Consumer Protection

  • February 21, 2025

    CFPB's Data Security In Spotlight After Agency Goes Dark

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's de facto shutdown following the arrival of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is raising concerns that sensitive data inside the agency could be exposed or exploited. Experts say financial institutions should take note.

  • February 21, 2025

    FTC's Holyoak Has Her Eyes On DeepSeek

    Federal Trade Commission member Melissa Holyoak suggested Friday that DeepSeek, the Chinese artificial intelligence startup whose rise has roiled AI markets, could have competed unfairly if it really trained its model using ChatGPT in violation of OpenAI's policies, as has been suggested.

  • February 21, 2025

    Pepperdine Says Netflix, WB Series Rips Off 'Waves' Athletics

    Netflix and Warner Bros. Entertainment ripped off Pepperdine University's intellectual property, including the colors and branding of its basketball team, to create their forthcoming comedy series "Running Point" and create a false sense of affiliation, the university alleges in a trademark infringement lawsuit filed Thursday in California federal court.

  • February 21, 2025

    Trump-Targeted CFPB Drops Suit Against Online Lender

    The embattled Consumer Financial Protection Bureau told a California federal judge Friday that it has dropped litigation it filed against online lending platform SoLo Funds, which the watchdog agency had accused of deceiving borrowers about the total cost of loans.

  • February 21, 2025

    Colo. Woman Tells Jury Sterilization Plant Caused Cancer

    A woman claiming medical sterilization company Terumo caused a cancer cluster in her Colorado community took the stand Friday and told a state jury that her lymphoma gave her debilitating fatigue and self-doubt.

  • February 21, 2025

    CFPB Shutdown Means 'Irreparable Harm,' 23 State AGs Say

    Nearly two dozen attorneys general on Friday filed an amicus brief backing the union that represents Consumer Financial Protection Bureau workers in their lawsuit over the agency's shutdown, arguing they will suffer "several forms of irreparable harm" without a preliminary injunction.

  • February 21, 2025

    Verizon, T-Mobile Push For More Room In Upper C-Band

    T-Mobile and Verizon are excited about the Federal Communications Commission's plan to launch an inquiry into opening up parts of the upper C-band later this month, thanking the agency for "moving swiftly" on the issue.

  • February 21, 2025

    Calif. Lawmakers Unveil 'Polluters Pay' Superfund Legislation

    A pair of California lawmakers on Friday introduced legislation that would require the biggest polluters to pitch in and put a portion of their profits toward climate-related disaster mitigation, a measure they said aims to relieve the burden on taxpayers in the wake of catastrophes such as wildfires.

  • February 21, 2025

    Unilever Settles Class Suit Over Benzene In Shampoo

    Unilever has reached a deal in principle that should end a proposed class action accusing the consumer goods giant and its suppliers of selling carcinogen-tainted dry shampoo, according to a joint notice filed Thursday in Connecticut federal court.

  • February 21, 2025

    Judge Trims $40M Green Energy Co. Investor Suit

    A Tennessee federal judge won't toss a proposed class action claiming that a Chicago green energy outfit and its executives used false promises of extravagant returns to lure investors, but ruled two defendants can escape some of the suit's claims.

  • February 21, 2025

    WebMD Users Secure Class Certification In Video Privacy Suit

    WebMD faces a certified class action accusing the health information site of violating federal law by sharing roughly half a million of its users' video-viewing history with Facebook, after a Georgia federal judge rejected some of the website's arguments against certification as "absurd."

  • February 21, 2025

    Payday Lender Says CFPB Uncertainty Should Pause Suit

    ACE Cash Express has asked a Texas federal judge to pause a case launched by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accusing the payday lender of concealing free repayment plans from struggling borrowers, saying it is unclear how the agency will move forward with the action now that the Trump administration has effectively shut it down. 

  • February 21, 2025

    Eli Lilly Has Exclusivity Over Weight Loss Drug, FDA Says

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked a Texas federal court to reject a request for an injunction that would allow compounding pharmacies to produce a lucrative weight loss drug, saying Thursday the agency based its decision on sound facts and it was within its authority.

  • February 21, 2025

    Telecom Biz Re-Ups Push To Exempt BEAD Funds From Taxes

    The telecom industry is again pressing policymakers to make income from federal broadband deployment grants tax-free.

  • February 21, 2025

    CFPB's $8 Late Fee Rule On Ropes As Banks Move In For Kill

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other trade groups have urged a Texas federal judge to strike down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's $8 credit card late fee rule once and for all, saying, among other things, that the CFPB is itself a "veritable issue-spotter of constitutional law violations."

  • February 21, 2025

    Golf Course Operator Wants Workers' Data Breach Suits Axed

    KemperSports is asking an Illinois federal judge to permanently toss a group of current and former employees' lawsuits over an April data breach, arguing it's clear they have no claims since "nothing apparently has happened" to them nearly a year after the incident.

  • February 21, 2025

    Delta Hit With First Negligence Suits Over Toronto Crash

    Delta Air Lines was hit with the first pair of negligence suits in Georgia and Minnesota federal court over a harrowing crash in Toronto during which the plane caught fire, skidded across the runway with its wings broken off and flipped upside down.

  • February 21, 2025

    FanDuel Demands Arbitration For Ex-Jaguars Employee Suit

    The former NFL team administrator now imprisoned for embezzlement is bound by an arbitration clause in his FanDuel contract, the betting platform argued Friday in its motion to send a $250 million New York federal lawsuit to arbitration.

  • February 21, 2025

    Exxon Can't Dodge RICO Claims In Puerto Rico Federal Court

    A U.S. magistrate judge said Puerto Rican municipalities should be allowed to pursue racketeering and antitrust claims against energy companies including Exxon Mobil Corp. that they allege misrepresented the climate dangers of fossil fuel products.

  • February 21, 2025

    Dispute Over FDA Menthol Cigarette Ban Paused Until August

    A California federal judge has agreed to pause a lawsuit alleging that federal health regulators slow-walked implementing a ban on menthol cigarettes while new leadership assumes control of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • February 21, 2025

    Alcon Hit With Suit Over Allegedly Contaminated Eye Drops

    Alcon Laboratories Inc. has been hit with a proposed class action in Colorado federal court alleging that its eye drops are contaminated by fungus, in a case brought by a woman who says she was injured by using the drops for months.

  • February 21, 2025

    Ga. Provider Bashes FCC Over Subsidy Verification Rules

    A Georgia-based phone and internet provider is appealing a $429,000 recovery order from the Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau over the company's alleged failure to verify subscribers qualified for pandemic-era subsidies, arguing that it is being punished for using the eligibility verification system that the commission itself requires them to use.

  • February 21, 2025

    Veolia Ends One Of Few Remaining Flint Water Suits For $53M

    A water engineering firm on Friday said it will pay $53 million to settle claims from the state of Michigan and thousands of Flint residents who allege the company failed to properly identify corrosion control treatment issues or alert officials to the dangers of the city's water, prolonging the water crisis.

  • February 21, 2025

    Coinbase Says SEC Will Drop Suit Amid Crypto Policy Shift

    Coinbase said Friday the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has committed to dropping its enforcement action against the crypto exchange, a move that would see the regulator walk away from one of its flagship crypto suits amid a wider policy shift under the Trump administration.

  • February 21, 2025

    High Court Finds FCC's E-Rate Subject To False Claims Act

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Friday that telecoms participating in the federal E-Rate program supporting school and library connectivity can be sued for excess payouts under the False Claims Act because the subsidy's funds are provided through the U.S. Treasury.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Weight Drug Suits Highlight Need For Legal Work On Safety

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    The rapid ascent of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic has revolutionized diabetes management and weight loss — but legal wrangling over issues including off-label prescriptions, side effects and compounded versions underscores lawyers' roles in protecting patient safety, says attorney Gregg Goldfarb.

  • What Travis Hill's Vision For FDIC Could Portend For Banks

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    If selected to lead the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in a permanent capacity, acting Chairman Travis Hill is likely to prioritize removing barriers to innovation and institution-level growth, emphasizing the idea that eliminating rules, relaxing standards and reducing scrutiny will reinvigorate the industry, say attorneys at Mitchell Sandler.

  • Will Independent Federal Agencies Remain Independent?

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    For 90 years, members of multimember independent federal agencies have relied on the U.S. Supreme Court's 1935 ruling in Humphrey's Executor v. U.S. establishing the security of their positions — but as the Trump administration attempts to overturn this understanding, it is unclear how the high court will respond, says Harvey Reiter at Stinson.

  • 5 Major Crypto Developments From The Trump Admin So Far

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    The early weeks of the Trump administration have set the stage for a significant transformation in U.S. digital asset policy by prioritizing regulatory clarity, innovation and a shift away from enforcement-heavy tactics, but many of these changes will require congressional support and progress may be gradual, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Compliance Pointers For DOJ's Sweeping Data Security Rule

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    A new Justice Department rule broadly restricts many common data transactions with the goal of preventing access by countries of concern, and with an effective date of April 8, U.S. companies must quickly assess practices related to employee, customer and vendor data, says Sam Castic at Hintze Law.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: February Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses five federal appellate court class certification decisions and identifies practice tips from cases involving breach of life insurance contracts, constitutional violations of inmates and more.

  • What To Expect From The New FCC Chair

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    As a vocal critic of the Federal Communications Commission's recent priorities, newly appointed chair Brendan Carr has described a vision for the agency that would bring significant changes to telecommunication regulation and Telephone Consumer Protection Act enforcement in the U.S., say attorneys at BCLP.

  • Comparing 2 Pending Bills To Regulate Stablecoins

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    Alexandra Steinberg Barrage at Troutman analyzes the key similarities and differences between two payment stablecoin proposals currently pending in Congress — the STABLE and GENIUS acts — as both chambers are forming a working group to deliver a clear regulatory framework for digital assets and bipartisan agreement appears within reach.

  • Citibank Wire Transfer Ruling Creates New Liability For Banks

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    A New York federal court's recent decision in New York v. Citibank, affirming the Electronic Fund Transfer Act's consumer protections cover wire transfers allegedly initiated by scammers who infiltrated Citibank customers' online accounts, creates new liability for sending financial institutions and upends decades-old regulatory guidance, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • 4 Do's And Don'ts For Trial Lawyers Using Generative AI

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    Trial attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools should review a few key reminders, from the likelihood that prompts are discoverable to the rapid evolution of court rules, to safeguard against embarrassing missteps, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • Series

    Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.

  • 11th Circ. TCPA Ruling Signals Erosion Of Judicial Deference

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    The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit recently came to the rescue of the lead generation industry, striking down new regulations that were set to go into effect on Jan. 27, a decision consistent with federal courts' recent willingness to review administrative decisions, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • How Southern Calif. Fires Can Affect National, Local Pricing

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    The fire-related California state of emergency declared last month in Los Angeles and Ventura counties triggered laws around price-gouging and pricing restrictions that affect not just individuals and businesses in the state, but also nationwide, meaning sellers should be mindful of how price changes are discussed and rolled out, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Inside The Uncertainty Surrounding CFPB's Overdraft Rule

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's overhaul of overdraft fee regulation hangs in limbo as the industry watches to see whether new leadership will repeal the rule, allow it to stay in place, or wait for congressional action or the courts to drive its demise, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • How Private Securities Suits Complement SEC Enforcement

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    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement is vital to the healthy functioning of markets, but government enforcement alone is not enough to ensure meaningful monetary recoveries for investor losses due to securities law violations, say attorneys at Bernstein Litowitz.

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