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Consumer Protection
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August 27, 2024
Miss. Seafood Co. Pleads Guilty To 'Fish Substitution' Scheme
The largest seafood wholesaler in the Mississippi Gulf Coast and two of its managers pled guilty Tuesday to scheming with others to market and sell cheap frozen fish imports as premium and locally sourced, federal prosecutors in Mississippi announced.
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August 27, 2024
Wells Fargo Says 'Good Faith' Efforts Ax Investors' Bias Suit
Wells Fargo & Co. urged a California federal judge Tuesday to toss a derivative lawsuit filed by a putative class of shareholders claiming the bank's board of directors failed to address its discriminatory lending and hiring practices, saying there's evidence of "good-faith" efforts to monitor compliance in those areas.
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August 27, 2024
Tile, Stalking Victims Asked To Weigh In On Appellate Ruling
A San Francisco federal judge mulling tracking device manufacturer Tile Inc.'s bid to arbitrate some claims that its Bluetooth trackers are dangerous because they empower stalkers asked the parties at a hearing Tuesday to brief her on the effect of a recent California appellate court decision regarding arbitrability.
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August 27, 2024
CFPB Late Fee Rule Has Slim Ties To Fort Worth, Judge Says
A Texas federal judge had stern words for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce during a Tuesday hearing over a lawsuit challenging the CFPB's new credit card late fee rule in Fort Worth, saying that if judges' impartiality is in question "we need to just turn it in" as a country.
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August 27, 2024
Cherokee Nation's Opioid Suit Sent Back To State Court
An Oklahoma federal judge has adopted a magistrate judge's recommendation to send a Cherokee Nation opioid lawsuit against pharmaceuticals distributor Morris & Dickson back to state court, agreeing that the negligence case isn't predicated on a duty arising out of the federal Controlled Substances Act.
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August 27, 2024
Capital One Accused Of Selling Account Data To Meta, Google
A group of Golden State consumers have hit Capital One Financial Corp. with a proposed class action in California federal court, alleging that the financial giant surreptitiously disclosed the personal financial information of millions of consumers to Meta Platforms Inc., Google LLC, Microsoft Corp. and other third parties without consumers' consent.
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August 27, 2024
Leave Support For Alaska Connectivity Intact, FCC Told
An Alaskan utility company told the Federal Communications Commission that rules blocking federal funds for broadband build out when there is already an unsubsidized competitor in the area might work fine on the mainland, but would be very bad for Alaska.
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August 27, 2024
Baby Sound Machine Co. Sued Over Shock Hazard Recall
A parent has launched a proposed class action against Hatch, a California-based manufacturer of sound machines for sleeping, claiming its plugs can shock users.
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August 27, 2024
Bank Seeks To End Claims It Mismanaged Treasury Program
A bank is seeking to permanently dismiss a suit accusing it of misleading an investor about its oversight of a U.S. Department of Treasury contract, saying despite amending its case three times, the investor hasn't connected any sustained stock loss to contract issues.
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August 27, 2024
2nd Circ. Urged To Reject Preemption Defense In BofA Row
The Second Circuit should join fellow federal courts in finding that a New York statute requiring all banks to pay at least 2% interest on mortgage-escrow accounts isn't preempted, a former Bank of America mortgage customer has told the appeals court following the U.S. Supreme Court's remand of the matter.
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August 27, 2024
No 'Novella' Briefs In Alexa Privacy Suit, Judge Tells Amazon
Amazon will not be allowed to file a "novella"-length summary judgment motion in a proposed class action by unregistered Alexa users alleging that they were illegally recorded, a Seattle federal judge has ruled, saying his experience has shown that more pages do not always mean a more comprehensive argument.
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August 27, 2024
5th Circ. Holds Mandate In Subsidy Suit During FCC Appeal
The Fifth Circuit has agreed to let the current subsidy for telecom services remain in place while the Federal Communications Commission seeks U.S. Supreme Court review of a ruling that upended the subsidy system.
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August 27, 2024
Asbestos Claimants Tell 4th Circ. Bestwall Isn't Distressed
The official committee of asbestos claimants in the Chapter 11 case of Georgia-Pacific unit Bestwall told the Fourth Circuit that the company's bankruptcy should be tossed because commitments to fund asbestos liabilities by the parent mean the debtor isn't facing financial distress.
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August 27, 2024
Car-Sharing Co. Turo Accused Of Shirking Own Arb. Terms
California-based car-sharing company Turo has been hit with a proposed class action in Illinois federal court claiming it violated its own terms of service by refusing to arbitrate consumers' disputes or pay its required portion of the arbitration filing fees.
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August 27, 2024
Split 5th Circ. Revives Tesla's Case Over La. Sales Ban
A split Fifth Circuit panel revived Tesla's case accusing Louisiana car dealers and regulators of illegally excluding the direct-sale automaker from the state, finding Tesla had done enough to survive dismissal by alleging a regulatory board that included competitors is biased against it.
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August 27, 2024
Bank Customer Mistaken For Criminal Loses Class Cert. Bid
A Pennsylvania federal judge has declined a former Capital One customer's bid to certify a proposed class action against a pair of compliance companies that allegedly mistook him for his criminally convicted son when creating an erroneous background report that, in turn, caused his credit accounts to be shut down.
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August 27, 2024
Samsung Must Face Exploding Vape Battery Suit
Samsung can't escape a suit over injuries sustained by a man after a lithium-ion battery exploded in his pocket, a Houston appellate court ruled Tuesday, rejecting the South Korean company's argument that a Texas court doesn't have jurisdiction because it doesn't do business directly in Texas.
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August 27, 2024
CPSC Suit 'Makes A Mockery' Of Standing, SG Tells Justices
The federal government is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to pass on a "highly artificial suit" that seeks to unravel removal protections for commissioners on the Consumer Product Safety Commission, saying the groups behind the suit have no standing to pursue the legal challenge.
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August 27, 2024
Broadcaster Settles With FCC For $8K Over Stock Transfers
An Arkansas radio broadcaster will pay an $8,000 fine to settle a Federal Communications Commission probe into unauthorized changes in control of the company's stock that occurred over two years.
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August 27, 2024
FCC Urged To Include Streetlight Poles In Deployment Regs
It's time for the Federal Communications Commission to clarify that streetlight poles are utility poles as far as the Communications Act's mandates on pole attachments are concerned, a trade group and the country's biggest mobile companies have teamed up to tell the agency.
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August 27, 2024
Sig Sauer Shouldn't Get Retrial, Says Winner Of $2M Verdict
Sig Sauer Inc. shouldn't get a new trial, said a man who won a $2.35 million jury verdict in his suit alleging that a defect in his P320 pistol caused him to accidentally shoot himself, telling a Georgia federal court Monday that the gunmaker comes nowhere close to showing any error.
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August 27, 2024
Deceptive Coppertone Label Suit Tossed From Conn. Court
Consumers who filed suit against the makers of Coppertone sunscreen have agreed to drop their proposed class action claiming its "Face 50" Sports Mineral sunscreen was deceptively advertised, according to an order issued Monday in Connecticut federal court.
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August 27, 2024
Google Privacy Class Action Delays Irk Discovery Judge
A California federal judge expressed frustration Tuesday with discovery delays in a years-old class action alleging Google Assistant-enabled devices surreptitiously recorded conversations, telling attorneys they've already "been around and around and around" on discovery fights, and "we need to keep this moving."
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August 27, 2024
SpaceX, T-Mobile Seek Speedy Action On Mobile 'Dead Zones'
SpaceX and T-Mobile last week continued to push the Federal Communications Commission to approve Starlink's planned direct-to-cellular service in light of the agency's approval of rules allowing satellite companies to join with terrestrial mobile providers to fill gaps in wireless service.
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August 27, 2024
NTIA Gathers Info On Best Techs For Reaching Remote Areas
As the government continues rolling out a $42.5 billion spending program to deploy broadband to unserved areas, the U.S. Department of Commerce has asked the public to help identify technologies suitable for connecting the most remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Expert Analysis
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CFPB's Earned Wage Access Rule Marks Regulatory Shift
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's newly issued interpretive rule on earned wage access products, classifying them as extensions of credit, marks a significant shift in their regulatory landscape and raises some important questions regarding potential fringe cases and legal challenges, say Erin Bryan and Courina Yulisa at Dorsey & Whitney.
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What 7th Circ. Samsung Decision Means For Mass Arbitration
The Seventh Circuit's recent decision in Wallrich v. Samsung highlights the dilemma faced by mass arbitration filers in the face of nonpayment of arbitration fees by the defending party — but also suggests that there are risks for defendants in pursuing such a strategy, says Daniel Campbell at McDermott.
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How Justices Upended The Administrative Procedure Act
In its recent Loper Bright, Corner Post and Jarkesy decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court fundamentally changed the Administrative Procedure Act in ways that undermine Congress and the executive branch, shift power to the judiciary, curtail public and business input, and create great uncertainty, say Alene Taber and Beth Hummer at Hanson Bridgett.
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FTC Drives Crackdown On Connected Cars' Data Privacy Risk
After the Federal Trade Commission's warning to automakers about data privacy, which continues to emerge as a national concern, automakers must carefully examine their data collection, use and retention practices, say Catherine Castaldo and Michael Rubayo at Reed Smith.
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Jarkesy May Thwart Consumer Agencies' Civil Penalty Power
The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy not only implicates future SEC administrative adjudications, but those of other agencies that operate similarly — and may stymie regulators' efforts to levy civil monetary penalties in a range of consumer protection enforcement actions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.
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How Courts Split On Damages Analysis In Automotive Suits
As high-profile vehicle recalls and lawsuits alleging vehicle defects surge, many plaintiffs are turning to choice-based conjoint analysis to calculate damages, but a review of federal district court decisions reveals a range of views on the validity of this methodology, say Joshua Hochberg and Shireen Meer at Berkeley Research.
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Considerations As State AGs Step Up Privacy Enforcement
As new state privacy laws take effect, businesses are facing an increasingly complex patchwork of compliance obligations and risk of scrutiny by attorneys general, but companies can gain a competitive edge by building consumer trust and staying ahead of regulatory trends, say Ann-Marie Luciano and Meghan Stoppel at Cozen O’Connor.
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2 Vital Trial Principles Endure Amid Tech Advances
Progress in trial technologies in the last 10 years has been transformative for courtroom presentations, but two core communication axioms are still relevant in today's world of drone footage evidence and 3D animations, say Adam Bloomberg and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.
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Lessons From Rising Fake Discount Consumer Class Actions
Ellen Robbins and Scott Allbright at Akerman discuss the rise of false reference price consumer class actions and outline key strategies to minimize legal risk and protect businesses.
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How Cos. With Chinese Suppliers Should Prep For Biotech Bill
A proposed bill to prohibit government-affiliated life sciences companies from contracting with Chinese biotech companies of concern may necessitate switching to other sources for research and supplies, meaning they should begin evaluating supply chains now due to the long lead times of drug development, say John O'Loughlin and Christina Carone at Weil Gotshal.
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Classwide Calculations May Get Price Premium Damages Wrong
In many consumer class actions, plaintiffs assert that they overpaid for a product because of a misrepresented or defective product feature, and that a single price premium estimate can be applied classwide — but failure to account for differences in price premiums across a putative class may lead to improper damage awards, say economists at Ankura Consulting.
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Opinion
Texas Judges Ignored ERISA's Core To Stall Fiduciary Rule
Two recent rulings from Texas federal courts, which rely on a plainly wrong reading of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act to effectively strike a forthcoming rule that would impose functional fiduciary duties onto sellers of investment services, may expose financially unsophisticated 401(k) participants to peddlers of misleading advice, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.
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Inside OCC's Retail Nondeposit Investment Products Refresh
In addition to clarifying safe and sound risk management practices generally, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's revised booklet on retail nondeposit investment products updates its guidance around certain sales practices in light of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's adoption of Regulation Best Interest, say attorneys at Debevoise.
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Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?
A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.
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Loper Fuels Debate Over Merchant Cash Advances As Credit
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent rejection of the Chevron doctrine in Loper Bright may escalate a Florida federal court dispute between the Revenue Based Finance Coalition and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau over whether merchant cash advances should be considered credit under the Dodd-Frank Act, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.