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Consumer Protection
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August 08, 2024
Home Security Co. Can't Recreate $12.1M Contract, Court Told
The home security arm of building firm Toll Brothers on Thursday asked a Connecticut Superior Court judge to nix three counterclaims from a contract lawsuit accusing another home security company of botching a $12.1 million home monitoring account purchase, saying the company was impermissibly reading language into the contract at issue and pressing duplicate allegations.
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August 08, 2024
FCC Adopts New Emergency Code For Missing Persons
The Federal Communications Commission has established a new alert code for missing and endangered persons that will deliver critical messages through television, radio and cellphones, a move the federal agency says will be of particular benefit to tribal communities that have a disproportionate risk of violence, murder or vanishing.
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August 08, 2024
Apple Must Produce Docs In Epic Antitrust Fight By Sept. 30
A California federal judge overseeing discovery in Epic Games' antitrust compliance fight with Apple gave the iPhone-maker a Sept. 30 deadline to hand over documentation on its response to foreign antitrust regulations and other internal documents, rejecting Apple's suggested December deadline and calling the 92,000-document review large but "not huge."
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August 08, 2024
SEC Wins Jurisdiction Over German As Sanction For Default
A German national who the Securities and Exchange Commission says has ignored discovery requests in its attempt to recover proceeds from a $150 million international pump and dump scheme involving his son is subject to personal jurisdiction in the U.S., a Boston federal judge ordered as a sanction.
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August 08, 2024
Google Says Epic's Own Tech Experts Undermine Remedies
Google continued Wednesday to battle what it says would be a dramatic and costly overhaul of its Play Store if Epic Games is allowed to dictate the terms of an antitrust remedy, telling a California federal judge claims of a cheaper, easier solution are undermined by Epic's own experts.
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August 08, 2024
FCC Takes Closer Look At Geolocation Plan For 900 MHz
The Federal Communications Commission asked the public to weigh in on a geolocation company's bid for more airwaves in the lower 900-megahertz spectrum band for technologies to back up GPS.
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August 08, 2024
DOJ Investigating Formula 1 Over Andretti Denial
Formula One's owner Liberty Media Corp. disclosed Thursday that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating antitrust concerns surrounding the denial of Andretti Formula Racing LLC's bid to join the F1's championship series, following a letter from lawmakers.
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August 08, 2024
Wash. HOA Says Allstate Must Cover $8M Water Damage
A Washington state condominium association accused Allstate of wrongfully denying coverage of an $8 million water damage claim it filed after discovering hidden damage to the exterior of its buildings.
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August 08, 2024
Dechert Says Merger Abandonments Are Way Up This Year
In what's shaping up to be a banner year for antitrust enforcers, U.S. merger abandonments hit historic levels in the first half of 2024, according to a new report from Dechert LLP.
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August 08, 2024
NY Agrees To Delay Enforcing Broadband Price Cap For Now
Broadband industry groups on Thursday temporarily withdrew their request for the U.S. Supreme Court to pause a New York law requiring price-capped consumer broadband plans after state officials agreed to delay its enforcement for now.
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August 08, 2024
FTC Tells 9th Circ. Booksellers Don't Belong In Amazon Case
The Federal Trade Commission and Amazon both urged the Ninth Circuit not to allow a trade association for independent bookstores to intervene in the government's antitrust case against the e-commerce giant, saying the group's claims are too different.
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August 08, 2024
Exec Admits Price-Fixing $100M Of Rebar For Storm Rebuild
The U.S. Department of Justice announced the guilty plea Wednesday of a former Puerto Rico steel distributor executive who admitted to fixing prices on rebar used for post-hurricane reconstruction, in a conspiracy that impacted more than $100 million in his company's sales.
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August 08, 2024
Watchdog Tees Up £6M Fine For IT Co. Over NHS Cyberattack
The U.K.'s data privacy regulator said it intends to fine a British software company £6 million ($7.6 million) over failings that allowed hackers to disrupt the National Health Service and steal the sensitive personal information of more than 80,000 individuals.
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August 07, 2024
10th Circ. Won't Undo Atty Fees In $1.5B Syngenta Corn Deal
The Tenth Circuit on Wednesday backed a Kansas federal judge's allocations of attorney fees to three law firms representing individual claimants in multidistrict litigation over Syngenta's genetically modified corn that was resolved by a $1.5 billion class settlement, finding that the firms' arguments strayed from the issue at hand.
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August 07, 2024
4th Circ. Approves Payout Plan In $550M Ponzi Case
Investors defrauded in a $550 million Ponzi scheme can't reverse a receiver's asset distribution plan on the basis of arguments that the plan unfairly divides up recovered funds among claimants, the Fourth Circuit has determined.
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August 07, 2024
FTC, CFPB Turn Up Scrutiny On Solar Energy Sales Practices
The federal government on Wednesday stepped up efforts to police shady solar energy sales and financing practices, with the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other agencies releasing consumer advisories and announcing a new partnership to better monitor the industry.
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August 07, 2024
Google Judge To Review Class Attys' $218M Fee Bid Docs
A California federal judge agreed Wednesday to review billing records supporting class counsel's $217.6 million fee bid for cutting a nonmonetary deal with Google to end claims that Google surreptitiously tracked users after Google's counsel claimed the hours were inflated, unjustified and above Google's own $40 million defense legal bill.
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August 07, 2024
Monsanto, PCB Plaintiffs Want It Both Ways, Judge Says
A Washington state court judge expressed frustration on Wednesday with counsel for both sides of a toxic tort against Monsanto, remarking during a summary judgment hearing that the parties can't "pick and choose" which parts of a recent appellate ruling apply to their case.
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August 07, 2024
Kleenex Maker Wants Conn. PFAS Suit Tossed
Kimberly-Clark Corp. is urging a Connecticut federal judge to throw out a proposed class action, saying the suit relies on "speculation and conjecture" to claim its New Milford manufacturing facility and shuttered landfill polluted properties and exposed residents to toxic forever chemicals.
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August 07, 2024
Bank Dropped From Suit Over Alleged $100M Ponzi Scheme
Washington-based First Fed Bank and its brass have been dropped from a lawsuit claiming they aided a $100 million Ponzi scheme to defraud would-be investors in a water-vending machine company.
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August 07, 2024
TD Bank Shared Customer Data With Meta, Suit Claims
A new proposed class action in New Jersey federal court alleges TD Bank wrongfully shared customers' personal information with Meta Platforms Inc. without consent for marketing purposes.
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August 07, 2024
Santos, Feds Agree Jurors' Identities Should Be Secret
Expelled congressman George Santos wants jurors' identities protected for his trial next month on theft and identity theft charges, telling a New York federal judge on Tuesday that prosecutors feel the same given the "astounding" media attention on the case.
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August 07, 2024
Fintech Firm Says Plaintiff Is 'Forum Shopping' With NC Suit
Fintech company Figure Lending is urging a North Carolina federal judge to toss a proposed class action over its home equity lines of credit, saying the plaintiff who brought the case is forum shopping with insufficient claims that have been dismissed in other courts.
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August 07, 2024
Feds Let The Wrong Family Bury Hopi Artist's Body, Kids Say
The children of a renowned Hopi artist have sued the United States in Arizona federal court on claims that an Indian Health Service facility gave their deceased mother's body to the wrong family, saying they couldn't give her a proper burial due to the government's negligence.
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August 07, 2024
Google 'May Not Be So Lucky' Next Time Over Chat Deletions
Google's stunning antitrust loss in D.C. federal court Monday dealt another blow against its policies of letting internal chats delete automatically, and it came with a callout of its practice of training employees to avoid competition law "buzzwords."
Expert Analysis
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Attorneys Can Benefit From Reverse-Engineering Their Cases
Trial advocacy programs often teach lawyers to loosely track the progression of a lawsuit during preparation — case analysis, then direct examination, then cross-examination, openings and closings — but reverse-engineering cases by working backward from opening and closing statements can streamline the process and also improve case strategy, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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How Justices' E-Rate Decision May Affect Scope Of FCA
The U.S. Supreme Court’s eventual decision in Wisconsin Bell v. U.S., determining whether reimbursements paid by the E-rate program are "claims" under the False Claims Act, may affect other federal programs that do not require payments to be made by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, says David Colapinto at Kohn Kohn.
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How Courts' Differing Views On Standing Affect PFAS Claims
Two recent opinions from New York federal courts — in Lurenz v. Coca-Cola, and Winans v. Ornua Foods North America — illustrate how pivotal the differing views on standing held by different courts will be for product liability litigation involving per- and polyfluroalkyl substances, particularly consumer claims, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents
Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.
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How To Deploy AI In A Dangerous Threat Landscape
Businesses are feeling immense pressure to deploy generative artificial intelligence tools to accelerate profits and demonstrate their technological superiority to investors and consumers, and there are a few steps they can take when using AI tools to mitigate liability risks, say B. Stephanie Siegmann and Julianna Malogolowkin at Hinckley Allen.
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Addressing The Growing Hazards Of Mass Arbitration
Though retail companies typically include arbitration provisions in their terms of service, the recent trend of costly mass arbitrations filed by plaintiffs may cause businesses to rethink this conventional wisdom, say attorneys at BCLP.
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CFPB's Medical Debt Proposal May Have Side Effects
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s recent proposal to prevent medical debt information from appearing on consumer reports and creditors from basing lending decisions on such information may have initial benefits for some consumers, but there are potential negative consequences that should also be considered, say attorneys at Cooley.
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Series
Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer
As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.
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Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.
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Decoding CFPB Priorities Amid Ramp-Up In Nonbank Actions
Based on recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau enforcement actions and press releases about its supervisory activities, the agency appears poised to continue increasing its scrutiny over nonbank entities — particularly with respect to emerging financial products and services — into next year, say attorneys at Wiley.
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How 3rd Circ. Raised Bar For Constitutional Case Injunctions
The Third Circuit's decision in Delaware State Sportsmen's Association v. Delaware Department of Safety & Homeland Security, rejecting the relaxed preliminary injunction standards many courts have used when plaintiffs allege constitutional harms, could portend a shift in such cases in at least four ways, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
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7th Circ. Ruling Expands CFPB Power In Post-Chevron Era
The Seventh Circuit’s recent ruling in Consumer Financial Protection Bureau v. Townstone Financial interprets the Equal Credit Opportunity Act broadly, paving the way for increased CFPB enforcement and hinting at how federal courts may approach statutory interpretation in the post-Chevron world, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.
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Opinion
Expert Witness Standards Must Consider Peer Review Crisis
For nearly two decades, the so-called replication crisis has upended how the scientific community views the reliability of peer-reviewed studies, and it’s time for courts to reevaluate whether peer review is a trustworthy proxy for expert witness reliability, say Jeffrey Gross and Robert LaCroix at Reid Collins.
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What's In NYDFS Guidance On Use Of AI In Insurance
Matthew Gaul and Shlomo Potesky at Willkie summarize the New York Department of Financial Services' recently adopted circular letter on the use of artificial intelligence in insurance underwriting and pricing, and highlight the material changes made to it in response to comments on the draft circular letter.