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Consumer Protection
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July 10, 2024
FTC Must Think Hard Before Trying More Rules, Commish Says
One of the Federal Trade Commission's recently confirmed Republican commissioners called on the agency Wednesday to take a close look at how courts handle its ban on employment noncompete clauses before considering any further attempts at pushing the bounds of its regulatory authority.
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July 10, 2024
Major Cable Group Opposes FirstNet Bid For 4.9 GHz Manager
Cable trade group NCTA is urging the Federal Communications Commission to listen to the chorus of public safety groups who have been pushing hard against the idea of making AT&T's FirstNet the national manager of the 4.9 gigahertz public safety band.
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July 10, 2024
FCC To Fine Telecom Involved In Universal Service Challenge
The Federal Communications Commission is moving forward with a $100,000 fine against an Ohio-based telecommunications company over late paperwork with the Universal Service Administration.
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July 10, 2024
Judge Chides Troopers' No-Show Atty At Sanctions Hearing
A Washington federal judge slapped a group of state troopers with sanctions Wednesday for defying a discovery order in their case against Ford Motor Co., while also calling out their attorney who failed to show up for the hearing despite the court's repeated prodding.
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July 10, 2024
House GOP Demands Info On BEAD 'Rate Regulation'
Congressional Republicans called on a top U.S. Department of Commerce official to release all communications with state agencies in charge of distributing federal broadband grants to see if the agencies were pressured into regulating rates.
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July 10, 2024
Wells Fargo Knew of 'Free Trial' Marketing Scam, Plaintiffs Say
A California federal judge was asked to keep alive a lawsuit alleging that through its problematic sales practices, Wells Fargo played a supporting role in two "free trial" marketing scams that pulled $200 million from consumers, with the plaintiffs arguing evidence shows Wells Fargo knew about the alleged fraud.
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July 10, 2024
Iowa Blasts Beverage Makers' Challenge To New Hemp Law
The state of Iowa is defending a new law placing restrictions on products with hemp-derived THC, saying the beverage makers who have challenged it in federal court will not prevail on their new claim that the law is unconstitutionally vague.
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July 10, 2024
Wyoming Officials Urge Court Not To Block New Hemp Law
Wyoming state officials have urged a federal judge not to block enforcement of a new law targeting hemp-derived intoxicating products, saying the law is not preempted by federal policy and that the state has an interest in cracking down on such wares.
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July 10, 2024
Behnam Tells Senate CFTC Is Ready To Be Retail Crypto Cop
U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair Rostin Behnam sought to assure lawmakers that his agency is ready to protect retail investors if it is given oversight of digital asset markets during a Wednesday Senate hearing setting the stage for a coming legislative proposal on the future of cryptocurrency regulation.
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July 10, 2024
Insurer Must Face Claims In Penile Implant Coverage Suit
An insurer can't escape a suit brought by a urologist and his practice seeking coverage for a proposed class action over a penile enlargement implant and procedure, a California federal court ruled Wednesday, saying it's too early to conclude that the underlying action doesn't assert potentially covered claims.
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July 10, 2024
Uber Must Turn Over Data, Reports In Sex Assault MDL
A California federal judge has ordered Uber Technologies Inc. to turn over data it collected underpinning safety reports in multidistrict litigation over sexual assault of passengers, but said the ride-hailing company need not turn over information on safety incidents that did not involve sexual misconduct or assault.
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July 10, 2024
Rural Broadband Org. Calls For Speedier Permitting Process
A rural broadband advocacy group is urging Congress to pass two companion bills that would enable the use of online portals to expedite the permitting process to build high-speed networks on federal lands.
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July 10, 2024
RJ Reynolds Urges Toss Of Menthol Suit Against FDA
Tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds has come to the support of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a friend-of-the-court brief, arguing that the court should toss a federal lawsuit against the agency over its purported delays in implementing a ban on menthol cigarettes.
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July 10, 2024
Pa. Judge Skeptical Of Pausing FTC's Noncompete Ban
A Pennsylvania federal judge on Wednesday seemed hesitant to grant a tree services company's request to halt the Federal Trade Commission's recent ban on noncompete agreements, as attorneys for the company struggled to point to concrete harms it would suffer if the ban were to take effect as scheduled.
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July 10, 2024
2 Roundup MDL Cases Axed After Plaintiffs Fail To Act
A California federal judge presiding over multidistrict personal injury litigation related to the Monsanto herbicide Roundup has ended two of the numerous cases, with one tossed for failure to prosecute and the second ending in an early win for Monsanto after the plaintiff failed to file a response, amid ongoing concerns that plaintiffs' attorneys are overtaxed.
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July 10, 2024
CFPB Pitches Plan To 'Streamline' Mortgage Servicing Rules
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wednesday that it wants to revamp its mortgage servicing rules to make it faster and easier for struggling homeowners to access forbearance and other relief options, proposing changes that draw in part on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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July 10, 2024
Conn. Justices Told Banking Agency's Probe Overstepped
The Connecticut Department of Banking's investigation into Commonwealth Law Group and Commonwealth Servicing Group LLC's debt negotiation practices violated the constitutional separation of powers, because only the state's judicial branch has regulatory authority over legal services provided to clients by their attorneys, the firms told the state Supreme Court.
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July 09, 2024
BMW Driver Urges 9th Circ. To Restart Car-Tracking Fight
A BMW driver urged the Ninth Circuit Tuesday to revive a proposed class action alleging Otonomo surreptitiously tracks drivers' locations through electronic devices installed in their cars, arguing that the trial court erroneously interpreted the statute to wrongly conclude the devices aren't "attached" to vehicles as required by the law.
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July 09, 2024
FINRA Fines UBS For Missing Rep's $7.2M Sell-Away Scheme
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has fined UBS Financial Services Inc. $850,000 as part of a deal to resolve allegations that the firm failed to detect for more than two decades one of its representative's outside sales of mismarketed securities to his UBS clients.
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July 09, 2024
Pharma Co. Fined $16.9M For Fake Scripts, Ex-VP Arrested
A subsidiary of bankrupt DMK Pharmaceuticals Corp. faces a $16.9 million criminal fine after pleading guilty to conspiring in a scheme to ship drugs using false prescriptions, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday, adding that the subsidiary's former vice president of sales was also arrested.
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July 09, 2024
Ford Must Face Class Claims Over Oil Pump Defect
Ford must continue facing a proposed class action alleging it sold EcoBoost engine vehicles with faulty oil pumps after a Delaware federal judge on Monday largely denied the automaker's bid to dismiss the case, permanently tossing only one claim that alleged violations of Michigan's Consumer Protection Act.
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July 09, 2024
CFPB's Latest Rules Agenda Includes Blast From Fed Past
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau may try to resurrect part of a defunct Federal Reserve regulation that banned banks from employing some consumer credit contract terms, according to a new rulemaking agenda from the agency that also hints at a plan B for its $8 credit card late-fee rule.
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July 09, 2024
With Chevron's End, LGBTQ+ Healthcare Regs Face New Risk
The end of Chevron deference is already disrupting regulation meant to protect LGBTQ+ access to healthcare, with three federal judges blocking enforcement of a Biden administration rule prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in healthcare.
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July 09, 2024
No Proof Consumers Vexed By 'Spring' Water, Court Told
Nestle Waters North America Inc. on Tuesday urged a Connecticut federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that Poland Spring water does not emanate from an actual spring, arguing that references to spring water on product labels mean different things to different consumers and that no confusion has been proved.
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July 09, 2024
FTC Deal Bars Messaging App From Allowing Users Under 18
Anonymous messaging app maker NGL Labs LLC and two of its founders will shell out $5 million and be banned from offering the service to anyone under age 18 to resolve the Federal Trade Commission and Los Angeles County's claims that they unfairly marketed the app to children and teens and falsely portrayed their content moderation efforts.
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
High Court Should Settle Circuit Split On Risk Disclosures
The U.S. Supreme Court should grant the petition for writ of certiorari in the Facebook case to resolve a growing circuit split concerning when risk disclosures can be misleading under federal securities laws, and its decision should align with the intent of Congress and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, says Richard Zelichov at DLA Piper.
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For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill
A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.
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The Multifaceted State AG Response To New Technologies
In response to the growth of technologies like artificial intelligence, biometric data collection and cryptocurrencies across consumer-facing industries, state attorneys general are proactively launching enforcement and regulatory initiatives — including bipartisan investigations and new state AI legislation, say Ketan Bhirud and Emily Yu at Cozen O'Connor.
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5th Circ. Clarifies What Is And Isn't A 'New Use' Of PFAS
The Fifth Circuit's March 21 decision in Inhance Technologies v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, preventing the EPA from regulating existing uses of PFAS under "significant new use" provisions of the Toxic Substances Control Act, provides industry with much-needed clarity, say Joseph Schaeffer and Sloane Wildman at Babst Calland.
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Handling Customer Complaints In Bank-Fintech Partnerships
As regulators mine consumer complaint databases for their next investigative targets, it is critical that fintech and bank partners adopt a well-defined and monitored process for ensuring proper complaint handling, including by demonstrating proficiency and following interagency guidance, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law
A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.
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What NAR Settlement Means For Agent Commission Rates
If approved, a joint settlement agreement between the National Association of Realtors and a class of home sellers will likely take the onus off home sellers to compensate buyers' agents, affecting considerations for all parties to real estate transactions, say attorneys at Jones Foster.
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Opinion
New Mexico Fire Victims Deserve Justice From Federal Gov't
Two years after the largest fire in New Mexico's history — a disaster caused by the U.S. government's mismanagement of prescribed burns — the Federal Emergency Management Agency must remedy its grossly inadequate relief efforts and flawed legal interpretations that have left victims of the fire still waiting for justice, says former New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas.
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Opinion
Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea
A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.
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4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best
As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.
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Decoding The FTC's Latest Location Data Crackdown
Following the Federal Trade Commission's groundbreaking settlements in its recent enforcement actions against X-Mode Social and InMarket Media for deceptive and unfair practices with regards to consumer location data, companies should implement policies with three crucial elements for regulatory compliance and maintaining consumer trust, says Hannah Ji-Otto at Baker Donelson.
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Series
Illinois Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1
In the first quarter of 2024, Illinois lawmakers proposed a stack of bills aimed at modernizing money transmission, digital assets and banking laws, with a particular focus on improving consumer protections and better defining the state’s authority to regulate digital services, say James Morrissey and Mark Svalina at Vedder Price.
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Series
Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1
The first quarter of the year brought the usual onslaught of new regulatory developments in California — including a crackdown on junk fees imposed by small business lenders, a big step forward for online notarizations and a ban on predatory listing agreements, says Alex Grigorians at Hanson Bridgett.
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Tipsters May Be Key To Financial Regulators' ESG Efforts
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission are looking to whistleblowers to assist their climate and ESG task forces, suggesting insider information could be central to the agencies' enforcement efforts against corporate greenwashing, false investment claims and climate disclosure violations, says John Crutchlow at Youman & Caputo.
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Series
Serving As A Sheriff's Deputy Made Me A Better Lawyer
Skills developed during my work as a reserve deputy — where there was a need to always be prepared, decisive and articulate — transferred to my practice as an intellectual property litigator, and my experience taught me that clients often appreciate and relate to the desire to participate in extracurricular activities, says Michael Friedland at Friedland Cianfrani.