Consumer Protection

  • 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.

  • July 02, 2024

    Judge Expedites Briefing For Consensys SEC Challenge

    Crypto firm Consensys' preemptive case against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is set to move forward on an expedited basis after a Texas federal judge allowed the parties to brief any potential bids from the regulator to toss the case at the same time as Consensys' motion for a judgment in its favor.

  • July 02, 2024

    4th Circ. Nixes Black Lung Benefits For American Energy Miner

    The Fourth Circuit on Monday upended an award of black lung benefits to the widow of a miner who worked for American Energy LLC, saying it was the widow's responsibility to prove that coal dust exposure, more than smoking, is what caused his respiratory disease.

  • July 02, 2024

    Apple Says It's Too Early For Discovery In DOJ Antitrust Case

    There's no need to get the ball rolling on discovery in the U.S. Department of Justice's case accusing Apple of monopolizing the smartphone market until the New Jersey federal court overseeing the case decides if it's going to dismiss it entirely, the tech giant argued.

  • July 02, 2024

    Amazon Must Face Wiretapping Class Suit, Wash. Judge Says

    A Washington federal judge said Tuesday that Amazon can't dodge a proposed class action alleging it violated California's wiretapping law, in a ruling that determined the tech giant was capable of accessing customer call data through its call center technology used by Capital One.

  • July 02, 2024

    Chamber, Pharma Slam Colorado Drug Price Controls

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a prominent pharmaceutical industry group have urged a Colorado federal court to bar a state review board from setting price controls on prescription drugs, arguing that the practice is "irreconcilable" with federal patent law.

  • July 02, 2024

    Sens. Urge Synapse Partners To Free Up Customer Funds

    A group of Democratic senators led by banking committee chair Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, called on the owners and banking partners of bankrupt fintech intermediary Synapse Financial Technologies to restore customers' access to their deposits.

  • July 02, 2024

    Depo Gets Dad Ousted From Sesame Place Race Bias Case

    The father of a child who was allegedly snubbed by costumed performers at a Pennsylvania theme park has been removed from consolidated race bias litigation after plaintiffs' counsel said the father had lied during a deposition, with a Pennsylvania federal judge on Tuesday granting a bid by other families to sever their case from his.

  • July 02, 2024

    6th Circ. Takes Up Fuel Pump Appeal GM Pledged To Drop

    The Sixth Circuit has agreed to hear General Motors' bid to undo certification of seven state classes of drivers who say GM sold diesel-powered trucks with faulty fuel pumps, although the automaker recently agreed to a $50 million settlement that includes a promise to abandon the appeal.

  • July 02, 2024

    Captioning Providers Worried About FCC Rate Cuts

    Companies that provide captioned telephone service for people with hearing and speech disabilities are criticizing a Federal Communications Commission proposal to reduce rates paid to providers, saying that successive rate cuts could jeopardize their credit lines and diminish their ability to raise capital if the agency doesn't change course.

  • July 02, 2024

    Ga. Parking Co. Stole Data To Send Fake Tickets, Fla Suit Says

    A Florida resident has brought a proposed federal class action against a Georgia parking company for alleged privacy violations, saying his data was illegally obtained and used to send fake citations in a scheme to collect money under the threat that vehicles could be confiscated or credit ruined.

  • July 02, 2024

    Wash. Plastic Surgeon To Pay $5M To End AG's NDA Suit

     A Washington state plastic surgery practice will pay $5 million to resolve the state attorney general's lawsuit that accuses it of boosting its online reputation with phony positive reviews and preventing patients from posting honest negative accounts by requiring illegal nondisclosure agreements, according to an agreed order filed in Washington federal court.

  • July 02, 2024

    ​​​​​​​Top Groups Lobbying The FCC

    The Federal Communications Commission heard from advocates nearly 150 times in June on issues including broadband map accuracy, next-generation 911, prison phone rates, a new missing-persons code and rules to restrict bulk billing in apartment buildings.

  • July 02, 2024

    Samsung Doesn't Owe $4M In Arbitration Fees, 7th Circ. Says

    The Seventh Circuit has ruled that Samsung need not pay $4 million in individual arbitration fees for 35,000 consumers claiming the electronics giant illegally collected their biometric data, saying Monday that under their purchase agreement terms the consumers could have advanced the fees if they wanted their claims arbitrated.

  • July 02, 2024

    Kipling Apparel Can't Nix 'Phantom' Discount Suit

    A California federal judge on Monday refused to toss a proposed class action alleging that bag maker Kipling Apparel Corp. used "phantom" discounts to make outlet store customers believe they were getting price cuts, but she said the plaintiff had failed to show that damages would be insufficient compensation.

  • July 02, 2024

    Judge Says Feds Exceeded Question Limit In Pollution Suit

    A Michigan federal judge has denied the federal government's bid to force a coke oven battery company to respond to questions about business decisions and parent company involvement, holding that it has exceeded an agreed-upon limit of so-called interrogatories in its Clean Air Act case.

  • July 02, 2024

    Amazon's PillPack Settles TCPA Class Suit

    Amazon.com affiliate PillPack LLC has settled a class action alleging it was responsible for illegal telemarketing calls made to consumers without their consent, the parties said Tuesday in a notice filed in Washington federal court.

  • July 02, 2024

    CFPB's Founding Fair Lending Chief Heads For Exit

    Patrice Ficklin, the longtime top fair lending official at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is leaving the agency later this month after more than a decade leading its efforts to oversee the financial industry's compliance with federal laws banning credit discrimination.

  • July 02, 2024

    McKinsey Wants To Arbitrate Ex-Partner's Defamation Suit

    McKinsey & Co. has urged a New York state judge to send to arbitration or dismiss a former partner's defamation lawsuit alleging the consulting giant tried to make him a scapegoat for purported evidence destruction amid a U.S. Department of Justice probe into McKinsey's work with opioid makers.

  • July 02, 2024

    'Angry' Connecticut AG Probing Music Festival Fiasco

    Connecticut Attorney General William Tong on Tuesday announced that his office has launched an investigation into a three-day rock music festival organized by Capulet Entertainment LLC that drew big-name bands before the venue changed at the last minute, leading numerous acts to drop out and forcing attendees to abandon their outdoor camping plans.

  • July 02, 2024

    Flint Needs State Help After Years Of Pipe Delays, Judge Says

    A Michigan federal judge said the city of Flint's repeated failures to replace lead water service lines for residents shows it doesn't have the "wherewithal" or funds to finish the project and granted yet another extension to complete the work with offered help from the state of Michigan.

  • July 02, 2024

    Congress Urges DOJ To Probe TikTok Kids' Privacy Concerns

    A bipartisan group of lawmakers urged the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday to quickly review the Federal Trade Commission's complaint referral against TikTok and its parent company ByteDance Ltd. for possibly violating a children's privacy law.

  • July 02, 2024

    Thomas Warns Of 'Danger In Delay' In Snapchat Abuse Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Tuesday to review whether Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act immunizes platforms from lawsuits based on their own misconduct, rejecting a petition from a man who alleges that his high school teacher used Snapchat to send him sexually explicit material when he was 15.

  • July 02, 2024

    High Court Agrees To Review FDA's Flavored E-Cig Denial

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's petition to review a Fifth Circuit decision overturning its denial of a flavored e-cigarette marketing application.

Expert Analysis

  • FTC Hearing On Fake Review Rule Stressed Compliance Costs

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission is likely to finalize its proposed rule to prohibit marketers from using deceptive practices in their product reviews after an informal hearing covered arguments over whether costs of implementing the rule, such as review moderation and software maintenance, would be minimal, says Jeffrey Edelstein at Manatt.

  • FTC Focus: Exploring The Meaning Of Orange Book Letters

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission recently announced an expansion of its campaign to promote competition by targeting pharmaceutical manufacturers' improper Orange Book patent listings, but there is a question of whether and how this helps generic entrants, say Colin Kass and David Munkittrick at Proskauer.

  • 3 Recent Decisions To Note As Climate Litigation Heats Up

    Author Photo

    Three recent rulings on climate-related issues — from a New York federal court, a New York state court and an international tribunal, respectively — demonstrate both regulators' concern about climate change and the complexity of conflicting regulations in different jurisdictions, say J. Michael Showalter and Robert Middleton at ArentFox Schiff.

  • 12 Keys To Successful Post-Trial Juror Interviews

    Author Photo

    Post-trial interviews offer attorneys an avenue to gain valuable insights into juror decision making and get feedback that can inform future litigation strategies, but certain best practices must be followed to get the most out of this research tool, say Alexa Hiley and Brianna Smith at IMS Legal.

  • How Employers, Attorneys Can Respond To Noncompete Ban

    Author Photo

    As the Federal Trade Commission's recently issued noncompete ban faces ongoing legal challenges, now is a good time for employers to consider whether they want to take a wait-and-see approach before halting use of noncompetes and for practitioners to gain insight into other tools available to protect their clients' business interests, says Jennifer Platzkere Snyder at Dilworth Paxson.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: May Lessons

    Author Photo

    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses four notable circuit court decisions on topics from automobile insurance to securities — and provides key takeaways for counsel on issues including circuit-specific ascertainability requirements and how to conduct a Daubert analysis prior to class certification.

  • New TSCA Risk Rule Gives EPA Broad Discretion On Science

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent final amendments to its framework for evaluating the risks of chemical substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act give it vast discretion over consideration of scientific information, without objective criteria to guide that discretion, say John McGahren and Debra Carfora at Morgan Lewis.

  • Perspectives

    Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys

    Author Photo

    As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.

  • CFPB's Expanding Scope Evident In Coding Bootcamp Fine

    Author Photo

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent penalty against a for-profit coding bootcamp that misrepresented its tuition financing plans is a sign that the bureau is seeking to wield its supervisory and enforcement powers in more industries that offer consumer financing, say Jason McElroy and Brandon Sherman at Saul Ewing.

  • Fintech Compliance Amid Regulatory Focus On Sensitive Data

    Author Photo

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent, expansive pursuit of financial services companies using sensitive personal information signals a move into the Federal Trade Commission's territory, and the path forward for fintech and financial service providers involves a balance between innovation and compliance, say attorneys at Wilson Sonsini.

  • 4 Arbitration Takeaways From High Court Coinbase Ruling

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's May 23 decision in Coinbase v. Suski, which provides clarity to parties faced with successive contracts containing conflicting dispute resolution provisions, has four practical impacts for contracting parties to consider, say Charles Schoenwetter and Eric Olson at Bowman and Brooke.

  • Series

    Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.

  • Lessons In High-Profile Jury Selection Amid NY Trump Trial

    Author Photo

    Richard Gabriel and Michelle Rey LaRocca at Decision Analysis consider how media exposure can affect a prospective juror in a high-profile case, the misunderstood nature of bias, and recommendations for jury selection in these unique situations as the Trump hush money trial continues in New York.

  • How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case

    Author Photo

    The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.

  • The Effects Of New 10-Year Limitation On Key Sanctions Laws

    Author Photo

    Recently enacted emergency appropriations legislation, doubling the statute of limitations for civil and criminal economic sanctions violations, has significant implications for internal records retention, corporate transaction due diligence and government investigations, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

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!