Consumer Protection

  • December 20, 2024

    The Telecom Developments That Defined 2024

    The end of 2024 portends a sea change in telecom policy, as voters usher in a second Donald Trump term and with it a newly named GOP chief of the Federal Communications Commission who has pushed for a 180-degree turn at the agency.

  • December 20, 2024

    Psychedelics Law Reformers Hit Multiple Setbacks In 2024

    In 2024, advocates, physicians and researchers attempted to broaden lawful access to federally illegal psychedelic drugs through a variety of avenues — the new drug approval process, litigation and a ballot initiative — with the upshot that the law remains largely unchanged and, for the most part, still restricts legal use and possession of these substances.

  • December 20, 2024

    Off The Bench: Jordan's NASCAR Dunk, NIL Attys' Payday

    In this week's Off The Bench, Michael Jordan's racing team scores an early-stage win in its antitrust battle with NASCAR, attorneys engineering a historic settlement with the NCAA seek more than half a billion dollars in fees, and the fracas over college sports realignment makes headaches for the Mountain West Conference.

  • December 20, 2024

    EU Lays Out Apple's Interoperability Requirements

    The European Commission unveiled a host of proposed interoperability standards for Apple that would require the company to allow third-party devices to run background operations, automatically switch audio, send and receive files via AirDrop and much more with connected Apple products.

  • December 20, 2024

    Top Privacy & Cybersecurity Developments Of 2024

    The state data privacy law patchwork continued to add new and varied pieces in 2024, while major hacks shook up the healthcare industry and other critical sectors, and the first U.S. laws setting guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence technologies emerged.

  • December 20, 2024

    CFPB Sues BofA, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Over Zelle Fraud

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo on Friday, alleging their customers have lost more than $870 million through a "massive scale" of fraud on the payment network Zelle while the banks turned a blind eye.

  • December 20, 2024

    Top North Carolina Cases Of 2024: Bias, Fraud And False Ads

    North Carolina saw a host of heavy-hitting civil trials in 2024, from back-to-back multimillion-dollar jury verdicts in suits over false advertising and employment discrimination, to a substantial bench ruling in a much-watched bias suit against the federal judiciary.

  • December 20, 2024

    Watershed NCAA, UFC Settlements Highlight 2024's 2nd Half

    The second half of 2024 saw the sunset of several yearslong lawsuits that will significantly impact the world of sports, including the settlement of the NCAA's name, image and likeness antitrust litigation and the closing of the UFC's legal battle with current and former fighters. Here, Law360 explores the top sports and betting moments from the second half of 2024.

  • December 19, 2024

    Google Health Tracking Plaintiffs Fight To Keep Suit Alive

    A California federal judge who was asked by Google to toss a proposed class action alleging that the tech giant illicitly scoops up users' personal data from healthcare providers' websites indicated during a Thursday hearing that he might grant the request while adding that he still has "a lot more thinking to do."

  • December 19, 2024

    Monsanto PCB Trial Groups Can Grow, Wash. Judge Says

    A Washington state judge laid out a plan on Wednesday to consolidate a series of alleged chemical poisoning cases pending against Monsanto in connection to an Evergreen State school, largely rejecting the company's arguments that it would be prejudiced if plaintiffs merged into larger trial groups.

  • December 19, 2024

    Uber Sues Seattle Over Courier Account Deactivation Law

    A Seattle ordinance aimed at preventing app-based workers from being unfairly deactivated from apps they use poses "grave constitutional problems," Uber alleged in a suit filed Wednesday in Washington federal court, saying the local law forces the transportation company to express views inconsistent with how it approaches privacy and safety.

  • December 19, 2024

    Atkins-Tied Crypto Group Lays Out Its Priorities For New SEC

    Crypto industry group The Digital Chamber, which counts U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission chair nominee Paul Atkins as an advisory board member, has urged the Wall Street regulator to "reset its historically troubled relationship" with the crypto industry by rolling back certain rule proposals and resolving non-fraud suits against crypto firms soon after President-elect Donald Trump takes office next year.

  • December 19, 2024

    SEC Nabs $5M Judgment In Elder Fraud Case Against Adviser

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has scored a $4.8 million judgment in its suit accusing an investment adviser and her firm of scamming her primarily elderly clients out of over $2 million.

  • December 19, 2024

    FTC Says PBMs Can't Get Preliminary Block In Insulin Case

    The Federal Trade Commission urged a Missouri federal judge Thursday not to temporarily block its in-house case accusing pharmacy benefits managers of artificially inflating insulin prices through unfair rebate schemes, arguing Congress clearly empowered such in-house adjudications and the officials who handle them.

  • December 19, 2024

    X Corp. Fails To Toss Data Breach Suit

    A California federal judge has refused to toss a twice-amended putative class action accusing X Corp. of failing to protect over 200 million users' personal information but tossed a breach of contract claim, saying users couldn't lean on the social media company's blog posts to allege X broke express security promises.

  • December 19, 2024

    Walgreens Must Face Uninjured Plaintiff's Receipt Class In Ill.

    An Arizona consumer who wasn't harmed by her Walgreens receipt's alleged overdisclosure of debit card information has standing to sue the company in Illinois, even if her suit is brought under federal law, a split state appellate panel said Thursday.

  • December 19, 2024

    Bank Groups Seek Halt Of CFPB's $5 Overdraft Fee Rule

    Bank groups have asked a Mississippi federal judge to put an interim hold on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new rule establishing a $5 overdraft fee cap at larger banks and credit unions, arguing that the agency is trying to unwind more than a half-century of regulatory interpretation at a great potential cost to the industry.

  • December 19, 2024

    Vape Cos. Challenge Iowa Law Banning Many E-Cigarettes

    Iowan vape interests are looking to stop state officials from enforcing a new law prohibiting the sale of many e-cigarettes, claiming in a federal lawsuit that the statute was pushed by "Big Tobacco" company Reynolds American Inc. and targets products that help people quit smoking.

  • December 19, 2024

    'Hawk Tuah' Memecoin Promoters Sued Over Crypto Flop

    Buyers of the viral "Hawk Tuah" meme-themed cryptocurrency sued the project's promoters and developers in New York federal court Thursday for failing to register the asset as a security while they "created a speculative frenzy" that led holders to lose thousands of dollars.

  • December 19, 2024

    UBS Unit To Pay $3.5M Over FINRA Preferred Stock Claims

    The brokerage unit of UBS has agreed to pay nearly $3.5 million to settle the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's allegations that it did not have the proper supervisory system to catch unsuitable recommendations for short-term trades of syndicate preferred stocks.

  • December 19, 2024

    RealPage Inks $625K Calif. Tenant Protections Settlement

    Tenant screening company RealPage has agreed to pay $625,000 in penalties and restitution to put to rest allegations it violated California's COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act by providing screening reports to housing providers that improperly led to tenants being denied housing, according to an announcement made Wednesday.

  • December 19, 2024

    Juice Co. Pres. Supplied Tainted Drink To Low-Income Students

    A Washington-based fruit juice company executive pled guilty to charges related to selling tainted juice — some of which found its way into free or low cost lunches provided to students from low-income households — federal prosecutors announced on Thursday along with her nearly $750,000 penalty.

  • December 19, 2024

    3rd Circ. Says Loan Shark, Robbery Not Enough For Asylum

    The Third Circuit ruled against a Brazilian family seeking asylum following threats from a loan shark and a home invasion, saying that their status as crime victims and debtors does not constitute a particular social group eligible for asylum.

  • December 19, 2024

    FCC Told No Way To Network-Level Scan Of Calls For AI

    Consumer advocacy groups have come together to tell the Federal Communications Commission that they hate spam calls as much as anyone else, but they can't support a plan that would allow calls to be scanned for artificial intelligence at the network level.

  • December 19, 2024

    McKesson Urges Justices To Keep Hobbs Act's 'Exclusivity'

    McKesson Corp. is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to preserve circuit courts' "exclusive" jurisdiction for Federal Communications Commission orders, warning that regulatory consistency nationwide could be undermined if lower courts are allowed to step in.

Expert Analysis

  • Where Can Privacy Plaintiffs Sue When Injury Is Online?

    Author Photo

    Website owners need to understand wiretapping laws to understand whether they may be sued for activity tracking in California or Pennsylvania courts, where the statutory damages for violations of half-century-old laws can be substantial — and a recent Third Circuit decision suggests establishing specific jurisdiction is not as easy as 1-2-3, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

    Author Photo

    Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.

  • Crypto.com's Suit Against SEC Could Hold Major Implications

    Author Photo

    Crypto.com's recent lawsuit against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission could affect the operation and regulation of crypto markets in the U.S., potentially raising more questions about the SEC's authority to regulate the industry when it's unclear whether another agency is ready to assume it, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • How DOJ's Visa Debit Monopolization Suit May Unfold

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice's recently filed Section 2 monopolization suit against Visa offers several scenarios for a vigorous case and is likely to reveal some of the challenges faced by antitrust plaintiffs following the U.S. Supreme Court's split 2018 American Express decision, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

    Author Photo

    The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • Fluoride Ruling Charts Path To Bypass EPA Risk Evaluations

    Author Photo

    A California federal court's recent ruling in Food and Water Watch v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ordering the agency to address the public health risks of fluoridated drinking water, establishes a road map for other citizen petitioners to bypass the EPA's formal risk evaluation process, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

    Author Photo

    The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

  • Inside FTC's Decision To Exit Key Merger Review Labor Memo

    Author Photo

    Despite the Federal Trade Commission's recent withdrawal from a multiagency memorandum of understanding to step up enforcement of labor issues in merger investigations, the antitrust agencies aren't likely to give up their labor market focus, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • FDIC Guidance Puts Next-Gen ATMs In Regulatory Spotlight

    Author Photo

    The boring existence of ATMs is changing thanks to the emergence of new-age interactive teller machines, prompting the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to sound off in a potentially influential August letter to branches on which services might need regulatory approval, says Thomas Walker at Jones Walker.

  • 7 Tips To Help Your Witness Be A Cross-Exam Heavyweight

    Author Photo

    Because jurors tend to pay a little more attention to cross-examination, attorneys should train their witnesses to strike a balance — making it tough for opposing counsel to make their side’s case, without coming across as difficult to the jury, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Understanding New ACH Network Anti-Fraud Rules

    Author Photo

    Many of the National Automated Clearing House Association’s recent amendments to ACH network risk management rules went into effect this month, so financial institutions and corporations must review and update their internal policies as needed, says Aisha Hall at Taft.

  • 6 Tips For Cos. Facing Service Provider Cyber Incidents

    Author Photo

    When a third-party service provider experiences a cybersecurity incident, businesses may wonder if their information is compromised and if their systems are safe, but there are certain steps that can help businesses prepare for and respond to targeted attacks on vendors, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Unpacking State AG Approaches To Digital Asset Enforcement

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Cozen O'Connor survey recent digital asset enforcement by attorneys general nationwide driven by concerns over regulatory gaps where technological developments and market changes have outpaced legislation.

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

    Author Photo

    With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.

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!