Consumer Protection

  • November 15, 2024

    GAO Says EPA Must Act On Waste Sites' Climate Risks

    Nearly 70% of the nation's hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities are vulnerable to climate change impacts such as flooding, wildfires, storm surge and sea level rise, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency needs to be more proactive, a new federal report says.

  • November 15, 2024

    California Blames Travelers For Rot Remediation Policy Deceit

    In a case with potentially untold financial consequences, California district attorneys are blaming Travelers in state court for trying to attract customers by offering coverage for fungi and rot remediation for years without adequately disclosing stringent exclusions to state policyholders, in violation of state code.

  • November 15, 2024

    GM's Cruise Accepts $500K Criminal Fine Over Robotaxi Crash

    Cruise LLC, the autonomous vehicles subsidiary of General Motors Co., has agreed to pay $500,000 in criminal fines to end claims that it made false statements to federal highway investigators by omitting that one of its vehicles dragged a pedestrian over 20 feet, according to an announcement by federal prosecutors.

  • November 15, 2024

    Paxton Says Texas Porn Site Law 'Modest' Way To End 'Crisis'

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday that a state law requiring visitors to prove their age before accessing content on certain adult-oriented websites is tailored in the most "modest" way possible to address a "public health crisis."

  • November 15, 2024

    Texas Judge Won't Halt CFPB Small-Biz Rule As Banks Appeal

    A Texas federal judge has declined to stay the compliance date of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's small-business lending data collection rule while a coalition of bank trade groups appeals his decision to uphold the rule's data collection requirements, saying no circumstances justify such "extraordinary relief."

  • November 15, 2024

    Cable Biz Group Doubts FCC Legal Authority On Data Caps

    Independent cable providers want the Federal Communications Commission to scrap its potential clamp down on data usage limits in broadband service plans, claiming the agency lacks legal authority to move ahead.

  • November 15, 2024

    SEC's Top Cop Says Election Hasn't Slowed Enforcers Down

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement attorneys continue to work with "urgency" in the waning months of the Biden administration, the acting leader of the enforcement division said Friday at an event where he also spoke about a shuttered task force and the agency's approach to pursuing cases involving cybersecurity breaches.

  • November 15, 2024

    Hot Topic Shoppers' Info Stolen By 'Satanic' Hacker, Suit Says

    Hot Topic and its retail affiliates were hit with a proposed class action Wednesday in California federal court alleging an unknown hacker with the username "Satanic" infiltrated their databases containing personal information belonging to 350 million customers and offered to sell the information on an internet forum last month.

  • November 15, 2024

    FCC Passes New Satellite Spectrum Sharing Rules

    The Federal Communications Commission on Friday released new rules covering the sharing of spectrum by non-geostationary orbit fixed satellites that commissioners say will encourage industry growth but also protect existing systems.

  • November 15, 2024

    Pennsylvania AG Can't Stop Glass Plant From Moving To Ohio

    A Pennsylvania federal judge denied the Keystone State attorney general's bid to stop a private equity firm from shutting down a Pyrex plant it purchased and moving its operations to Ohio, ruling that "there is simply insufficient evidence presented" to show that the move will be anticompetitive.

  • November 15, 2024

    Monsanto Cleared In Philly's 7th Roundup Trial

    A Philadelphia jury on Friday cleared Bayer AG unit Monsanto of liability in a woman's lawsuit alleging she developed cancer by using the weedkiller Roundup, delivering the agrochemical giant its third victory in the city's mass tort.

  • November 15, 2024

    Teva Defends Mifepristone Antitrust Case Against Corcept

    Teva Pharmaceuticals has asked a California federal judge to reject a bid to dismiss its lawsuit against the maker of a brand-name drug used to treat a rare cortisol disorder, contending its complaint plausibly alleges an illegal scheme to suppress generic competition.

  • November 15, 2024

    Attys Get 'Final Warning' In Tepezza Hearing Loss MDL

    A magistrate judge has chastised attorneys on both sides of multidistrict litigation involving claims that a thyroid eye disease treatment manufactured by Horizon Pharmaceuticals Inc. causes hearing loss, calling for an end to their "improper" conduct during depositions.

  • November 15, 2024

    Ga. Law Firm Hit With Proposed Class Action Over Data Breach

    Atlanta-based personal injury law firm Montlick & Associates PC has been hit with a proposed class action in Georgia federal court over an August data breach that compromised the private information of clients and employees.

  • November 15, 2024

    ​​​​​​​Visa Says European Commission Investigating 'Acquirer' Fees

    Visa is telling investors that European competition regulators are looking into its merchant fees, disclosing in its annual report this week that the European Commission has been investigating it since August.

  • November 15, 2024

    NC AG Wins Early Halt Of Alleged Helene Price-Gouging

    A North Carolina court granted state attorney general and incoming governor Josh Stein's request for a preliminary injunction against a businessman accused of price-gouging for tree removal services in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and taking jobs he knew his businesses were not qualified to handle.

  • November 14, 2024

    Bitfinex Hacker Gets 5 Years For Laundering Stolen Crypto

    A hacker was sentenced in Washington, D.C., federal court on Thursday to five years in prison for laundering hundreds of thousands of bitcoins now worth more than $10 billion that he stole from cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex.

  • November 14, 2024

    Judge Vows Atty Fee Trims For Handling Of $90M Google Deal

    A California federal judge overseeing Google's $90 million antitrust deal with Play Store developers on Thursday blasted counsel representing smaller developer plaintiffs and the administration company handling the settlement, criticizing the administrator's work as "the worst performance I've seen" and vowing to trim the attorney fees "substantially."

  • November 14, 2024

    Student Loan Servicer Wants CFPB Deal Paused Amid Appeal

    The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency has asked a Pennsylvania federal judge to pause its obligation to pay more than $3.2 million as a part of a settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that is being challenged in the Third Circuit by a third party.

  • November 14, 2024

    Calif. Privacy Agency Inks 1st Settlements With Data Brokers

    The California Privacy Protection Agency has issued its first monetary penalties in its almost four-year existence, announcing Thursday that a pair of data brokers would pay nearly $70,000 to resolve claims that they failed to comply with the registration requirements of a groundbreaking state data deletion law. 

  • November 14, 2024

    Florida AG Says FEMA Failed Trump Supporters After Storms

    The Florida Attorney General's Office announced Thursday it has launched a federal lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency's administrator and a fired agency official over an alleged directive instructing hurricane relief workers to avoid homes displaying signs in support of President-elect Donald Trump.

  • November 14, 2024

    Kraft Mac & Cheese Artificial Ingredients Claims Survive

    An Illinois federal judge said Wednesday that Kraft Heinz Co. can't escape a proposed class action alleging that its Kraft macaroni and cheese products, which are labeled as containing no artificial preservatives, actually do contain those artificial ingredients.

  • November 14, 2024

    CFPB Orders Prison Telecom, Payment Provider To Pay $3M

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced Thursday it has instructed one of the largest prison service providers to pay $3 million to settle claims tied to the company's money transfer and telecommunications businesses, including a claim alleging it froze and drained incarcerated individuals' accounts.

  • November 14, 2024

    'The World Has Changed': Google's $700M Deal Gets 2nd Look

    The California federal judge considering Google's $700 million antitrust deal with states and consumers told plaintiffs' counsel Thursday to review the settlement terms to ensure that they comport with Google Play store changes he ordered in Epic Games' separate lawsuit, saying "the world has changed" since they struck the deal.

  • November 14, 2024

    Hasbro's Excess Toy Inventory Tanked Stock, Suit Says

    Toy and entertainment company Hasbro Inc. has been hit with a proposed shareholder class action alleging it falsely portrayed high inventory levels as a protective measure against supply chain issues despite knowing its inventory far exceeded actual consumer demand.

Expert Analysis

  • Legislation Most Likely To Pass In Lame Duck Session

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    As Congress begins its five-week post-election lame duck session, attorneys at Greenberg Traurig break down the legislative priorities and which proposals can be expected to pass.

  • Justices Must Weigh Reach Of Civil RICO In Cannabis Case

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    Oral arguments in Medical Marijuana Inc. v. Horn suggest that a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court may agree that a truck driver's losing his job after unknowingly ingesting THC and failing a drug test does not merit a racketeering claim — but the court may not buy the other side's theory of the case either, say attorneys at Lewis Baach.

  • What Trump's 2nd Presidency Could Mean For Crypto Sector

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    Trump's second term will bring a fundamental shift from the Biden administration's approach to crypto-asset regulation and banking supervision, with the most significant changes likely taking effect in the first two quarters of 2025 and broader policy shifts emerging over the next year, say attorneys at Cahill.

  • Putting NYDFS AI Cybersecurity Guidance Into Practice

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    New guidance from the New York Department of Financial Services explains how financial institutions should assess and mitigate cybersecurity risks associated with artificial intelligence, focusing on four main threats and highlighting how varying environments require specific mitigation measures, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Opinion

    In Visa Case, DOJ Continues To Misapply The Sherman Act

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    The recent U.S. Department of Justice debit market monopolization case against Visa fuels concerns that a misguided Biden administration DOJ is inappropriately expanding its interpretation of the Sherman Antitrust Act beyond the demonstrable economic effects that business conduct has on consumers, says Shubha Ghosh at Syracuse University.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • Call For Input Shows How Banks, Fintechs Can Address Risks

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    A recent request for information by federal banking regulators suggests that watchdogs are zeroing in on the bank-fintech partnerships they have long perceived as risky to consumers, but analyzing the publication can help companies anticipate regulators’ chief concerns and take steps to avoid becoming enforcement targets, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • Curious Case Of FTC's Amicus Brief In Teva Fed. Circ. Appeal

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    Attorneys at BCLP explore the Federal Trade Commission's backing of Amneal's Orange Book-delisting efforts on Teva ahead of a key Federal Circuit hearing in a case between the two pharmaceutical companies, and wonder if the FTC amicus brief indicates a future trend, especially in the next administration.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • How New OCC Priorities Will Affect Bank Compliance

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    With the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency recently releasing a new bank supervision plan for fiscal year 2025, all banks, not only those primarily supervised by the OCC, should consider how compliance with its guidelines creates opportunities and challenges, says Andrew Karp at Cadwalader.

  • Comparing Antitrust Outlooks Amid Google Remedy Review

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    As the U.S. Justice Department mulls potential structural remedies after winning its recent case against Google, increased global scrutiny of Big Tech leaves ex post and ex ante antitrust approaches ripe for evaluation, say Nishant Chadha at the Indian School of Business and Manisha Goel at Pomona College.

  • Website Accessibility Ruling Leaves Circuit Split Unresolved

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    A New York federal court's recent decision in Mejia v. High Brew Coffee, holding that stand-alone websites are not "public accommodations" subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act, further complicates a long-running circuit split on this question — even as courts are burdened with thousands of similar lawsuits, say attorneys at Mandelbaum Barrett.

  • What FTC's 'Bitcoin ATM' Report Tells Us About Crypto Scams

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent insights into bitcoin ATM scams highlight the technical evolution of fraudsters, the application of old scams to new technology, and the persistent financial impact on victims, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • A Look At Grewal's Record-Breaking Legacy After SEC Exit

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    Gurbir Grewal resigned as director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement last month after more than three years on the job, leaving behind a legacy marked by record numbers of penalties and enforcement actions, as well as mixed results in aggressive lawsuits against major crypto players, say attorneys at Debevoise.

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