Consumer Protection

  • June 03, 2024

    Kroger, Albertsons Can't Get More Info On FTC Markets

    An Oregon federal judge denied Kroger and Albertsons' requests for more information on the markets at issue in the Federal Trade Commission's ongoing attempt to block their merger, saying the companies' request is premature and excessively broad.

  • June 03, 2024

    3 Airlines To Refund Over $900M For COVID Flight Changes

    Deutsche Lufthansa AG, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and South African Airways will refund a combined $903 million to passengers who had flights changed or canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic and pay a combined $2.2 million in penalties for "extreme delays" in processing the requests, the U.S. Department of Transportation said Monday.

  • June 03, 2024

    FTC Gets Backing Against Noncompete Rule Challenge

    The Federal Trade Commission has received backing against a challenge of its new rule banning noncompete clauses, with a labor group, local lawmakers and others urging a Texas federal court not to prevent the rule from taking effect in September.

  • June 03, 2024

    Navy Federal Lets AI Co. Monitor Calls, Suit Says

    Navy Federal Credit Union has been letting an artificial intelligence software company intercept, analyze and record all its customer calls, according to a new lawsuit accusing the nation's largest credit union of putting its members' confidential, personal and financial information at risk.

  • June 03, 2024

    Vietnamese EV Co. Hit With Investor Suit Over SPAC Merger

    Vietnamese electric car manufacturer VinFast Auto and several executives have been hit with a proposed class action alleging they exaggerated the strength of VinFast's business model and prospects following a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company last year.

  • June 03, 2024

    Clear Rate Faces 4 New FCC Complaints Over 'Slamming'

    Michigan-based Clear Rate Communications is yet again in the Federal Communications Commission's crosshairs over allegations of "slamming," with the commission ordering the company to wipe new customers' charges for the third time this year.

  • June 03, 2024

    Put Net Neutrality On Ice During Court Reviews, FCC Urged

    Nine industry groups are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to delay making net neutrality rules effective until the federal appeals courts have a chance to review them, and to act quickly so the groups can seek a court order if needed.

  • June 03, 2024

    Congress' Crypto Votes Lay Groundwork For Next Session

    Congress' sudden and surprisingly bipartisan momentum on crypto policy is unlikely to result in a signed law this year, but the agreements set the stage for proposals that could go the distance next session.

  • June 03, 2024

    Royal Caribbean Sued Over Ship's Wave Simulation Attraction

    Royal Caribbean was hit Monday with a lawsuit in Florida federal court alleging its FlowRider wave simulation attraction on one of its cruise ships was "unreasonably dangerous" and led to a passenger being injured.

  • June 03, 2024

    American Says 'Common Sense' Makes JetBlue Deal A Positive

    An attorney for American Airlines appeared to run into turbulence during his First Circuit oral arguments Monday while contending that the mere presence of "upward pricing pressure" from the since-blocked Northeast Alliance joint venture with JetBlue is outweighed by deal benefits improperly ignored by the district court.

  • June 03, 2024

    Public Stations Fight One-Size-Fits-All Definition Of Localism

    The Federal Communications Commission might harm public TV stations if it applies the same definition of "locally originated content" to public outlets and its commercial counterparts, public broadcasting groups say.

  • June 03, 2024

    New Mexico AG Beats Meta's Bid To Toss Child Abuse Suit

    Social media company Meta can't escape a lawsuit claiming sexual predators were allowed to abuse children on Facebook and Instagram, after a New Mexico state judge rejected Meta's claims for immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

  • June 03, 2024

    Drug Cos. Can Depose DC AG In Drug Price-Fixing Row

    A Connecticut federal judge reluctantly ordered the District of Columbia Attorney General's Office to be deposed by the drug companies wrapped up in more than 40 states' claims over an alleged price-fixing conspiracy, noting that he would not have done so but for the case being remanded from a sprawling multidistrict litigation in Pennsylvania.

  • June 03, 2024

    Jeep Driver Files Proposed Class Suit Over Battery Defect

    Stellantis North America has been slapped with a proposed class action in California federal court alleging that although the carmaker's 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4XE suffers from a serious battery system defect, the company has refused to issue a recall or fix the vehicles.

  • June 03, 2024

    Eversource 'Shamelessly' Touts Dangerous Fuel, Suit Says

    Eversource Energy promotes natural gas as a safe, clean energy source when it knows otherwise and engages in "greenwashing" that minimizes its impact on the environment, according to a proposed class action filed in state court on behalf of Massachusetts residents serviced by the utility.

  • June 03, 2024

    Equifax Judge OKs $1.1M Atty Fees In Debt Reporting Deal

    Attorneys will recover $1.1 million in fees for securing $500 payments for class members in litigation alleging Equifax reported unenforceable debts, a decision that comes several months after a California federal judge warned he would likely hold a portion of the fees until he learned the ultimate settlement payout.

  • June 03, 2024

    Restaurants Fight Bid-Rigging Release In $75M Chicken Deals

    Boston Market, Golden Corral and other restaurants have urged an Illinois federal judge to reject a class of chicken buyers' attempt to lock in $75 million in price-fixing settlements, continuing their fight to preserve a bid-rigging claim they argue should not be released.

  • June 03, 2024

    Bookstores Can't Step Into FTC's Antitrust Fight With Amazon

    A Washington federal judge on Monday declined to allow booksellers to intervene in the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust suit against Amazon to raise concerns about the digital retailer's book sales and agreements with publishers, but invited them to seek permission to file an amicus brief instead.

  • June 03, 2024

    'Luxury' Wasn't Part Of Mansion Deal, 3rd Circ. Told

    An attorney for a luxury home-building company asked the Third Circuit on Monday to throw out a six-figure judgment against the company for allegedly falling short on its promise to construct a high-end house for two Western Pennsylvania homeowners, arguing the customers' suit was not based on promises made in the contract but on vague marketing statements.

  • June 03, 2024

    Google Must Face Online Tax Filer's Privacy Suit

    An Illinois woman who prepared her taxes online through H&R Block and then sued Google, claiming the search engine's tracking tool effectively eavesdropped on her confidential tax information, can move forward with her proposed class action, a California federal judge ruled Monday.

  • June 03, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Delaware's Court of Chancery pushed out tons of decisions last week, along with a second round of new rules and letters of concern over pending changes to the state's corporate law code. The court's docket was as busy as ever, with new cases involving Tesla CEO Elon Musk, FTX cryptocurrency claims, and more. In case you missed it, here's the latest from Delaware's Chancery Court.

  • June 03, 2024

    Printing Co. Loses Bid To Revive Tesla Screen Defect Suit

    The Fourth Circuit has thrown out a printing company's lawsuit alleging Tesla refused to permanently fix a defective touch screen, with a panel ruling the defect wasn't present when the vehicle was sold, as required by the standards of a breach of warranty lawsuit.

  • June 03, 2024

    Tubi Accuses Keller Postman Of Filing Frivolous Arbitrations

    Streaming service company Tubi Inc. is going after a plaintiffs firm in Washington, D.C., federal court, alleging it has engaged in a mass arbitration scheme in which the firm has filed more than 23,000 allegedly frivolous or fraudulent demands for arbitration in attempts to force the company to settle.

  • June 03, 2024

    Jury Trials Dwindle In State Courts; Fall Started Before COVID

    Jury trials have continued to "vanish" from state courts, despite seeing a slight bump following the pandemic shutdowns, with 2021 seeing fewer than half the number of jury trials as 2019 and one-third the number held in 2007, according to a new report from the National Center for State Courts.

  • June 03, 2024

    Attys Get $10M In Fees In Family Dollar Infestation Deal

    A Tennessee federal judge has granted $10 million in fees to attorneys representing consumers following a settlement to resolve multidistrict litigation stemming from a rodent infestation at a Family Dollar Stores Inc. warehouse, finding the fees reasonable for the work done on the case.

Expert Analysis

  • New Federal Bill Would Drastically Alter Privacy Landscape

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    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.

  • Opinion

    CFPB Could, And Should, Revise Open Banking Rulemaking

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    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.

  • FDIC Bank Disclosure Rules Raise Important Questions

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    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.

  • Setting Goals For Kicking Corruption Off FIFA World Cup Field

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    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.

  • Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert

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    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.

  • Takeaways From FDIC's Spring Supervisory Highlights

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    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.

  • Online Portal Helps Fortify Feds' Unfair Health Practices Fight

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    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.

  • Series

    Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • Key Issues Raised By Colorado's Brain Data Privacy Bill

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    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.

  • Birkin Bag Case Carries Competition Lessons For Retailers

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    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.

  • Expect Tougher Bank Exams 1 Year After Spring 2023 Failures

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    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.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic

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    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.

  • Breaking Down EPA's Rule On PFAS In Drinking Water

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    Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the first enforceable federal drinking water regulation for PFAS, which, along with reporting and compliance requirements for regulated entities, will have a number of indirect effects, including increased cleanup costs and the possible expansion of existing Superfund sites, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals

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    Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.

  • The Drawbacks Of Banking Regulators' Merger Review Plans

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    Recent proposals for bank merger review criteria by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. share common pitfalls: increased likelihood of delays, uncertainties, and new hurdles to transactions that could impede the long-term safety and soundness of the banks involved, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

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