Consumer Protection

  • April 03, 2025

    Carnegie Mellon Student Sues Over August 2023 Data Hack

    A Carnegie Mellon University student launched a proposed class action in Pennsylvania federal court on Thursday alleging that despite charging students a $470 technology fee presumably meant for maintaining network data security, the school negligently failed to stop an August 2023 hacking event that compromised students' personally identifiable information.

  • April 03, 2025

    SunSetter To Pay $9M Over Defective Awning Covers

    A Massachusetts awning manufacturer will pay $9.25 million and implement a new compliance program to settle civil claims that it failed to report defective awning covers to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, allegedly leading to multiple injuries and at least one death.

  • April 03, 2025

    Trump FCC Nominee Set For Senate Hearing Next Week

    The Senate Commerce Committee will hold an April 9 confirmation hearing on Olivia Trusty, the White House nominee for a third Republican seat on the Federal Communications Commission.

  • April 02, 2025

    RealPage Sues Berkeley Over Rent Pricing Software Ban

    RealPage on Wednesday asked a California federal judge to block Berkeley, California's impending ordinance prohibiting the use of software to set rent prices, claiming the ban is unconstitutional and based on the "groundless" claim that the algorithmic real estate pricing company's software has contributed to rising rent.

  • April 02, 2025

    5th Circ. Presses Jackson, Miss., About Lead Levels In Water

    A Fifth Circuit panel pressed the city of Jackson, Mississippi, about its allegedly slipshod handling of lead contamination in city drinking water during oral arguments Wednesday, with one judge saying city officials seemingly "very artfully avoided" questions about poisoned drinking water to skirt culpability.

  • April 02, 2025

    Justices' Ghost Gun Decision Worrisome Win For Gun Control

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision upholding a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives rule restricting so-called ghost gun kits is a clear-cut win for gun control proponents, but experts said it also signals a problematic shift to a supervisory role for the courts.

  • April 02, 2025

    DC Circ. To Hear Trump Admin's Bid To Stay CFPB Injunction

    A D.C. Circuit panel said Wednesday that it will hold a hearing next week on whether to stay a federal judge's order barring the Trump administration from shutting down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, taking up what has also become a jurisdictional dispute.

  • April 02, 2025

    Fla. Panel Finds Rehab Center Owed Duty To Released Patient

    A Florida state appellate court on Wednesday ruled that a Miami substance abuse treatment facility owed a duty of care to an involuntarily committed patient who was discharged for rule violations and later died of an overdose, finding the manner in which he was released went against regulations.

  • April 02, 2025

    Eligo Seeks Exit From Ohio Customer's Electricity Rates Suit

    Private electricity provider Eligo Energy LLC has urged an Ohio federal judge to throw out a proposed class action alleging the company's variable rates are the result of "unbridled price gouging," saying the customer behind the suit saved money most months.

  • April 02, 2025

    Bigelow VP Didn't Want Name In Emails About 'USA' Label

    A former R.C. Bigelow vice president testified Wednesday in a trial over the labeling of its products as "manufactured in the USA," agreeing that he once told a Bigelow executive he wished his name wasn't connected to the label, which a California federal judge has found to be false.

  • April 02, 2025

    Ill. Parade Shooting Survivors Can Sue Smith & Wesson

    Smith & Wesson and gun retailers can't escape a lawsuit brought by families of victims of a mass shooting that killed seven people during a 2022 July Fourth parade in Highland Park, an Illinois state judge has ruled, largely denying their requests to apply immunity found in federal law that would have shielded them from civil liability.

  • April 02, 2025

    Serial Acquisitions Are Still On The FTC's Radar

    The previous administration's focus on private equity firms making serial acquisitions in the same industry may continue under the Federal Trade Commission's new leadership, an agency official said Wednesday.

  • April 02, 2025

    Sprouts Hid Unsafe Heavy Metal In Sunflower Butter, Suit Says

    Sprouts Farmers Market misleads customers into thinking its sunflower butter spreads sold under Sprouts' own brand is made with high-quality protein and safe to consume, despite containing dangerous levels of cadmium, which poses serious health risks, according to a proposed class action filed Wednesday in California federal court. 

  • April 02, 2025

    Boeing CEO Tells Senate Panel Safety Overhaul Progressing

    Boeing's CEO told a Senate panel Wednesday that the company remains focused on overhauling its corporate culture and plugging safety gaps on production lines, as the plane-maker continues to stabilize its business after being rocked by two 737 Max 8 crashes and a door-plug blowout.

  • April 02, 2025

    CFPB's FirstCash Lending Suit Paused For Settlement Talks

    A Texas federal judge has agreed to pause the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Biden-era lawsuit accusing a leading U.S. pawn store operator of military lending violations, a case the agency is now discussing settling after deciding last month to move forward with it.

  • April 02, 2025

    With Dems Fired, GOP Recused, FTC Pauses PBMs Case

    The Federal Trade Commission has stayed its insulin price-fixing case against pharmacy benefit managers for more than three months, saying it does not have any commissioners to hear it after two Republican members recused themselves and the two Democratic commissioners were removed from their posts by President Donald Trump last month.

  • April 02, 2025

    'You Sound Like Tobacco Cos.,' 9th Circ. Judge Tells Tech Atty

    A Ninth Circuit judge expressed doubts Wednesday about a tech trade group's effort to preliminarily block California from enforcing a new law barring platforms from using algorithms to deliver addictive feeds to children, telling the group's counsel that social media might be worse than a carcinogen and "you sound like the tobacco companies."

  • April 02, 2025

    Parents, Distributor Settle Suit Over Baby Lounger Death

    The distributor of an infant lounger and a Texas couple who allege that their 7-month-old daughter died after falling out of the device told a Texas federal court this week that they had reached a deal in the parents' suit.

  • April 02, 2025

    Experian Says CFPB Suit Is Too Late, Too Flawed To Proceed

    Experian asked a California federal court Tuesday to throw out a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau lawsuit accusing it of mishandling consumer credit reporting disputes, arguing the case is an overblown, untimely "attempt to legislate through enforcement."

  • April 02, 2025

    PE Firm TPG Wants Endo Trust's Transfer Suit Tossed

    Private equity firm TPG Capital is seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit that aims to claw back billions of dollars reaped in an allegedly unfair deal with Endo International PLC before the drugmaker went bankrupt.

  • April 02, 2025

    Zoll Gets Parts Of Data Breach Class Action Tossed

    A Massachusetts federal judge released Zoll Medical Corp. from some claims brought by a proposed class of medical device customers whose personal data was released after two ransomware attacks, but kept alive claims of negligence, unjust enrichment and others.

  • April 02, 2025

    Broadcasters Ask FCC To Lift National Ownership Cap

    Broadcasters asked the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday to lift the 39% federal cap on national market share, one of the industry's longest-sought changes to media ownership rules.

  • April 02, 2025

    CVS Asserts DOJ's Opioid Prescription Suit Lacks Facts

    CVS Pharmacy Inc. has told a Rhode Island federal judge that most of the U.S. Department of Justice's claims that it knowingly filed invalid prescriptions for opioids should be tossed, saying the agency failed to adequately allege the company willfully put profits over safety.

  • April 02, 2025

    House Dems Seek FCC Answers On Media Probes

    A trio of leading House Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee are calling on the Federal Communications Commission's Republican chief to explain his pursuit of "political goals" through a bevy of news network investigations since taking office in January.

  • April 02, 2025

    Microsoft Ad Platform Allows Illegal Surveillance, Suit Says

    Microsoft has been targeted in a proposed class action that alleges it uses software and an advertising and analytics platform to illegally track sensitive private information and the browsing histories of hundreds of millions of people in violation of federal and California privacy laws.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    CPSC's Amazon Ruling Is A Win For Safety, Accountability

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    A recent U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission order classifying Amazon.com as a distributor, and requiring it to comply with notice, recall, refund and remediation obligations for defective products, is a major victory for consumer safety — and for attorneys pursuing product liability claims against major online retailers, says Donald Fountain at Clark Fountain.

  • 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

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    This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

  • Unpacking First Consumer Claim Under Wash. Health Data Act

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    The first consumer class action claim filed under Washington's My Health My Data Act, Maxwell v. Amazon.com, may answer questions counsel have been contending with since the law was introduced almost a year ago, if the court takes the opportunity to interpret some of more opaque language, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing

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    U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.

  • Unpacking Liability When AI Makes A Faulty Decision

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    As artificial intelligence systems become more autonomous and influential in decision-making, concerns about AI-related harms and problematic decisions are growing, raising the pressing question of who bears the liability, says Megha Kumar at CyXcel.

  • How To Create A Unique Jury Profile For Every Case

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    Instead of striking potential jurors based on broad stereotypes or gut feelings, trial attorneys should create case-specific risk profiles that address the political climate, the specific facts of the case and the venue in order to more precisely identify higher-risk jurors, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.

  • Why NY May Want To Reconsider Its LLC Transparency Law

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    Against the backdrop of the myriad challenges to the federal Corporate Transparency Act, it may be prudent for New York to reconsider its adoption of the LLC Transparency Act, since it's unclear whether the Empire State's "baby-CTA" statute is still necessary or was passed prematurely, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Expectations For SEC Exams As Private Credit Market Grows

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may rely heavily on its Division of Examinations for regulating private credit markets amid their expansion into the retail investor space, so investment advisers should be prepared to address several likely areas of focus when confronted with an exam, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • AG Watch: Texas Is Entering New Privacy Enforcement Era

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    The state of Texas' recent suit against Allstate is the culmination of a long-standing commitment to vigorously enforcing privacy laws in the state, and while still in the early stages, it offers several important insights for companies and privacy practitioners, says Paul Singer at Kelley Drye.

  • Considerations As Trump Admin Continues To Curtail CFPB

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    Recent sweeping moves from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new leadership have signaled a major shift in the agency's trajectory, and regulated entities should prepare for broader implications in both the near and long term, say attorneys at Pryor Cashman.

  • 6 Laws Transforming Calif.'s Health Regulatory Framework

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    Attorneys at Hooper Lundy discuss a number of new California laws that raise pressing issues for independent physicians and small practice groups, ranging from the use of artificial intelligence to wage standards for healthcare employees.

  • Implications Of Kid Privacy Rule Revamp For Parents, Cos.

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent amendments to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act will expand protections for children online, meaning parents will have greater control over their children's data and tech companies must potentially change their current privacy practices — or risk noncompliance, say attorneys at Labaton Keller.

  • 2 Practical Ways For Banks To Battle Elder Financial Abuse

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    Federal regulators' recent statement raising awareness of elder financial exploitation provides a useful catalog of techniques that banks can employ to fight fraud, particularly encouraging older account holders to establish trusted contacts and sharing timely warnings about the latest scams with customers, say attorneys at Nutter.

  • Examining Trump Meme Coin And SEC's Crypto Changes

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    While the previous U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission tended to view most crypto-assets as securities, the tide is rapidly changing, and hopefully the long-needed reevaluation of this regulatory framework is not tarnished by an arguable conflict of interest due to President Donald Trump's affiliation with the $Trump meme coin, say attorneys at Thompson Coburn.

  • A Look At The Student Loan Case Pending At Supreme Court

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    The Trump administration is likely to drop the U.S. Supreme Court case of U.S. Department of Education v. Career Colleges and Schools of Texas after its review of the 2022 borrower defense to repayment rule, but any outcome will be significant for institutions participating in programs covered by Title IV of the Higher Education Act, say attorneys at Duane Morris.

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