Google of stifling would-be rivals with fewer ads or more privacy.
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January 17, 2025
EBay Can't Appeal Punitive Damages Ruling In Stalking Case
A Massachusetts federal judge has denied a request by eBay Inc. to ask the First Circuit whether it should have to face the possibility of punitive damages in a civil suit brought by a Bay State couple who say the e-commerce company waged a stalking and intimidation campaign against them.
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January 17, 2025
FTC Accuses Pepsi Of Giving Advantage To Favored Retailer
The Federal Trade Commission on Friday accused Pepsi of giving a big box retailer better terms and promotional payments, putting smaller competitors at a disadvantage.
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January 17, 2025
Supreme Court Upholds TikTok Sale-Or-Ban Law
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal law Friday requiring TikTok to be divested from its Chinese parent company by Sunday or face a nationwide ban.
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January 16, 2025
GM, OnStar Agree To FTC's Ban On Location Data Sharing
General Motors and OnStar agreed to a five-year ban on disclosing geolocation and driver behavior data to consumer reporting agencies to resolve the Federal Trade Commission's allegations that the companies didn't get drivers' consent before sharing, the agency announced Thursday.
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January 16, 2025
Tech Groups Sue To Topple CFPB Payment Oversight Rule
Trade groups for Big Tech firms moved Thursday to block the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from supervising their digital payment operations, filing a new lawsuit challenging the agency's recent rule broadening the reach of its oversight.
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January 16, 2025
FCC Rejects TV License Attacks As Leadership Switch Nears
The Federal Communications Commission rejected four controversial petitions targeting major news broadcasters Thursday, dispensing with the cases just days before Donald Trump reclaims the White House and installs a Republican majority on the commission.
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January 16, 2025
UK CMA Settles Sports Betting Company Divestiture
Spreadex has appealed an order from the U.K.'s competition enforcer commanding it to sell off a sports betting company that it acquired in 2023, but in the meantime, it is taking all the necessary steps to comply with the agency's order.
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January 16, 2025
Biden Makes Final Push To Fortify US Cybersecurity Posture
President Joe Biden took the latest step toward boosting the nation's cybersecurity Thursday, issuing an executive order that requires software vendors that work with the government to prove they're meeting certain security standards and promote the use of artificial intelligence for cyberdefense.
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January 16, 2025
GOP Describes FTC Dems' Last Days As 'Farcical,' 'Senseless'
Democratic enforcers at the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are on a blitz of guidelines and complaints in their last days at the agencies, a push increasingly assailed by FTC Republicans who've said Democratic-specific efforts to enshrine antitrust safeguards for workers and more "has no future."
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January 16, 2025
Crypto Firm DRW Wants Out Of SEC's 'Scorched Earth' Suit
The crypto-trading arm of DRW Holdings says it has become the latest target of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's "scorched-earth enforcement campaign against the crypto-asset industry" in its bid to dismiss a suit alleging it engaged in more than $2 billion in unregistered crypto transactions.
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January 16, 2025
3M Hit With PFAS Suit Over Wash. Resident's Cancer Diagnosis
A woman who lives near the Spokane International Airport filed suit Thursday against 3M, DuPont and various other companies over alleged "forever chemical" contamination of her drinking water, claiming her adult son has developed cancer after decades of exposure.
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January 16, 2025
Gov't Wants Time During Epic, Google's 9th Circ. Face-Off
When Epic Games and Google face off next month at the Ninth Circuit, the federal government is hoping it will get a few minutes to state its case for why the appellate court shouldn't overturn an order forcing Google to allow alternative app stores on its platform, the government said in a recent motion.
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January 16, 2025
Texas Justices Question If Courts Can Rethink TCPA Motions
Texas justices questioned whether a trial court can reconsider a motion under the state's anti-SLAPP law to dismiss a farmland-centered REIT's suit against a Dallas-based hedge fund, saying during oral arguments Thursday that allowing it to do so might create a "big hammer" hanging over the parties' heads.
Expert Analysis
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An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025
As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.
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The Securities Litigation Trends That Will Matter Most In 2025
2025 is shaping up to be a significant year for securities litigation, as plaintiffs and defendants alike navigate shifting standards for omission theories of liability, class certification, risk disclosure claims and more, say attorneys at Willkie.
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Predicting The Lasting Changes CFPB May Face In 2025
President-elect Donald Trump and the incoming Republican-controlled Congress' likely attempts to reshape the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could significantly alter its rulemaking, supervisory and enforcement abilities for years to come, says Jim Sandy at McGlinchey Stafford.
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The Justices' Securities Rulings, Dismissals That Defined '24
The U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 securities rulings led to increased success for defendants' price impact arguments, but the justices' decisions not to weigh in on important issues relating to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act's pleading requirements may be just as significant, say attorneys at Skadden.
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10 Noteworthy CFPB Developments From 2024
In a banner year for consumer finance regulation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made significant strides in its efforts to rein in Big Tech and nonbank financial firms, including via rules regarding open banking, credit card late fees, and buy now, pay later products, say attorneys at Wiley.
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Series
Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer
From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.
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2024 Has Been A Momentous Year For ESG
Significant developments in the environmental, social and governance landscape this year include new legislation, evolving global frameworks, continued litigation and enforcement actions, and a U.S. Supreme Court decision that has already affected how lower courts have viewed some ESG challenges, say attorneys at Katten.
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2024's Most Notable FTC Actions Against Dark Patterns And AI
In 2024 the Federal Trade Commission ramped up enforcement actions related to dark patterns, loudly signaling its concern that advertisers will use AI to manipulate consumer habits and its intention to curb businesses' use and marketing of AI to prevent alleged consumer deception, say attorneys at Goodwin.
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Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team
In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.
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The Story Of 2024's Biggest Bank Regs, And Their Fate In 2025
U.S. federal bank regulators were very active in 2024 with initiatives ranging from antitrust and capital to proposals regarding controlling shareholders and incentive-based compensation, but many regulations face an uncertain future under the new administration, say attorneys at Latham.
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Data Privacy Landscape After Mass. Justices' Wiretap Ruling
In Vita v. New England Baptist Hospital, Massachusetts’ highest court recently ruled that the state’s wiretap law doesn’t prohibit all tracking of website user activity, but major financial and reputational risks remain for businesses that aren't transparent about customer’s web data, says Seth Berman at Nutter.
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Opinion
1 Year After Rule 702 Changes, Courts Have Made Progress
In the year since amendments to the Federal Rules of Evidence went into effect, many federal judges have applied the new expert witness standard correctly, excluding unreliable testimony from their courts — but now state courts need to update their own rules accordingly, says Lee Mickus at Evans Fears.
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Conducting A 'Reasonably Expected Market Area' Analysis
Regardless of whether the incoming administration scales back on redlining examinations and investigations, lenders should take steps to understand how regulators define "reasonably expected market areas," and how to conduct analyses of such areas, say attorneys at Mitchell Sandler.
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Opinion
Justices Rightly Corrected Course In Nvidia And Facebook
By dismissing both the Nvidia and Facebook class actions, over investors' ability to hold corporations accountable for fraud, the U.S. Supreme Court was right in refusing to favor corporations over transparency, and reaffirmed its commitment to corporate accountability, investor protection and the rule of law, says Laura Posner at Cohen Milstein.
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Gov't Scrutiny Of Workplace Chat Apps Set To Keep Growing
The incoming Trump administration and Republican majorities in Congress are poised to open numerous investigations that include increasing demands for entities to produce communications from workplace chat apps, so companies must evaluate their usage and retention policies, say attorneys at Orrick.