Consumer Protection

  • November 01, 2024

    EBay Must Face Punitive Damages For Some Stalking Claims

    A Massachusetts federal judge held Friday that a pair of bloggers can pursue punitive damages from eBay Inc. on some of their civil claims over an "extraordinary and troubling" harassment campaign orchestrated by the e-commerce giant's security staffers.

  • November 01, 2024

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    One circuit court will hold an oral argument for the history books, with dizzying logistics and stakes surpassing almost anything on the U.S. Supreme Court's calendar. Other circuit showdowns will delve into the high court's latest opinions and flesh out fascinating feuds involving big beer brands and emerging theories of "administrative state" overreach. All that and more is making November a month of exceptional appellate intrigue.

  • November 01, 2024

    Boeing Supplier Should Win Texas Probe Suit, Judge Says

    A magistrate judge on Friday recommended a Texas federal judge grant Spirit AeroSystems Inc.'s bid to permanently enjoin a Texas statute requiring businesses to immediately comply with the state's demand to examine business records, saying the statute is unconstitutional.

  • November 01, 2024

    'Razzlekhan' Asks For Time Served For Role In Crypto Hack

    The wife of a hacker convicted for his role in a scheme to steal bitcoin worth billions of dollars from crypto exchange Bitfinex has asked to dodge future prison time ahead of sentencing for her role laundering the scheme's proceeds.

  • November 01, 2024

    Suit Calls School Lunch Pay Processors Junk Fee 'Bullies'

    Three parents filed a proposed class action in New Jersey federal court alleging consumer fraud against a major school lunch payment processor, saying it has misrepresented the purpose of the "junk fees" it charges for electronic transactions that are imposed on families mostly just for profit.

  • November 01, 2024

    Crypto Co. Gemini Teed Up For CFTC Trial After Appeal Denied

    A New York federal judge has denied crypto exchange Gemini's bid to immediately appeal his decision that Gemini could be held liable for alleged misrepresentations to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission concerning its proposed bitcoin futures contract, sending the case to trial.

  • November 01, 2024

    Cloud Co. To Pay $300K Over FCC Subsidy Fund Paperwork

    Cloud communication company Fuze Inc. is going to be shelling out $300,000 to the Federal Communications Commission for not following certain rules related to Universal Service Fund contributions, the agency said Friday.

  • November 01, 2024

    5th Circ. Punts On Bid To Stay CFPB Small Biz Rule

    The Fifth Circuit said it won't immediately start tolling compliance deadlines for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's small business lending data collection rule and will reserve judgment on whether to stay the rule pending an appeal by the bank trade groups challenging it.

  • November 01, 2024

    Kroger Blasts 'Food Desert' Fears From Wash. Nonprofits

    Kroger and Albertsons said the trial judge in Washington's bid to block a $24.6 billion merger should reject amicus briefs from two cities, a food bank and a poverty nonprofit, saying their assertions that the deal would inflate grocery prices and create food deserts in some communities rehash claims by activists and the media.

  • November 01, 2024

    CFPB Inks Deal With Townstone Over Redlining Claims

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau informed an Illinois federal court on Friday that it has reached a settlement with Townstone Financial resolving its redlining claims against the mortgage lender.

  • November 01, 2024

    Paramount Sends User Data To Facebook, TikTok, Suit Says

    Paramount Global faces a proposed class action in New York federal court by a subscriber who accuses the streaming giant of sharing users' personally identifiable information, including their viewing history, with third parties like Facebook, TikTok and Google without permission, in violation of the Video Privacy Protection Act.

  • November 01, 2024

    Egg Producer Milo's Sued Over Salmonella Contamination

    An egg producer was hit Thursday with a proposed class action in Wisconsin federal court over a recent recall that came after U.S. Food and Drug Administration tested and found samples that tested positive for salmonella bacteria.

  • November 01, 2024

    Health Data Co. Urges 4th Circ. To Keep Access Open

    Nursing home data analytics company Real Time Medical Systems urged the Fourth Circuit on Friday to keep in place an order that stops electronic medical records company PointClickCare from using unsolvable captcha prompts to block access to patient records.

  • November 01, 2024

    CFPB Fines VyStar $1.5M For 'Botched' Web Platform Rollout

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has fined VyStar Credit Union $1.5 million for an alleged "botched" rollout of a new online banking platform that made it hard for members to perform basic banking functions for weeks, with some features unavailable for more than six months.

  • November 01, 2024

    Amazon Denies Alexa Spying Claims, Seeking Class Suit Win

    Amazon is trying to stamp out a proposed class action in Washington federal court brought by Alexa users who claim the device surreptitiously recorded their personal conversations, saying years of discovery has shown audio from their accidental device activations was never exploited by the company or even subject to human review.

  • November 01, 2024

    Blockchain Gaming Co. Immutable Says SEC May Bring Suit

    Blockchain gaming firm Immutable said Friday that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is considering bringing an enforcement action after the firm received notice of the regulator's scrutiny on an "accelerated timeline" ahead of the U.S. election.

  • November 01, 2024

    Electric Co-Ops Urge NTIA To 'True Up' Broadband Funding

    Electric cooperatives want the U.S. Commerce Department to implement a "true-up" process to ensure that only locations still in need of reliable broadband match well with federal funds available under a $42.5 billion spending program to deploy service in unserved areas.

  • November 01, 2024

    Judge In Philly Inquirer Data Sharing Case Won't Join Class

    The Pennsylvania federal judge overseeing a consolidated action accusing the Philadelphia Inquirer of sharing subscribers' video viewing habits with Meta is eligible to join the class, but has decided to renounce his right to class membership in order to continue being the judge.

  • November 01, 2024

    Up Next At High Court: Fed Funds And Securities Risks

    The U.S. Supreme Court will return to the bench Monday for its November arguments session, which will start off with a debate over whether the Federal Communications Commission telecom subsidy program involves federal funds subject to the False Claims Act, and on Tuesday how Medicare funding should be calculated for hospitals that serve large numbers of low-income patients.

  • November 01, 2024

    Capital One Says CFPB Eyeing Case Over Savings Accounts

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is considering whether to pursue an enforcement action against Capital One over the interest rates it pays on high-yield savings accounts that are the subject of ongoing class action litigation, the financial services company said.

  • November 01, 2024

    US Must Revamp Spectrum Policy To Compete, Org. Says

    The U.S. is on the verge of a "great strategic blunder" by allowing its spectrum auction authority to lapse and setting aside too much spectrum for short-range unlicensed wireless use, risking the loss of its competitive edge to China, a think tank says.

  • November 01, 2024

    Tree Removal Co. Swindled Helene Victims, NC AG Says

    A landscaping business fleeced a western North Carolina couple for tree removal services after Hurricane Helene, dropping tree limbs into their house through a hole in the roof and then leaving without finishing the job, according to a new complaint filed by the state's attorney general.

  • October 31, 2024

    Judge 'Duped' By BigLaw Attys Urged To Preserve Sanctions

    Guardant Health urged a California federal judge Thursday to reject a request from Natera's Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP attorneys to lessen sanctions barring clinical trial evidence in Guardant's false advertising case, noting the court said it had been "duped" by false and misleading statements from Natera's expert and counsel.

  • October 31, 2024

    Berkshire Bank Escapes Claims It Aided $90M Ponzi Scheme

    A New York federal judge on Thursday freed Berkshire Bank from a proposed class action that alleged it helped a local businessman's $90 million Ponzi scheme for roughly a decade, saying an investor in a fund central to the scheme didn't show the bank had actual knowledge of the fraud.

  • October 31, 2024

    UPS Denies Liability For Mailing Robb Elementary Gun Parts

    UPS Inc. has asked a San Antonio federal judge to toss a lawsuit filed by the families of victims of the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, writing that while it is "deeply sympathetic" to the victims, UPS cannot be held responsible for the tragedy.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

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    The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • 3 Areas Of Enforcement Risk Facing The EV Industry

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    Companies in the EV manufacturing ecosystem are experiencing a boom in business, but with this boom comes increased regulatory and enforcement risks, from the corruption issues that have historically pervaded the extractive sector to newer risks posed by artificial intelligence, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Nat'l Security Considerations For Telecom Products Counsel

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    An increase in federal national security measures in the telecommunications space, particularly from the Federal Communications Commission, means that products counsel need to broaden their considerations as they advise on new products and services, says Laura Stefani at Venable.

  • Chevron's End Puts Target On CFPB's Aggressive BNPL Rule

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    A recent interpretative rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, subjecting buy-now, pay-later loans to the same regulations as credit cards, is unlikely to survive post-Chevron challenges of the rule's partisan and shaky logic, say Scott Pearson and Bryan Schneider at Manatt.

  • Boeing Plea Deal Is A Mixed Bag, Providing Lessons For Cos.

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    The plea deal for conspiracy to defraud regulators that Boeing has tentatively agreed to will, on the one hand, probably help the company avoid further reputational damage, but also demonstrates to companies that deferred prosecution agreements have real teeth, and that noncompliance with DPA terms can be costly, says Edmund Vickers at Red Lion Chambers.

  • Unpacking The Increasingly Popular Fair Credit Billing Act

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    The Fair Credit Billing Act is receiving increased attention from regulators and consumers disputing credit card charges, so creditors should understand its procedural requirements — including the law's focus on the mechanics of a dispute and its potential to create civil liability, say David Gettings and Courtney Hitchcock at Troutman Pepper.

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