Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Consumer Protection
-
January 28, 2025
Apple Can't Defend Google Revenue Deal In DOJ Search Case
A D.C. federal judge has refused to let Apple intervene to defend the billions it gets from Google to keep the search giant as the default for Safari browser, holding the iPhone maker waited too long to intervene in the Justice Department's monopolization lawsuit, and the company's involvement now would be too disruptive.
-
January 28, 2025
NJ Targets MTA's Changes In Revised Congestion-Pricing Suit
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy plans to target New York City's public transit agency and the altered toll amounts in the state's renewed legal challenge to congestion pricing, according to a proposed amended complaint.
-
January 28, 2025
Pa. Bank Regulator Claims Co. Hid Affiliation, Misused Privilege
A Texas debt-settlement company should be sanctioned for failing to disclose its alleged affiliation with another debt consolidator and for invoking attorney-client privilege when pressed about how its general counsel complied with a subpoena, Pennsylvania's banking regulator told a state court Tuesday.
-
January 28, 2025
Vivint 'Kicking Dead Horse' In $190M TM Suit, 4th Circ. Hints
Smart home software company Vivint faced an uphill battle Tuesday trying to convince the Fourth Circuit to dismantle a nearly $190 million verdict for allegedly tricking its rival's customers into switching providers, with one judge saying Vivint's claims that the lower court misapplied state consumer protection law are fruitless.
-
January 28, 2025
Connecticut Bank Customer Drops Overdraft Class Claims
Connecticut's Fairfield County Bank has dodged a proposed class action accusing it of unlawfully charging fees on "authorize positive, settle negative" transactions, court records show.
-
January 28, 2025
Former FAA Chief Counsel Joins DLA Piper
The Federal Aviation Administration's former chief counsel Marc Nichols has joined DLA Piper in Washington, D.C., as partner and co-chair of its transportation practice, the firm announced Tuesday.
-
January 27, 2025
5th Circ. Wipes Out FTC Rule Targeting Auto Industry Scams
A split Fifth Circuit panel on Monday vacated the Federal Trade Commission's Combating Auto Retail Scams, or CARS, rule prohibiting bait-and-switch tactics and hidden charges in the car buying and leasing process, siding with car dealers and finding that the FTC didn't give adequate notice of the proposed rulemaking.
-
January 27, 2025
CFPB's Chopra Sees Room For Rules To Stem Debanking
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra on Monday voiced support for regulatory action to address concerns about banks unfairly closing accounts, saying more transparency and "bright-line" limits may be needed to combat so-called debanking.
-
January 27, 2025
Lummis Tells 2nd Circ. SEC 'Flouts' Congress In Crypto Cases
Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R.-Wyo., told the Second Circuit that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's ongoing suit against Coinbase Inc. has complicated congressional efforts to set rules for digital assets, filing her support for the crypto exchange's bid for a quick ruling from the appeals court on how securities laws apply to the transactions on its platform.
-
January 27, 2025
States Back In Spotlight As Feds Exit Net Neutrality Debate
The Sixth Circuit might have recently hammered the last nail into the coffin of federal net neutrality rules, but states are poised to fill the void — just as some did when the last Trump administration tanked a previous broadband regulatory regime.
-
January 27, 2025
CFPB Says Acima Can't Use 'Lease' Label To Exit Suit
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau urged a Utah federal court to not dismiss its predatory lending suit against Acima Leasing, arguing the fintech company and Rent-A-Center affiliate can't hide offering functional credit products by calling them rental purchases.
-
January 27, 2025
UnitedHealth Raises Cyberattack Estimate To 190M Individuals
A debilitating cyberattack last year that sabotaged vital billing and prescribing services operated by a UnitedHealth Group unit affected personal information belonging to roughly 190 million individuals, the health insurer disclosed Friday, nearly doubling its previous estimate of the scope of the incident.
-
January 27, 2025
4th Circ. Says Servicemembers Law Doesn't Bar Arbitration
The Fourth Circuit ruled Monday that the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, a federal law that grants financial protections to members of the U.S. armed forces, does not override mandatary arbitration agreements in lenders' contracts with military borrowers.
-
January 27, 2025
Cruz Files Bill To Repeal FCC's Student Wi-Fi Plan
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has filed a bill to prevent the Federal Communications Commission from carrying out a Democratic plan to fund Wi-Fi for students off campus.
-
January 27, 2025
FCC No Longer Mulling Broadband Bulk Billing Restrictions
With the Federal Communications Commission now under Republican leadership, the agency has decided to pull its plan to restrict bulk billing for broadband services from the FCC's regulatory agenda.
-
January 27, 2025
Judge Refuses To Stop Amazon Data Suit In Ill. State Court
A Delaware federal judge refused on Monday to block a lawsuit in Illinois state court accusing Amazon Web Services of illegally collecting voice data, saying the Illinois privacy case involves different claims and parties than the federal case, which was dismissed because some plaintiffs lacked standing.
-
January 27, 2025
3rd Circ. Says Class Cert. Won't Work In Junk Fax Suit
Since Fox Rehabilitation Services used "highly individualized methods" to seek consent from the entities it sent faxes to, it would be too difficult for a lawsuit accusing the company of sending unsolicited ads to proceed as a class action, a split Third Circuit panel has ruled.
-
January 27, 2025
Gerber, Nestle Sued Over Claims Of Metal In Baby Food
A mother has filed suit against baby food manufacturers, including Gerber Products Co., Beech-Nut Nutrition Co. and Walmart Inc., claiming her child developed autism after consuming their products, which were tainted with heavy metals, and she is seeking to join the larger multidistrict litigation.
-
January 27, 2025
DC, Council Aim To Stop Block On Pot Shop Closures
The D.C. Council and other city government agencies are urging the D.C. federal court to deny bids from cannabis retailers for injunctions to block enforcement of city cannabis regulations that has resulted in closures of some of the plaintiff stores.
-
January 27, 2025
So-Called 'Face' Of $14M Crypto Ponzi Scheme Gets 2½ Years
A Manhattan federal judge sentenced a Florida house cleaner to 2½ years in prison Monday for her role in promoting the $14 million, international Forcount cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme to fellow Latinos over three years.
-
January 27, 2025
Justices Won't Review $90M Facebook Privacy Settlement
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a case involving a $90 million settlement for claims Facebook illegally tracked logged-out users' browsing activity, rejecting an argument from an objector who challenged plaintiff service awards and $26.1 million in attorney fees.
-
January 27, 2025
MGM's $45M Deal To End Data Breach Suits Wins Initial OK
A Nevada federal judge has preliminarily approved MGM Resorts International's $45 million deal — with class counsel seeking up to $13.5 million in fees — to settle consolidated proposed class action litigation alleging that MGM failed to protect 37 million customers' personal information from multiple data breaches in 2019 and 2023.
-
January 27, 2025
Walmart Hit With False Ad Suit Over Instant Mac And Cheese
Walmart Inc. was hit with a putative false advertising class action in California federal court by customers who say the retail giant falsely markets its Great Value brand of instant macaroni and cheese products as containing no artificial preservatives and flavors, despite citric acid being part of the ingredients list.
-
January 27, 2025
'Guesswork' Dooms Class Cert. In Meta Privacy Antitrust Suit
A California federal judge has refused to certify a class of consumers who say Meta would have to pay users for their data if it didn't lie about privacy safeguards, finding that the motion was undone by the opinions of an economist who cannot get from general economics to market reality.
-
January 27, 2025
Multiple Cannabis Cos. Hit With THC Potency Class Actions
A single litigant has filed two proposed consumer class actions in Illinois federal court against cannabis companies, alleging that their wares exceeded lawful levels of psychoactive THC.
Expert Analysis
-
Series
Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers
In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron.
-
Call For Input Shows How Banks, Fintechs Can Address Risks
A recent request for information by federal banking regulators suggests that watchdogs are zeroing in on the bank-fintech partnerships they have long perceived as risky to consumers, but analyzing the publication can help companies anticipate regulators’ chief concerns and take steps to avoid becoming enforcement targets, say attorneys at K&L Gates.
-
Curious Case Of FTC's Amicus Brief In Teva Fed. Circ. Appeal
Attorneys at BCLP explore the Federal Trade Commission's backing of Amneal's Orange Book-delisting efforts on Teva ahead of a key Federal Circuit hearing in a case between the two pharmaceutical companies, and wonder if the FTC amicus brief indicates a future trend, especially in the next administration.
-
E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata
Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.
-
How New OCC Priorities Will Affect Bank Compliance
With the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency recently releasing a new bank supervision plan for fiscal year 2025, all banks, not only those primarily supervised by the OCC, should consider how compliance with its guidelines creates opportunities and challenges, says Andrew Karp at Cadwalader.
-
Comparing Antitrust Outlooks Amid Google Remedy Review
As the U.S. Justice Department mulls potential structural remedies after winning its recent case against Google, increased global scrutiny of Big Tech leaves ex post and ex ante antitrust approaches ripe for evaluation, say Nishant Chadha at the Indian School of Business and Manisha Goel at Pomona College.
-
Website Accessibility Ruling Leaves Circuit Split Unresolved
A New York federal court's recent decision in Mejia v. High Brew Coffee, holding that stand-alone websites are not "public accommodations" subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act, further complicates a long-running circuit split on this question — even as courts are burdened with thousands of similar lawsuits, say attorneys at Mandelbaum Barrett.
-
What FTC's 'Bitcoin ATM' Report Tells Us About Crypto Scams
The Federal Trade Commission's recent insights into bitcoin ATM scams highlight the technical evolution of fraudsters, the application of old scams to new technology, and the persistent financial impact on victims, say attorneys at DLA Piper.
-
A Look At Grewal's Record-Breaking Legacy After SEC Exit
Gurbir Grewal resigned as director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement last month after more than three years on the job, leaving behind a legacy marked by record numbers of penalties and enforcement actions, as well as mixed results in aggressive lawsuits against major crypto players, say attorneys at Debevoise.
-
Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being
As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.
-
Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes
Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.
-
A Look At The Increased Scrutiny Of Cash Sweep Programs
Financial industry regulators have increasingly probed the adequacy of so-called cash sweep disclosures and policies, underscoring the heightened risk faced by investment advisers and broker-dealers, as well as the importance of adequately disclosing material conflicts of interest, say attorneys at Dechert.
-
Series
Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.
-
Election Outcome Could Reshape Financial Industry
The policies of the next presidential administration and Congress will shape the landscape of financial services in the U.S. — including banking, mortgage, investment and credit services — for years to come, affecting Wall Street investors and aspiring homeowners alike, say Alexander Hecht and Frank Guinta at Mintz.
-
Consider The Impact Of Election Stress On Potential Jurors
For at least the next few months, potential jurors may be working through anger and distrust stemming from the presidential election, and trial attorneys will need to assess whether those jurors are able to leave their political concerns at the door, says Ken Broda-Bahm at Persuasion Strategies.