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Consumer Protection
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December 17, 2024
FTC, Meta Fight Over Monopolization Trial Limits
Meta Platforms and the FTC are butting heads about how to structure the trial they are hurtling toward in April in D.C. federal court over the agency's monopolization claims, trading barbs Tuesday and trying to make their cases for how they think the multiweek trial should look.
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December 17, 2024
DOJ Antitrust Division Head Kanter Stepping Down Friday
The head of the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, Jonathan Kanter, announced his imminent departure Tuesday, leaving the agency after a little over three years and with a legacy of dramatically ramped-up monopolization enforcement, an extremely low tolerance for potentially problematic transactions and more aggressive criminal enforcement.
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December 17, 2024
Insurer Gets $29M Fatal Crash Judgment Thrown Out
A North Carolina appeals court on Tuesday threw out a nearly $29 million judgment against an insurance company in a suit alleging it failed to defend and settle claims from a fatal car accident, saying the company had no duty to defend.
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December 17, 2024
T-Mobile-UScellular Link Will Help Consumers, Think Tank Says
A free-market think tank is urging the federal government to clear the way for T-Mobile's $4.4 billion purchase of UScellular's wireless operations, saying in a new report that because the smaller UScellular poses no real competitive threat to T-Mobile, the deal could carry significant consumer benefits through increased competition.
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December 17, 2024
Visa Says 'Contradictory' Debit Card Market Dooms DOJ Suit
Visa Inc. formally asked a New York federal judge Monday to nix the U.S. Department of Justice monopolization lawsuit accusing it of paying off would-be debit network rivals and penalizing the use of alternate payment systems, arguing the government cannot mix-and-match its way into claiming the company holds a dominant market share.
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December 17, 2024
AGs Can File Opposition To Clearview AI BIPA Deal
An Illinois federal judge is allowing 22 states and the District of Columbia to challenge a deal to end multidistrict litigation over Clearview AI's practice of automatically collecting biometric facial data online, with attorneys general arguing the settlement would provide no meaningful injunctive relief and give plaintiffs an unknown financial stake in the company.
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December 17, 2024
House GOP Asks CVS How Its PBM Treats Smaller Pharmacies
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are demanding documents from CVS on its pharmacy benefit manager's treatment of independent pharmacies, continuing to press the healthcare giant over potentially anticompetitive conduct.
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December 17, 2024
CFPB Finalizes Rule For PACE Loans
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday finalized a rule that applies standard mortgage protections to so-called Property Assessed Clean Energy loans, where homeowners pay for upgrades through property tax bills.
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December 17, 2024
Grubhub To Pay $25M To End FTC Suit Over Deceptive Tactics
The Federal Trade Commission and the Illinois attorney general teamed up Tuesday to announce a settlement that requires Grubhub Inc. to pay $25 million to resolve claims that the food-delivery service charged customers hidden junk fees, listed restaurants on its app without their permission and misled drivers about how much money they could make.
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December 17, 2024
Roblox, Epic Games Accused Of Addicting Minors
A suit filed in California state court has alleged that Epic Games and Roblox purposefully addict minors to playing their video games, knowing that the more time that they spend playing games, the more they will spend on in-game purchases.
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December 17, 2024
Rival Says In-Flight Internet Provider Gogo Foils Competitors
SmartSky Networks LLC is seeking more than $1 billion in damages in a new lawsuit accusing Gogo Business Aviation LLC of blocking its entry in the market for internet service on business flights, building on an intellectual property dispute between the companies.
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December 17, 2024
Asset Manager Gets 2½ Years For Role In $1.2B PDVSA Scheme
A Florida federal judge on Tuesday sentenced an asset manager who pled guilty to participating in a $1.2 billion scheme to embezzle money from Venezuela's state-owned oil company to 2½ years in prison.
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December 17, 2024
Senate Dem's Bill Would Mandate New FCC Outage Reports
Networks that receive funding to help them rebound from climate-related disasters would need to file new reports of outages to the Federal Communications Commission under a Democratic bill filed in the U.S. Senate.
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December 17, 2024
Apple Fights Epic's Atty Privilege Challenge Win Over Docs
Apple has asked a California federal judge to overturn a magistrate judge and allow it to withhold documents in a discovery spat with Epic Games, arguing Monday the documents in the antitrust case aren't simply business analyses but rather, reflect "'legal advice on a business decision,' which is protected."
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December 17, 2024
Heartland Payment Settles Florida School Lunch Card Suit
Parents from Florida and elsewhere have settled a proposed federal class action with a payment processor over alleged unfair surcharges collected after depositing lunch money onto school-sponsored reloadable cards used by their kids.
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December 17, 2024
Connecticut Gallery Wants To Erase Most Of 'Fake' Art Suit
A Connecticut art gallery has asked for a judge's permission to seek summary judgment on most counts in a lawsuit alleging that it sold a fake Keith Haring chalk drawing for $165,000 after vouching for its authenticity, writing in a proposed memorandum that the plaintiff's remedies are limited to rescission of the purchase agreement and a refund.
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December 16, 2024
Circuit-By-Circuit Guide To 2024's Most Memorable Moments
One judge said a litigant's position would cause "an effing nightmare," and another decried the legal community's silence amid "illegitimate aspersions." Public officials literally trashed one court's opinion, and fateful rulings dealt with controversial politicians, social media and decades of environmental policy. Those were just a few appellate highlights in 2024, a year teeming with memorable moments both substantive and sensational.
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December 16, 2024
'Exploding' Crock-Pot Caused $56M In Damages, Jury Says
A Colorado federal jury found Friday that an "exploding" Sunbeam pressure cooker caused $55.5 million in damages to a Denver woman, but also said the woman was 10% responsible.
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December 16, 2024
TikTok Brings Sale-Or-Ban Fight To High Court
TikTok asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to stay a federal law that would force its owners to divest from the wildly popular social media app or shut its U.S. operation down just before Donald Trump's inauguration, saying his administration should get a say in the app's fate.
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December 16, 2024
'Plans Do Matter,' Tempur Sealy Says In Final Merger Hearing
Tempur Sealy made its final push Monday in support of its $4 billion planned Mattress Firm purchase, telling a judge during closing arguments that the Federal Trade Commission hadn't shown that the company planned to deviate from its intent for Mattress Firm to remain autonomous.
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December 16, 2024
Merger Enforcers End Year On Upswing
The Biden administration's antitrust enforcers have boasted that one side effect of their aggressive approach to merger enforcement has been helping stop problematic deals from being cut in the first place, but the agencies also scored key court rulings blocking transactions in their final year that could have a more enduring effect.
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December 16, 2024
Amazon Judge Again Doubts Late-Delivery Refund Claim
A Washington federal judge suggested Monday an Amazon.com customer paying extra for a specific delivery time should expect their package to arrive within that time frame, but she questioned why the putative class action plaintiff never requested a refund of the shipping fees.
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December 16, 2024
Global Payments' $3.6M Investor Deal Gets Judge's Final OK
Investors in Atlanta-based Global Payments Inc. have gotten final approval for a $3.6 million deal ending claims the company harmed shareholders by allegedly misleading consumers into signing up for a program with undisclosed fees.
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December 16, 2024
House Clears Bills To Promote Broadband, Wireless
The U.S. House passed three bills Monday aimed at easing broadband deployment and bolstering U.S. leadership in wireless industries.
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December 16, 2024
Colo. Justices Revoke Decision On Eviction Jury Trials
The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday rescinded its October ruling that tenants facing eviction are entitled to jury trials if there are factual disputes, after a tenant revealed in her rehearing petition that she was sent an eviction notice in the mail and wasn't personally served.
Expert Analysis
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Proposed Legislation May Crack Down On Online Drug Ads
A bill recently proposed in Congress could serve as a sea change in how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates drug-related speech, with significant trickle-down effects on various corners of not only the drug industry but also on consumers and providers themselves, say Dominick DiSabatino and Arushi Pandya at Sheppard Mullin.
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How Loper Bright Is Affecting Pending FCC Litigation
Pending challenges against Federal Communications Commission orders at the Sixth and Eleventh Circuits following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bright highlight that counsel must be familiar with the statutes, regulations and precedent relevant to the FCC to best navigate the rapidly changing compliance landscape, say attorneys at Davis Wright.
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A Blueprint For Structuring An Effective Plaintiff Case Story
The number and size of nuclear verdicts continue to rise, in part because plaintiffs attorneys have become more adept at crafting compelling trial stories — and an analysis of these success stories reveals a 10-part framework for structuring an effective case narrative, says Jonathan Ross at Decision Analysis.
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Series
Round-Canopy Parachuting Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Similar to the practice of law, jumping from an in-flight airplane with nothing but training and a few yards of parachute silk is a demanding and stressful endeavor, and the experience has bolstered my legal practice by enhancing my focus, teamwork skills and sense of perspective, says Thomas Salerno at Stinson.
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Dealmaker Lessons From CFIUS' New Enforcement Webpage
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ recently launched webpage, which details the actions — and inactions — that led to enforcement activity, provides important insights for dealmakers about filing requirements, mitigation commitments and the cost of noncompliance, say attorneys at Dechert.
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What's In Colorado's 1st-Of-Its-Kind Neural Privacy Law
Colorado recently became the first U.S. state to directly regulate neurotechnology with new legislation amending the Colorado Privacy Act to specifically protect biological and neural data, offering an example of how lawmakers can tackle the perceived regulation gaps in this area, say attorneys at Goodwin.
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What To Expect From Calif. Bill Regulating PE In Healthcare
A California bill currently awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom's approval, intended to increase oversight over private equity and hedge fund investments in healthcare, is emblematic of recent increased scrutiny of investments in the space, and may affect transactions and operations in California in a number of ways, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.
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Why Now Is The Time For Law Firms To Hire Lateral Partners
Partner and associate mobility data from the second quarter of this year suggest that there's never been a better time in recent years for law firms to hire lateral candidates, particularly experienced partners — though this necessitates an understanding of potential red flags, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.
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Considering Possible PR Risks Of Certain Legal Tactics
Disney and American Airlines recently abandoned certain litigation tactics in two lawsuits after fierce public backlash, illustrating why corporate counsel should consider the reputational implications of any legal strategy and partner with their communications teams to preempt public relations concerns, says Chris Gidez at G7 Reputation Advisory.
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What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Antitrust Risks
With all the regulatory activity surrounding antitrust and unfair competition claims, as highlighted by last month's D.C. federal court decision that Google is a monopolist, businesses must not only ensure compliance, but also understand their potential insurance coverage when such claims arise, says Micah Skidmore at Haynes Boone.
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Exploring Practical Employer Alternatives To Noncompetes
With the Federal Trade Commission likely to appeal a federal court’s recent rejection of its noncompete ban, and more states limiting the enforceability of these agreements, employers should consider back-to-basics methods for protecting their business interests and safeguarding sensitive information, says Brendan Horgan at FordHarrison.
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How Labeling And Testing May Help Reduce PFAS Litigation
As regulators take steps to reduce consumers’ exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals, companies can take a proactive approach to mitigating litigation risks not only by labeling their products transparently, but also by complying with testing and marketing standards, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.
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It's No Longer Enough For Firms To Be Trusted Advisers
Amid fierce competition for business, the transactional “trusted adviser” paradigm from which most firms operate is no longer sufficient — they should instead aim to become trusted partners with their most valuable clients, says Stuart Maister at Strategic Narrative.
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Avoid Getting Burned By Agencies' Solar Financing Spotlight
Recently coordinated reports and advisories from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission maximize the spotlight on the consumer solar financing market and highlight pitfalls for lenders to avoid in this burgeoning field, says Mercedes Tunstall at Cadwalader.
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Calif. Bill, NTIA Report Illustrate Open-Model AI Safety Debate
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s balanced recommendations for preventing misuse of open artificial intelligence models, contrasted with a more aggressive California bill, demonstrate an evolving regulatory debate about balancing democratic access to this powerful new technology against potential risks to the public, say Stuart Meyer and Fredrick Tsang at Fenwick.