Consumer Protection

  • August 06, 2024

    Anti-Rape Org. Told To Turn Over Docs In Uber Assault MDL

    A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday directed the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network to produce documents in response to a subpoena seeking information about the anti-sexual violence organization's work with Uber Technologies Inc. as part of multidistrict litigation in California over the sexual assault of Uber passengers.

  • August 06, 2024

    Henrietta Lacks' Family Sues Novartis, Viatris Over HeLa Cells

    The family of the late Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cells were harvested without her knowledge to create the first immortalized human cell line, sued Novartis and Viatris in Maryland federal court Monday, alleging the pharmaceutical giants have "reaped massive profits" using Lacks' stolen cells to create new drugs.

  • August 06, 2024

    CPSC Makes Moves On Powers Of Recall Over Amazon

    The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's recent decision that Amazon is legally responsible for recalling hundreds of thousands of unsafe products sold on its site is a big step forward for the agency in its authority over online platforms that sell third-party products, although the opinion is still limited to the sorts of products at issue, attorneys say.

  • August 06, 2024

    Fox TV Knocks Media Group's Petition Against Philly License

    Fox TV pressed the Federal Communications Commission to reject an advocacy group's bid for a hearing on its Philadelphia station's license over claims it knowingly aired election falsehoods, arguing the petition still lacks merit despite a year of pressure on the agency.

  • August 06, 2024

    Fifth Third Bank Faces MDL Bid Over Allegedly Hidden Costs

    A group of consumers is urging the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to centralize in New Jersey five proposed class actions alleging Fifth Third Bank NA's solar panel financing business hid loan costs from consumers.

  • August 06, 2024

    Cable Biz Likely To Oppose Cybersecurity Reporting Rules

    Cable providers bristled at federal agencies' plans to impose new requirements aimed at beefing up network security, arguing that rules for reporting cyberattacks within certain time frames and sharing detailed security plans would be overly burdensome.

  • August 06, 2024

    Conn. AG Says Utility Misconstrued Power Plant Cleanup Deal

    The Connecticut Attorney General's Office has told a state court that The United Illuminating Co., now part of Avangrid Inc., raised inapplicable defenses to an environmental cleanup lawsuit by misconstruing an earlier consent decree as a "contract" the government could breach as the utility remediated an abandoned New Haven power plant.

  • August 06, 2024

    Pennsylvania Hospital Gets Data Breach Suit Whittled

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has shaved two counts off of a data breach lawsuit against Prospect Medical Holdings Inc., rejecting the hospital operator's argument that the plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the suit but agreeing that not all of them stated valid claims.

  • August 06, 2024

    EPA Emergency Bans Pesticide Chem Over Risks To Unborn

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it's imposing an emergency ban on all pesticide products that contain a chemical used since the 1950s that it says puts fetuses at risk of thyroid problems and a cascade of other health issues.

  • August 06, 2024

    CFPB Pans Bid For 5th Circ. To Reopen Payday Rule Fight

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has urged the Fifth Circuit to deny a rehearing bid for a payday loan industry rule challenge that previously foundered at the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing it's time to put the long-running case to bed.

  • August 06, 2024

    Dem Lawmakers Back FTC's Kroger-Albertsons Challenge

    A group of Democratic lawmakers is supporting the Federal Trade Commission in its suit to block Kroger's $25 billion acquisition of Albertsons, telling an Oregon federal judge in a friend-of-the-court brief that the agency's fears the deal would harm grocery workers and consumers are well-founded.

  • August 06, 2024

    Finance Co. EasyKnock Scams Poor Homeowners, Suit Says

    Home finance company EasyKnock Inc. has been sued on allegations it targeted a low-income Philadelphia resident in an "equity-theft" scheme designed to dupe homeowners with an upfront cash payment for a gradual sale of their home that secretly transfers the title to the company.

  • August 06, 2024

    Elon Musk's X Sues CVS, Mars, Ads Group Claiming 'Boycott'

    Elon Musk's X Corp. sued the World Federation of Advertisers, Unilever, Mars Inc., CVS Health and Ørsted in Texas federal court Tuesday, inspired by a House Judiciary Committee Republican staffer report decrying efforts to avoid advertising next to hate speech and other "disfavored" content as an anticompetitive group boycott.

  • August 06, 2024

    Lowe's Must Face Retail Logistics Co.'s Software IP Suit

    Lowe's Home Centers LLC lost its bid to dismiss a retail logistics company's claims it ripped off a merchandise return management software and breached its contract with that software's manufacturer, with a North Carolina federal judge declining to fully toss any of the claims but flagging that some contradicted each other.

  • August 06, 2024

    Mich. Judge OKs FTC's Deal With Credit Repair Businesses

    Several credit repair companies agreed to turn over about $12 million and either exit the credit repair industry or stop claiming their products can clean up negative credit histories to resolve Federal Trade Commission allegations that they scammed consumers.

  • August 06, 2024

    Frigidaire Dishwasher Defect Suit Tossed For Lack Of Proof

    An Illinois federal judge has thrown out claims from seven plaintiffs alleging that Frigidaire-brand dishwashers made by Electrolux Home Products Inc. are defective, saying none of them have put forth proof that any design defect exists, let alone that the company had a duty to warn them of it.

  • August 06, 2024

    DC Circ. Urged To Revive Investor's Pandemic-Era Losses Suit

    An investor vying to hold Bank of America liable for losses he sustained at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic told the D.C. Circuit that a trial court judge prematurely tossed his suit claiming that the bank failed to explain the risks of cashing out his investments.

  • August 05, 2024

    Chamber, Others Back 9th Circ. Ax Of Shopify Privacy Row

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several tech trade groups are among those pushing the full Ninth Circuit to affirm the toss of a proposed class action accusing Shopify of unlawfully collecting shoppers' sensitive information, arguing that overriding the decision would unfairly allow plaintiffs to sue online businesses in any court across the country. 

  • August 05, 2024

    DOJ Wants Google Held Accountable For Deleted Chats

    The U.S. Department of Justice has told the Virginia federal court overseeing the government's case accusing Google of monopolizing key digital advertising technology the company needs to be held accountable for implementing policies that destroyed evidence.

  • August 05, 2024

    CFPB's Buy-Now, Pay-Later Policy In House GOP Crosshairs

    Republican members of Congress have taken aim again at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's recent guidance requiring that some of the protections provided to credit card users be applied to buy-now, pay-later loans, putting forward a new measure that would overturn what the lawmakers argue is a "destructive," overreaching policy.

  • August 05, 2024

    TikTok Tells DC Circ. That Feds Can't Keep Filings Secret

    TikTok told the D.C. Circuit on Monday that the U.S. government shouldn't be allowed to conceal its court filings in litigation over a federal law that could ban the popular social media platform in the United States.

  • August 05, 2024

    Morgan Stanley Says SEC Eyeing Its Cash Sweep Policies

    Morgan Stanley told investors on Monday that it is fielding enforcement inquiries from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission about its investment account cash sweep policies.

  • August 05, 2024

    Indivior Accused Of Overstating Prospects Of 3 Opioid Drugs

    Drugmaker Indivior PLC has been hit with a proposed investor class action in Virginia federal court over claims it overstated the financial prospects of its drugs used to treat opioid use disorders and the company's ability to forecast such financial projections.

  • August 05, 2024

    Monsanto PCB Appeals Win Has Shallow Impact, Families Say

    A group of families suing Monsanto alleging they were poisoned by chemicals at a Washington school has told a trial judge their case can't be limited by the state's 12-year statute of repose for product liability claims, even though an appellate court did just that in a related case.

  • August 05, 2024

    EarnIn's Fees, Tips Are Usurious, Ga. Consumers Say

    Pay advance app EarnIn has been hit with a proposed class action alleging its optional fees and tips are hidden interest payments that, on average, far exceed fair rates for consumer lending.

Expert Analysis

  • What TikTok's Race Against The Clock Teaches Chinese Firms

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    The Biden administration's recent divestiture deadline on TikTok parent ByteDance provides useful information for other China-based companies looking to do business in the U.S., including the need to keep products for each market separate and implement firewalls at the design stage, says Richard Lomuscio at Stinson.

  • Updated Federal Rules Can Improve Product Liability MDLs

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    The recent amendment of a federal evidence rule regarding expert testimony and the proposal of a civil rule on managing early discovery in multidistrict legislation hold great promise for promoting the uniform and efficient processes that high-stakes product liability cases particularly need, say Alan Klein and William Heaston at Duane Morris.

  • Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent

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    As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.

  • Unlocking Blockchain Opportunities Amid Legal Uncertainty

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    Dozens of laws and legal precedents will come into the fore as Web3, metaverse and non-fungible tokens gain momentum, so organizations need to design their programs with a broader view of potential exposures — and opportunities, say Teresa Goody Guillén and Robert Musiala at BakerHostetler and Steve McNew at FTI Consulting.

  • 4 Ways Businesses Can Address Threat Of Mass Arbitration

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    Attorneys at DLA Piper examine the rise of mass arbitration in light of JAMS' new procedures and guidelines, and provide four steps e-commerce businesses can take when revising their dispute resolution provisions to maximize the chances those revisions will be held enforceable.

  • The Uncertain Scope Of The First Financial Fair Access Laws

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    With Florida and Tennessee soon to roll out laws banning financial institutions from making decisions based on customer traits like political affiliation, national financial services providers should consider how broadly worded “fair access” laws from these and other conservative-leaning states may place new obligations on their business operations, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Live Nation May Shake It Off In A Long Game With The DOJ

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    Don't expect a swift resolution in the U.S. Department of Justice's case against Live Nation, but a long litigation, with the company likely to represent itself as the creator of a competitive ecosystem, and the government faced with explaining how the ticketing giant formed under its watch, say Thomas Kliebhan and Taylor Hixon at GRSM50.

  • Boeing Saga Underscores Need For Ethical Corporate Culture

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    In the wake of recent allegations about Boeing’s safety culture, and amid the U.S. Department of Justice’s new whistleblower incentives, business leaders should reinvigorate their emphasis on compliance by making clear that long-term profitability requires ethical business practices, says Maxwell Carr-Howard at Dentons.

  • Debate Over CFPB Definition Of Credit Is Just Beginning

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has recently worked to expand the meaning of credit, so anyone operating on the edges of the credit markets, or even those who assumed they were safely outside the scope of this regulatory perimeter, should pay close attention as legal challenges to broad interpretations of the definition unfold, says John Coleman at Orrick.

  • Why Jurors Balk At 'I Don't Recall' — And How To Respond

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    Jurors often react negatively to a witness who responds “I don’t remember” because they tend to hold erroneous beliefs about the nature of human memory, but attorneys can adopt a few strategies to mitigate the impact of these biases, say Steve Wood and Ava Hernández at Courtroom Sciences.

  • How Federal And State Microfiber Pollution Policy Is Evolving

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    Growing efforts to address synthetic microfiber pollution may create compliance and litigation issues for businesses in the textile and apparel industries, so companies should track developing federal and state legislation and regulation in this space, and should consider associated greenwashing risks, says Arie Feltman-Frank at Jenner & Block.

  • Series

    Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.

  • 10 Tips To Build Trust With Your Witness During Trial Prep

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    Preparing a witness for deposition or trial requires more than just legal skills — lawyers must also work to cultivate trust with the witness, using strategies ranging from wearing a hat when conducting mock cross-examination to offering them a ride to court before they testify, say Faye Paul Teller and Sara McDermott at Munger Tolles.

  • A Look At US-EU Consumer Finance Talks' Slow First Steps

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    The unhurried and informal nature of planned discussions between the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the European commissioner for justice and consumer protection suggests any coordinated regulatory action on issues like AI and "buy now, pay later" services is still a ways off, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • 5th Circ. Venue-Transfer Cases Highlight Mandamus Limits

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    Three ongoing cases filed within the Fifth Circuit highlight an odd procedural wrinkle that may let district courts defy an appellate writ: orders granting transfer to out-of-circuit districts, but parties opposing intercircuit transfer can work around this hurdle to effective appellate review, says Charles Fowler at McKool Smith.

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