Consumer Protection

  • August 27, 2024

    Global Payments' $3.6M Deal Gets Initial OK

    A Georgia federal judge has given preliminary approval to a $3.6 million deal between Atlanta-based Global Payments Inc. and investors who allege a subsidiary of the payment tech company "tricked" consumers into signing up for a program that had undisclosed fees.

  • August 27, 2024

    Va. Ad Tech Judge Warns Google Over Chat Deletion

    Google's defense of its advertising technology could get a little harder after a Virginia federal judge on Tuesday kept the door open to assuming that deleted internal chats hid evidence that would support U.S. Department of Justice monopolization claims bound for a bench trial next month.

  • August 26, 2024

    Uber Hit With €290M Dutch Fine For EU Data Transfers To US

    The Netherlands' data protection authority has fined Uber €290 million ($324 million) on allegations it failed to use a valid mechanism for sending European drivers' personal data to the U.S. for more than two years, a penalty that the ride-sharing provider has vowed to appeal. 

  • August 26, 2024

    Albertsons Paints Picture Of Dire Future Without Kroger Deal

    Albertsons told an Oregon federal judge Monday that if the Federal Trade Commission is able to block a proposed merger with Kroger, it could lead to layoffs and shuttered stores, because a go-it-alone Albertsons doesn't have the wholesale buying power to compete with Walmart and Costco on prices.

  • August 26, 2024

    Pool Co. Secures $1.1M In Fees For False Ad Trial Win

    A North Carolina federal judge has granted $1.1 million in fees for attorneys from McCarter & English LLP and Womble Bond Dickinson who represented a swimming pool salt system supplier in a trial against a competitor, finding the case qualifies as exceptional since the opposing company acted "unreasonably."

  • August 26, 2024

    Care.com To Pay $8.5M To Settle FTC's Deception Claims

    Caregiver job website Care.com has agreed to shell out $8.5 million in refunds to put to rest allegations it misled caregivers about wages and job availability and also made it difficult for families to cancel paid memberships, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced Monday.

  • August 26, 2024

    AT&T To Pay $950K To Settle With FCC Over 911 Outage

    AT&T has agreed to pay $950,000 to end an enforcement action stemming from an August 2023 outage that affected 911 calls in parts of four states, the Federal Communications Commission said Monday.

  • August 26, 2024

    Rival Can't Avoid Drugmaker's False Ad Claim Over Pain Med

    A Texas federal magistrate on Monday advised against dismissing Pacira Biosciences Inc.'s suit against a rival, finding that Pacira had alleged enough facts to show QuVa Pharma Inc.'s advertising is deceptive in a suit over the former company's compounded drug for pain.

  • August 26, 2024

    Former Google Execs Fight Ad Tech Trial Subpoenas

    Former Google vice presidents and other company managers have filed a series of motions asking a Virginia federal judge to block U.S. Department of Justice subpoenas trying to force their testimony at next month's advertising technology monopolization trial, arguing their live participation is unneeded and improperly demanded.

  • August 26, 2024

    Parents Sue Kratom Cos. Over Adult Daughter's Death

    The parents of a woman who died allegedly due to a kratom overdose are suing manufacturers and retailer sellers of the supplement, saying the companies should have known their product was "unreasonably dangerous" for humans to eat, according to a Colorado state lawsuit.

  • August 26, 2024

    CFPB Defeats Challenge To Small-Biz Lending Rules

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau landed an early win Monday in an industry-backed challenge to its reporting requirements for small business lenders, with a Texas federal judge finding the rule "is much more modest than plaintiffs would lead the court to believe."

  • August 26, 2024

    Cruz Accuses FCC Subsidies Of 'Burning Through Cash'

    Sen. Ted Cruz is pointing toward a new U.S. Government Accountability Office report that he says backs up his contention that the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund is "burning through cash with only minimal government oversight of its budget."

  • August 26, 2024

    Semiconductor Co. Overstated Recovery, Investors Say

    Semiconductor manufacturer STMicroelectronics did not have the visibility it claimed to have to predict future growth in its core segments, leading it to make several false representations to shareholders, according to two investor suits filed in New York federal court.

  • August 26, 2024

    Sig Sauer Can't Depose Wife Again In $30M Pistol Defect Suit

    Sig Sauer won't get a second chance at deposing the wife of a man who's suing the firearm maker after his pistol allegedly discharged without warning, a North Carolina federal judge has ruled, saying the spouse is out of his jurisdiction.

  • August 26, 2024

    Restaurants Seek Grubhub's Revenue, Staff Info For TM Suit

    Restaurants pursuing a proposed class action against Grubhub Inc. for alleged trademark infringement have urged an Illinois federal court to order the food-delivery platform to comply with discovery requests, including information about orders and revenue from establishments that never agreed to partner with Grubhub.

  • August 26, 2024

    ​​​​​​​Ex-FCC Republican Urges 6th Circ. To Tank Net Neutrality

    A former Republican on the Federal Communications Commission who helped overturn net neutrality rules when the agency leadership was in GOP hands has pressed the Sixth Circuit to snuff out the Democratic FCC's effort to revive the policy.

  • August 26, 2024

    NTIA To Work Closely With Private Sector On Spectrum

    The U.S. Department of Commerce's spectrum management branch has announced plans to meet with private sector interests every two months to develop national policies on use of the airwaves.

  • August 26, 2024

    Connecticut And NY AGs Reach Terms For Hospital Merger

    Two major hospital systems in New York and Connecticut have reached an agreement with their states' attorneys general to resolve an antitrust investigation spurred by the planned merger of Northwell Health and Nuvance Health, bringing the deal first announced in February closer to fruition.

  • August 26, 2024

    GOP Sens. Applaud Removal Of Undersea Cable Hurdles

    Two Republican senators are celebrating the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's decision to press pause on requiring special permits for undersea cables to run through marine sanctuaries as a "major victory" after railing against red tape earlier this year.

  • August 26, 2024

    CLE Co. Accused Of Sharing Subscriber Data With Facebook

    A proposed class of legal professionals has hit Lawline with a putative class action in New York federal court, accusing the continuing legal education company of violating the Video Privacy Protection Act by sharing subscribers' information, including services and video viewing history, with third parties such as Facebook for targeted advertising purposes.

  • August 26, 2024

    DC Judge Says Missouri AG Can't Investigate Media Matters

    A D.C. federal judge has again blocked a Republican attorney general from demanding a slew of records from liberal media watchdog Media Matters, this time halting a probe from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.

  • August 26, 2024

    FTC Mulls Proposal To Alter Puerto Rican Pharmacy Deal

    The Federal Trade Commission is considering a plan to allow Puerto Rico's largest independent pharmacy cooperative to resume collective negotiations with payors, reexamining a 2012 settlement agreement that the cooperative says is now unnecessary because of changes in the commonwealth's law and pharmacy market.

  • August 26, 2024

    JPMorgan Cash Sweep 'Shortchanged' Customers, Suit Says

    JPMorgan Chase has been hit with a proposed class action in New York federal court alleging its securities branch "shortchanged" customers by automatically "sweeping" their uninvested cash balances into deposit accounts at its affiliate, Chase Bank.

  • August 23, 2024

    FDIC Says Ex-Lender Can't Have 3rd Bite At In-House Apple

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. on Friday urged a Washington, D.C., federal judge to reject a former small-business financier's bid to immediately halt an agency enforcement proceeding against him, saying a key recent U.S. Supreme Court decision doesn't apply to his case.

  • August 23, 2024

    NY Can't Sue Groups Over Abortion 'Reversal' Ads, For Now

    A New York federal judge temporarily blocked the state's attorney general from taking enforcement action against certain pregnancy counseling centers for promoting a method of "reversing" medication abortions that medical associations say is not backed by science, saying the groups' conduct is likely protected by the First Amendment.

Expert Analysis

  • How 3rd Circ. Raised Bar For Constitutional Case Injunctions

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    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.

  • 7th Circ. Ruling Expands CFPB Power In Post-Chevron Era

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    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.

  • Opinion

    Expert Witness Standards Must Consider Peer Review Crisis

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    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.

  • What's In NYDFS Guidance On Use Of AI In Insurance

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    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.

  • Drip Pricing Exemption Isn't A Free Pass For Calif. Eateries

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    A new exemption relieves California bars and restaurants from the recently effective law banning prices that don't reflect mandatory fees and charges — but such establishments aren't entirely off the hook for drip pricing, due to uncertainty over disclosure requirements and pending federal junk fee regulations, say Alexandria Ruiz and Amy Lally at Sidley.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Opinion

    Data Breach Reporting Requirements Must Change In AI Age

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    Outdated data breach reporting laws are inadequate to protect consumers in the age of artificial intelligence, as AI’s ability to determine relationships coupled with its improvements to deepfake technology mean that the very definitions used in breach reporting laws are no longer sufficient, says Collin Walke at Hall Estill.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • What To Know As Children's Privacy Law Rapidly Evolves

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    If your business hasn't been paying attention to growing state and federal efforts to protect children online, now is the time to start — there is no sign of this regulation slowing down, and more aggressive enforcement actions are to be expected in the coming year, says Susan Rohol at Willkie Farr.

  • What Cos. Should Know About New Global Plastics Regs

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    As the global regulatory landscape for plastics and recycling changes rapidly — with new policies coming into effect in California, at the federal level, in the European Union and at the United Nations — businesses that operate across jurisdictions must stay informed to remain compliant, mitigate legal risk and achieve stewardship goals, say attorneys at O'Melveny.

  • Dissecting Treasury's Call For Input On AI In Financial Sector

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    The U.S. Department of the Treasury's request for comments on the potential benefits and challenges AI may pose to the financial services sector, which asks how stakeholders are addressing and mitigating increased fraud risks, reflects the federal government's continued interest in AI's effects across the economy, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Opinion

    The FTC Needs To Challenge The Novo-Catalent Deal

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    Novo's acquisition of Catalent threatens to substantially lessen competition in the manufacturing and marketing of GLP-1 diabetes and obesity drugs, and the Federal Trade Commission should challenge it under a vertical theory of harm, as it aligns with last year's merger guidelines and the Fifth Circuit decision in Illumina, says attorney David Balto.

  • Md. Deal Highlights Consumer Finance Program Regulations

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    Maryland regulators’ recent settlement with the Bank of Missouri and its consumer lending partners, Atlanticus and Fortiva, offers a reminder that it is important to properly structure such partnerships and conduct sufficient due diligence on state licensing requirements, says Tom Witherspoon at Stinson.

  • Series

    Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

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