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Consumer Protection
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June 26, 2024
FCC Urged To Prevent Abuse Through High-Tech Cars
Privacy and abuse survivor advocates have outlined ways the Federal Communications Commission could safeguard connected car technology to mitigate domestic and sexual abuse, urging the agency to expand and adapt existing rules to limit abusers from using joint cellphone plans to stalk or harass people to apply to data in vehicles with advanced wireless connectivity.
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June 26, 2024
Baby Bottle Cos. Face False Ad Suits Over Microplastics
Philips North America and Handi-Craft face a pair of proposed class actions filed Tuesday in California federal court alleging they misled customers into thinking their sippy cups and baby bottles were "BPA free" and therefore safe for use, despite that heating them could cause harmful microplastics to leak into food and drinks.
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June 26, 2024
Window Seal Maker Can't Nix Condo's Faulty Glass Panel Suit
A Washington federal judge on Tuesday refused to free a window component maker from a lawsuit claiming it helped conceal defects in a Seattle condominium's windows, saying the court had personal jurisdiction because the alleged wrongdoing was characterized as a deliberate act that affected a large number of actual Washington consumers.
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June 26, 2024
State Data Privacy Law Patchwork: Midyear Report
States jumped on the consumer data privacy law bandwagon at a brisk clip in the first half of 2024, although it remains unclear if this push will be enough to encourage Congress to finally enact a nationwide framework this year.
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June 26, 2024
Crypto App Pledges More Refunds In Multistate Settlement
Cryptocurrency platform Abra has agreed to return millions of dollars in digital assets to U.S. customers after getting busted for running a mobile application for crypto transactions without the required money transmitting licenses, a coalition of state financial regulators announced on Wednesday, with Washington state taking the lead.
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June 26, 2024
State Farm Loses Bid To Skip Atty Fees On Expert Technicality
A Texas appeals court found that State Farm may still have to pony up attorney fees in a case involving an underinsured motorist claim, saying Wednesday that the trial court got it wrong when it granted the insurance company's motion to strike the motorist's expert designation in a bifurcated trial on the fee issue.
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June 26, 2024
New Hampshire Claims TikTok Exploits Kids For Profit
Social media titan TikTok is exploiting children by intentionally designing its platform to be addictive, so children will keep scrolling on the app for as long as possible, the state of New Hampshire argues in a heavily redacted lawsuit in state court.
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June 26, 2024
Pilgrim's Pride Settles Grower Pay Antitrust Case
An Oklahoma federal judge hit the brakes Wednesday on a lawsuit seeking nearly $3 billion in damages from Pilgrim's Pride Corp. over claims it conspired with other chicken producers to suppress farmer compensation after the sides reached a settlement.
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June 26, 2024
Artists Drum Up Support For Bill To Pay Music Royalties
Congress needs to protect musical artists' intellectual property rights by requiring radio broadcasters to pay royalties for airing their sound performances, as most other countries do, the recording industry told lawmakers Wednesday.
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June 26, 2024
4th Circ. Douses Fireworks Co.'s Challenge To CPSC Notices
The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday affirmed the dismissal of a fireworks importer's challenge to safety notices from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, saying the notices are not a final agency action that can be reviewed under the Administrative Procedure Act.
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June 26, 2024
FCC Threatens To Yank Texas AM Station License Over Fees
A Spanish-language Christian radio station is about to have its license snatched away by the Federal Communications Commission if it doesn't do something about its delinquent regulatory fees, according to new proceedings initiated by the agency.
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June 26, 2024
Conn. Firm Settles Suit Against Insurer Over Office Damage
A Connecticut law firm and a real estate company on Wednesday agreed to drop a federal lawsuit accusing their insurer of failing to fully cover damage from a leak at their New Haven offices, less than two weeks after the insurer notified the court of a pending settlement, court records show.
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June 26, 2024
Choctaw Nation Wants 9th Circ. Rehearing In CVS Arb. Dispute
The Choctaw Nation has asked the Ninth Circuit for a rehearing in an effort to undo the court's decision forcing it to arbitrate a dispute over prescription drug reimbursements with subsidiaries of CVS Health Corp., arguing it never waived sovereign immunity and did not agree to such proceedings on its Recovery Act claims.
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June 26, 2024
3 Firms Vie For Lead Role In Autodesk Securities Suit
Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP and The Rosen Law Firm PA have each asked a California federal judge to lead a securities lawsuit against software company Autodesk for allegedly lacking proper internal controls due to issues with its free cash flow and operating margin practices.
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June 26, 2024
FCC To Finalize Funding For School Wi-Fi Hot Spots
The Federal Communications Commission plans to vote in July on final rules to help schools pay for Wi-Fi hot spots, part of a Democratic effort to address off-campus connectivity gaps through federal aid.
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June 26, 2024
Ex-Worker Says NC Justices Needn't Review Carcinogen Test
A former graduate student worker for North Carolina State University has told the Tar Heel State's highest court that the school is trying to delay a potential lawsuit by continuing its fight to keep the ex-employee and cancer patient from investigating a campus building for carcinogens.
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June 26, 2024
NHTSA Declines Calls For 'More Robust' Truck Safety Guards
Roadway safety advocates are chiding the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after it rejected requests for stricter requirements on rear impact guards on semitruck trailers, used to protect passenger vehicles that crash into the back of trailers, calling the decision "indefensible."
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June 26, 2024
Conn. Insurance Chief Can Limit Struggling Insurer's Payouts
A Connecticut state court imposed a temporary moratorium on certain benefits that a private equity-owned life insurer can pay out to policyholders until a rehabilitation plan can be confirmed for the failing carrier, granting the state insurance department's petition for a rehabilitation order.
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June 26, 2024
NJ Cos. Can't Toss Contamination Claim In Green Groups' Suit
A New Jersey federal judge won't let NL Industries Inc. and a subsidiary escape claims by two environmental groups under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, saying it's undisputed that the companies are considered persons who handled hazardous waste.
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June 26, 2024
Six Flags, Cedar To Close $8B Merger Following DOJ OK
Six Flags Entertainment Corp. and Ohio-based amusement park peer Cedar Fair LP have cleared regulatory scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice, paving the way for a July 1 closing of the two companies' previously announced blockbuster $8 billion merger.
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June 26, 2024
Olo Moots Investor's Chancery Suit By Axing Free Takeover
Directors of New York-based online food-ordering venture Olo have mooted a proposed class challenge to a company stock buyback program by effectively barring moves that would give the company's top investor majority control of the business, Delaware's chancellor ruled on Monday.
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June 26, 2024
Calif. AG Defends Chemical Org's Subpoena In Pollution Probe
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is urging a D.C. federal judge to reject a bid from the American Chemistry Council that would block his office from enforcing a subpoena on the organization as part of an investigation into fossil fuel and petrochemical industries' role in global plastics pollution.
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June 26, 2024
Calif. Atty Won't Contest Claim He Stole Up To $282M
A California lawyer has stopped defending himself against bar discipline charges that accuse him of stealing as much as $282 million from clients, and his posture has forced the cancelation of a trial that was scheduled for this week and makes his disbarment almost certain.
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June 26, 2024
House GOP Gears Up For The End Of Chevron Deference
A new memo outlines how House Republicans are gearing up for the U.S. Supreme Court to potentially overturn the decades-old precedent that courts defer to agencies' interpretations of ambiguous statutes, as an opportunity to roll back the Biden administration's policies and reclaim Congress' power.
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June 26, 2024
FCC Allows Foreign Stake In Montana Telecom After Review
The Federal Communications Commission is allowing a pair of foreign nationals to move forward with their acquisition of Montana telecommunications company iSmart and its multinational parent, saying the federal government concluded a national security review of the transfer and that iSmart's parent company, Truphone, satisfied requirements from a 2022 consent decree it entered with the FCC.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer
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.
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Key Priorities In FDIC Report On Resolving Big Bank Failures
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.
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Microplastics At The Crossroads Of Regulation And Litigation
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.
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New Federal Bill Would Drastically Alter Privacy Landscape
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.
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Opinion
CFPB Could, And Should, Revise Open Banking Rulemaking
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.
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FDIC Bank Disclosure Rules Raise Important Questions
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.
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Setting Goals For Kicking Corruption Off FIFA World Cup Field
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.
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Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert
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.
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Takeaways From FDIC's Spring Supervisory Highlights
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.
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Online Portal Helps Fortify Feds' Unfair Health Practices Fight
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.
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Series
Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer
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.
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Key Issues Raised By Colorado's Brain Data Privacy Bill
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.
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Birkin Bag Case Carries Competition Lessons For Retailers
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.
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Expect Tougher Bank Exams 1 Year After Spring 2023 Failures
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.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
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.